Background

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) establishes internationally recognized specifications and regulations governing table tennis equipment and playing conditions. The following is a brief summary of those most relevant to club play.

This is intended as a quick reference only. The official ITTF Laws and Regulations take precedence where additional detail or clarification is required. For convenience, we've arbitrarily divided the 'Laws' into 'Rules' (the main rules which govern play; see 'Table Tennis - Rules') and 'Regulations' (the main specifications which govern equipment and playing conditions), summarized below.

Table

• Playing surface: 2.74 m long × 1.525 m wide (9 ft × 5 ft), positioned 76 cm (30 in.) above the floor.
• The surface must be uniformly dark coloured and matt, with white boundary lines.
• A standard ball dropped from 30 cm (11.8 in.) should produce a uniform bounce of about 23 cm (9.1 in.).
• For doubles, a 3 mm (~1/8 in.) white centre line divides each court into two half-courts.

Net

• The top of the net must be 15.25 cm (6 in.) above the playing surface along its entire length.
• The net posts extend 15.25 cm (6 in.) outside each sideline.

Ball

• The ball must be spherical, 40 mm in diameter and weigh 2.7 g.
• It must be made of plastic, matt, and white or orange.

Racket

• The racket may be any size, shape or weight, but the blade must be flat and rigid and at least 85% natural wood by thickness.
• One playing surface must be matt black; the other must be a bright color clearly distinguishable from black and from the ball.
• For sanctioned competition, racket coverings must be currently authorized by the ITTF and comply with ITTF thickness and other equipment requirements.
• Racket coverings must not be physically, chemically or otherwise treated to alter their playing characteristics.

Clothing

• Competition clothing normally consists of a short-sleeved or sleeveless shirt, shorts or skirt (or a one-piece sports outfit), socks and playing shoes.
• The main color of the shirt, shorts or skirt must be clearly different from the color of the ball in use.
• Opposing players or pairs should wear shirts of sufficiently different colors to be readily distinguishable.
• Brightly reflecting clothing, jewellery or other items that could impair an opponent's view should not be worn.

The following regulations pertain more to competition than typical club play though they are desirable where possible:

Playing Area

• For international competition, the standard playing space is at least 14 m (46 ft.) long × 7 m (23 ft) wide × 5 m (16.4 ft.) high.
• For Masters events, the playing space may be reduced to at least 10 m (32.8 ft.) long × 5 m (16.4 ft.) wide.
• Competition playing areas are enclosed by dark-colored surrounds 50–100 cm (20 - 40 in.) high.

Lighting & Background

• Lighting should be uniform over all tables and should not cause glare or otherwise impair visibility.
• The light source must be at least 5 m (16.4 ft.) above the floor under ITTF international competition regulations.
• The background should generally be dark, without bright lights or uncovered windows that interfere with visibility of the ball.
• For major international events, ITTF lighting requirements are at least 1800 lux vertically and 2000 lux horizontally over the playing surface and playing area.

Flooring

• The floor should not be light colored, brightly reflecting or slippery and should normally provide a resilient playing surface.  (Note:  in facilities used for club play where the floor or walls are light colored, the use of an orange ball is recommended to enhance visibility during play).

Quick reference based on the ITTF Laws and Regulations for International Competitions, 2026. Formal competition requirements may exceed those normally required for recreational club play.