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Table Tennis

Photo from Mind, Body, Spirit: Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Official Souvenir Book (p. 34). Southbank, Victoria: News Custom Publishing.

   Table tennis is an official sport of the Paralympic Games, Special Olympics World Games, and Deaflympics.

Table tennis is also offered by several disability sports organizations at the local, regional, and national levels. Go to the organizations section of this web site for more information.

Athlete Eligibility and Classification

At the Paralympic Games, table tennis competition is offered for athletes with physical and cognitive disabilities. There are ten functional classification classes for athletes with physical disabilities and one for players with cognitive disability. Classes TT1 through TT5 accommodate wheelchair users, while Classes TT6 through TT10 accommodate ambulatory players. The following descriptions are from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. For more information, consult the IPC web site at http://www.paralympic.org. Click on "sports," then "classification," then "table tennis."

bulletTT1 - Elbow and hand extension are achieved by a swinging movement initiated from the shoulder. Coordination of arm movement is significantly different from non-impaired arm.
bulletTT2 - Elbow extension is sufficient and hand movements are well coordinated but without normal power.
bulletTT3 - Minimal loss of function in playing hand. Slight changes in body position are secured by the free hand propping, holding, or pushing at wheelchair or thigh. Lower part of body keeps in contact with the back of the seat. Backward movements of the arm are reduced because of body balance disorders.
bulletTT4 - Normal arm and body movements. Body movements to increase reach only possible by using free arm to prop, hold or push at wheelchair or thigh. When starting with one hand, forward body cannot lean forward optimally. Double above-knee amputees with short stumps.
bulletTT5 - Athlete may bend forward and backward without using the non-playing arm. Significant pushing actions with thighs or feet. Wheelchair handling is optimal because of good body positioning backward and forward. Some sideward movement is possible.
bulletTT6 - Combination of disabilities in the playing arm and legs.
bulletTT7 - Both arms are affected. Single (playing arm) or double above- or below-elbow amputation or combination of both.
bulletTT8 - Severe disability in one or both legs. Single above-knee or double below-knee amputation.
bulletTT9 - Good dynamic balance. Minimum disability in one or both arms or differential length in legs. Single below-knee amputation.
bulletTT10 - Normal function in playing arm. Minimal loss in free arm. Amputation of the free arm up to 1/3 of the forearm.
bulletTT11 - Athletes with cognitive disability who have an IQ score of 70 points or less and who require special services for persons with cognitive disabilities in school, work, or community settings.

Table tennis players in Special Olympics competition must have a primary diagnosis of mental retardation. They are classified according to a process called divisioning in which athletes are grouped by ability level for competition. Divisioning is described on the SOI web site at http://www.specialolympics.org. Click on "games and competition," then choose "general rules" from the drop-down menu, then go to "Section V - Special Olympics Divisioning."

Players who compete at the Deaflympics are subject to CISS rules which require a minimum hearing loss of 55 dB in the better ear. Classification procedures and criteria are described on the CISS web site at http://www.ciss.org. Click on "about," then "regulations," then scroll down to Article 1.3 on eligibility.

Events

bulletParalympics table tennis events include team and singles events for men and women in all classes. The IPC rules also describe open class singles and doubles for men and women who use wheelchairs (classes 1-5) and who compete standing (classes 6-10); however, these events are currently not offered at the Paralympic Games.
bulletSpecial Olympics table tennis competition includes singles, doubles, mixed doubles, wheelchair competition, and individual skills competition (hand bounce, racket bounce, forehand volley, backhand volley, and serve scores are added together), as well as Unified Sports doubles and mixed doubles. Developmental events include the target serve, racket bounce, and return shot.
bulletTable tennis competition at the Deaflympics includes men's and women's team events, men's and women's singles, and men's, women's and coed doubles.

Playing Area

The table is 274 cm (9 feet) in length, 152.5 cm (5 feet) in width, and 76 cm (2.5 feet) in height. The net is 15.25 cm (6 inches) high. The table must be dark-colored and marked with side lines and end lines. For doubles play, the playing surface must be divided into halves with a line parallel to the side lines.  For wheelchair play, tables shall allow access to wheelchairs without obstructing the player's legs, with table legs at least 400mm from the end line of the table.

The playing space for each table is 14m (46 feet) long, 7m (23 feet) wide, and 5m (16 feet) high. For wheelchair play, the area may be reduced, but shall not be less than 8m long and 7m wide.

Rules

The object of the game is to use a hand-held paddle to pass the ball over a net onto the opponent’s side of the table such that the ball cannot be returned by the opponent. The game is played to 21 points, and a player must win by 2 points. A match is considered the best three of five games.

The international governing body for table tennis is the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The ITTF laws, posted at http://www.ittf.com, are the rules for Paralympic, Special Olympics, and Deaflympics competition. There are no modifications to ITTF rules for Paralympic standing competitions or for Deaflympics table tennis games. Rule exceptions for wheelchair players are as follow:

bulletA let is called for three reasons: (a) if the ball is served and leaves the table by either of the receiver’s sidelines; (b) if the ball bounces on the receiver’s side and returns in the direction of the net caused by backspin on the ball; or (c) if the ball comes to rest on the receiver’s side of the playing surface.
bulletWhen playing doubles, after the server serves and receiver returns, either player may make the attempt to play and return ball to opponent’s side of table. An athlete who plays in a wheelchair can only extend past an imaginary center line of table. If they go beyond that the umpire will stop play and award one point to the opponent.
bulletLeaning on playing surface is not allowed in able-bodied or Paralympic standing table tennis. However, when the ball is in play, a competitor can use the playing surface to restore balance after a shot has been played. By doing this, the playing surface cannot move. Using the table as support with free hand while playing is not allowed. A player’s feet cannot touch the floor during play, which will result in loss of point. There are no rules on size number or shape of cushions for their chair.

Modifications to the ITTF rules for Special Olympics competition include: (a) a shorter 11-point game; (b) a service change after every two points in singles play; and (c) a defined service rotation in doubles where each player executes five serves prior to a service change. In wheelchair events, players must remain seated during play, and rule accommodations are similar to those for Paralympic play. The rules for individual skill contests are described on the SOI web site at http://www.specialolympics.org. Click on "sports" then choose "table tennis" from the drop-down rules menu.

Equipment

bulletBall - The table tennis ball has a diameter of 40mm and weighs 2.7 gm. It must be white or orange in color.
bulletRacquet - The racquet may be of any size, shape or weight. Its surface must be dark colored and matte and the blade made of 85% wood. The blade may be covered with natural or synthetic dimpled rubber no more than 2 mm total thickness or a single layer of cellular "sandwich" rubber no more than 4 mm total thickness.
bulletPlayer uniform - Uniforms consist of a short-sleeved shirt of contrasting color to the ball, shorts or skirt, and socks and shoes.
bulletWheelchair - Wheelchairs must have at least two large wheels and one small wheel. Neither the footrests nor the feet shall touch the floor during play.
In team and class singles events, no part of the body above the knees may be strapped to the chair, as this could improve balance. Below knees,
strapping is allowed. In open events, strapping and other aids are allowed.
There are no restrictions on size, number or shape of wheelchair cushions.

Links

bulletInternational Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)
bulletUSA Table Tennis (USATT)
bulletInternational Paralympic Committee (IPC)
bullet Special Olympics International (SOI)
bulletComité Internationale des Sports des Sourds (CISS)

Page prepared by Annette Jennings and revised by Gail Dummer

Disability Sports Web Site                        © Michigan State University                        Revised 12/12/2007