Table tennis · Rules explained
Is ping pong played to 11 or 21?
Official table tennis, or ping pong, is played to 11 points with a 2-point lead. Games went to 21 until the ITTF switched to 11 in September 2001, and some groups still play to 21 as a house rule, which is fine as long as everyone agrees before the first serve.
11-point and 21-point games compared
| Rule | Games to 11 (ITTF since 2001) | Games to 21 (before 2001) |
|---|---|---|
| Points to win a game | 11 | 21 |
| Lead needed | 2 | 2 |
| Deuce from | 10-all | 20-all |
| Serves per turn | 2 | 5 |
| Serves per turn from deuce | 1 | 1 |
| Shortest possible game | 11-0 | 21-0 |
| Where it is played | ITTF events, clubs and leagues | House rules only |
When did table tennis change from 21 to 11 points?
In September 2001. The ITTF replaced 21-point games with 11-point games and cut each service turn from 5 serves to 2. The deuce rule moved down with the target: a game at 20-all used to go on until someone led by 2, with the serve changing after every point, and the same now happens at 10-all.
Official matches today are the best of an odd number of these shorter games, usually best of 5 (first to 3) or best of 7 (first to 4). The table tennis scoring guide covers the full 11-point rules.
Why did the ITTF change to 11 points?
To make the sport better to watch, especially on TV. The switch was one of several rule changes the ITTF made after the Sydney 2000 Olympics to make table tennis a better televised spectator sport, and shorter games were meant to be faster-paced and more exciting.
21-point ping pong rules
If your group plays to 21, these are the numbers the ITTF used before the switch:
- First to 21, win by 2. A game can end 21-19, but at 20-all it carries on until one player leads by 2, such as 22-20 or 25-23.
- 5 serves each. Each player serves 5 points in a row, then the other player serves 5.
- 1 serve each from 20-all. At 20-all the serve changes after every point until the game is won.
A point is won the same way whichever target you play to: rally scoring, no second serve, a net serve that lands in is a let, and edge balls are good. Agree the rest before you start, such as how many games make a match.
Who serves at each score in a 21-point game
Before 20-all, add both scores together and divide by 5, ignoring any remainder. An even answer (0, 2, 4, 6) means the player who served first in the game is serving; an odd answer means the other player is. From 20-all, look at the total instead: even means the first server, odd means the other player. With A serving first:
| Points played | For example | Serving |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | 0-0, 3-1 | A |
| 5 to 9 | 3-2, 5-4 | B |
| 10 to 14 | 5-5, 8-6 | A |
| 15 to 19 | 10-5, 9-10 | B |
| 20 to 24 | 10-10, 14-10 | A |
| 25 to 29 | 13-12, 15-14 | B |
| 30 to 34 | 15-15, 18-16 | A |
| 35 to 39 | 18-17, 19-20 | B |
| 40 | 20-20 | A, 1 serve |
| 41 | 21-20, 20-21 | B, 1 serve |
| 42 | 21-21 | A, 1 serve |
Should you play to 11 or 21?
- Play to 11 for anything official. Clubs, leagues and tournaments follow the ITTF rules, and it is what you will see on TV.
- Play to 21 if your group prefers longer games and longer service turns. It changes how long a match runs: a best of 5 match of 11-point games needs at least 33 points, while a best of 3 match of 21-point games needs at least 42.
Some groups add house rules of their own, such as dropping the 2-point lead or a skunk rule (see the questions below). Neither is part of the ITTF rules, so settle them before the first serve.
How the app handles it
The app lets you set points per game to 11 or 21, and best of 1, 3, 5 or 7 games. With Win by two on, the default, a game needs a 2-point lead and has no cap. Turn it off and the first side to reach the target wins, so 11-10 or 21-20 can end a game. It has no other game lengths and no skunk rule.
It does not follow either serve rotation: its serving marker shows the side that won the last rally, not 2 serves each or 5 serves each. For 11-point games, the whose serve helper gives the ITTF server; in a game to 21, use the table above.
Questions
Do you have to win by 2 in ping pong?
Yes, under the official rules. At 10-10, or 20-20 in a game to 21, play goes on until one player leads by 2. Some casual games drop that rule, so agree it before you start.
Are Olympic table tennis games played to 11 or 21?
To 11. Olympic singles matches, as at Paris 2024, are best of 7 games of 11 points each, so the first player to win 4 games wins.
What is a skunk in ping pong?
A house rule, not an official one: the game ends early when one player leads by a lopsided score, such as 7-0 or 11-0, depending on the group. The ITTF rules have no skunk, so an official game always goes on until someone reaches 11 with a 2-point lead.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
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