Ping Pong vs Table Tennis: What's the Difference?
Ping pong and table tennis are the same game. Table tennis is the official name of the sport, used by the international federation and at the Olympics; ping pong is the everyday name, and it usually means a relaxed game at home, school or work. The name ping-pong started as a brand name for table tennis sets in England in 1901.
Same game, two names
Both names describe two players (or two pairs) hitting a small, light ball over a net on a table with paddles. The rules are the same: games to 11, win by two, two serves each. What differs is mostly who is talking.
| Table tennis | Ping pong | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses it | Clubs, federations, the Olympics | Most people, at home, school and work |
| Usual setting | Competition, leagues, coaching | Casual games, basements, offices, holidays |
| Equipment | Regulation table, net and 40 mm ball; paddles with approved rubbers | Whatever is at hand, often a cheap set |
| Rules | The international rules, strictly applied | The same rules, often loosely (house rules are common) |
Some players use "ping pong" for the casual version and "table tennis" for the sport, and a few recreational events use special sandpaper paddles under the ping pong name. But if someone invites you to either, you'll be playing the same game.
Where the name ping-pong comes from
The game began in England in the late 1800s as an after-dinner amusement: well-off Victorians played a miniature version of lawn tennis on the dining table, with books for a net and improvised balls and bats. It went by many names, from "gossima" to "whiff-whaff".
Around 1900 hollow celluloid balls arrived, and they made a distinctive sound on the paddle and the table. The sound gave the game its most famous name: in 1901 the English sports company J. Jaques & Son trademarked "Ping-Pong" and sold table tennis sets under it. In the United States the rights were later held by Parker Brothers.
Because "Ping-Pong" was a brand, the clubs and associations that organised the sport settled on the generic name "table tennis". Over time ping pong became the everyday word anyway, the way some brand names become the normal word for a thing.
Casual ping pong rules you might meet
Because casual games don't have an umpire, ping pong picks up house rules. None of them are part of official table tennis, but you'll hear them in basements and offices everywhere:
- Games to 21, with five serves each. This was the official format until 2001, and plenty of people still play it out of habit.
- "Serve for the serve": a short rally at the start to decide who serves first, instead of tossing a coin.
- Lets on every net serve, sometimes with a limit of three in a row before the point is lost.
- Around the world: a group game where everyone walks round the table, hitting once each and dropping out when they miss.
Official table tennis also has details that most casual players never think about: the ball must be tossed at least 16 cm on the serve and hit from behind the end line, players switch ends after each game, and in long games an expedite rule can kick in to stop endless rallies. If you play in a club or league, those rules apply; at home, agree on yours before you start.
The equipment is a difference of degree. A competition paddle is a wooden blade with rubbers chosen for speed and spin, and the ball is a 40 mm plastic ball of a set weight and bounce. A holiday-cottage set does the same job with less grip, which is why spin shots are much easier with proper rubbers.
From parlour game to Olympic sport
- Late 1800s: the game appears in England as a parlour game played on dining tables.
- 1901: Jaques trademarks the name Ping-Pong; associations for the sport form in England.
- 1926: the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is founded and the first World Championships are held in London.
- 1971: "ping-pong diplomacy": the US team's visit to China after the World Championships in Japan helps thaw relations between the two countries.
- 1988: table tennis becomes an Olympic sport at the Seoul Games.
- 2001: games change from 21 points to 11, with two serves each instead of five.
Table tennis also became one of the very first video games: early home consoles and arcade machines of the 1970s turned it into two paddles and a square ball on a black screen. That retro look lives on in the Classic look of the GameLake game.
Play ping pong online
Whatever you call it, you can play right now in your browser: the GameLake ping pong game puts you against Hop the frog on a table floating on the lake, with Easy, Medium and Hard levels, 2 players on one device, and real-time games against a friend online. It keeps the real scoring (first to 11, win by 2, two serves each) and adds angles off the paddle, spin and a rally that speeds up.
Read how to play ping pong for the rules and serving, or our ping pong tips to start winning more points.
Frequently asked questions
Is ping pong the same as table tennis?
Yes. They are two names for the same game with the same rules. Table tennis is the official name of the sport; ping pong is the everyday name, usually for casual play.
Why is it called ping pong?
After the sound the ball makes on the paddle and the table. The name was trademarked by the English company J. Jaques & Son in 1901 for its table tennis sets.
Who invented ping pong?
Nobody knows exactly who. The game grew out of Victorian England in the late 1800s, when people played a miniature form of tennis on dining tables with improvised equipment.
When did table tennis become an Olympic sport?
At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Why do professionals say table tennis?
Because Ping-Pong began as a brand name, the sport's associations adopted the generic name table tennis, and it is still the official name used by the international federation.