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The International Table Tennis Federation

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Table tennis is characterized by numerous rules that govern how the game should be played. The game is mainly characterized by exceptionally fast reactions thereby making rules quite necessary. Players must allow the ball to bounce once on their side of the court before returning it to the opposite end. The initial serve is, however, exempted from this requirement. Points are scored if a team fails to keep the ball in play. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) instituted some key changes in the rules of the game following the 2000 Olympics games, which were held in Sidney, Australia. The amendments were mainly aimed at enhancing the game’s viability as a spectator sport that could be televised. Among the new changes was the increasing of the ball’s diameter to 40 millimeters. Soon thereafter, the ITTF changed the game’s scoring system from 21-point to 11-point system (International Table Tennis Federation, 2014). The serve rotation was also brought down from five points to two. Soon thereafter, the global federation of the game changed the rules and effectively prohibited players from hiding balls during service. In keeping with the sport’s spirit of fairness, the rules cushions opponents from being caught by surprise. Rules require that the ball must be tossed a minimum of 16 centimeters in the air before being served. There are rules governing the course of events during a match including which team takes the first serve. In order to highlight the numerous

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