Table tennis - factfile Table tennis players and playing areas
Table tennis can be played in either a singles or doubles format and involves using a small round bat to hit a lightweight ball back and forth across a table divided by a net.
A competitive table tennis table should measure 2.74 m (9 ft) long, 1.525 m (5 ft) wide and be 76 cm (2 ft 6 in) high.
The surface of a table tennis table must be the same dark colour across the court and be of a matt appearance.
The net is 15.25 cm (6 in) high and extends 15.25 cm (6 in) past the end of the table.
A competitive table tennis ball should bounce 23 cm high when dropped from a height of 30 cm.
In all competitions, the playing area for a full size table should be 8 m long by 4 m wide. This is essential to safely allow the players to chase around the table after well-placed shots.