How Long Is A Table Tennis Game?
Table tennis matches consist of a series of games between competitors. This means an athlete must win a set number of games in order to win the match. Similar to sports such as volleyball or tennis, the length of a table tennis game depends on the score rather than a running time clock. For this reason, a table tennis match can last a wide range of durations. Read on to learn more about how long table tennis games last and what factors affect their length!
How Long Is a Table Tennis Match?
A table tennis game lasts until the first team reaches 11 points and leads by at least two points. This typically takes around six minutes to complete. If a game reaches the 10-minute mark and the combined score of both teams is fewer than 18 points, the expedite rule will be initiated to speed up the competition. An individual table tennis game at the professional level lasts about six minutes on average, while a full match can last from 30 to 60 minutes.
Scoring
The length of a table tennis game is not determined by a time limit but by the score of the competition. A typical table tennis game will last until the first team reaches 11 points. For most games, the team that reaches 11 points first must be leading by at least two points to win. A team that scores 11 points but only leads by one point must score a second consecutive point to give them a two-point lead and win the game. The game is extended until a two-point advantage is reached.
How to Score
A table tennis team earns a point when the opposing team commits a fault. Thus, every fault gets us closer to the end of a table tennis game. These faults can include hitting the ball off the table, hitting the ball into the net, or being unable to return the ball at all. Each of these mistakes leads to the other team being awarded a point. The serving team can also forfeit a point to the opposing team if they serve the ball incorrectly. A proper serve must bounce on the serving side of the table before passing over the net and bouncing on the other side of the table.
Best of Series
Table tennis matches are played in a “best of” series. These series are typically best-of-five, seven, or nine games. In a best-of-five series, the first team to win three games is the victor. Similarly, the first team to win four games in a best-of-seven series wins, and the first team to win five games in a best-of-nine series is victorious. Playing more games in a series will lengthen the duration of the competition.
Expedite Rule
For certain matches, the expedite rule may be initiated to speed up the progression of the game. The expedite rule is implemented if games surpass the ten-minute mark and the combined score of both teams is less than 18 points. When the combined score is 18 points or more, the match will continue as usual.
An umpire will interrupt the match at exactly 10 minutes to announce that the expedite rule has been put into play. This rule places the responsibility of scoring quickly on the serving team. If the receiving team can successfully return the ball 13 times, they are automatically awarded a point, even if the serving team did not commit a fault.
It is worth noting that players on the serving team will also alternate their serves once the expedite rule has been initiated. With these new rules implemented, the match will proceed with no additional time limit until one team reaches 11 points and leads by at least two points.
In a best-of-series, the expedite rule has a lasting impact on the remainder of the games left in the match. Once the expedite rule has been implemented in one game, it will hold for each subsequent game in the series. For example, if the expedite rule is enacted in the second game in a best-of-seven series, games three through seven will use the expedite rule from the start of each competition.
2001 Rules Changes
Before 2001, table tennis games were played to 21 points. This meant that table tennis games tended to last longer, as professional games nowadays are played to just 11 points. A higher winning score also meant that each individual point was not as significant. To make matches more exciting and to appeal to more viewers, the winning score was changed. This not only helped to shorten the duration of games but also made each point more critical thus intensifying the gameplay in each match.
This important change also affected the expedite rule. Prior to 2001, the expedite rule allowed matches to last for up to 15 minutes before kicking in. With a lower score needed to win and shorter match times after 2001, the expedite rule was reduced to 10 minutes.