Table tennis-Basic table tennis serve

    Basic table tennis serve

    The rules of table tennis have been changed many times in recent years in relation to the service law, but for a casual game of table tennis it remains very simple.

    The server must stand behind the end of the table to serve.

    The basic serves involves holding the ball in the palm of your non-playing hand and throwing it upwards. As the ball is falling, you must hit it with your racket (also known as a paddle or bat) in your playing hand so that it bounces on the table once on each side of the net.

    The ball may bounce anywhere on both sides of the table and unlike tennis, you don't have to serve to one part of the table - unless you're playing doubles.

    If the ball touches the net and still bounces on your opponent's side of the table, the service must be replayed.

    However, if the ball touches the net and does not bounce on your opponent's side of the table, the server loses the point.