Table Tennis Doubles Rules: The Diagonal, the Order of Strokes and the Switch in the Deciding Game

Doubles at the table is a game of precise movement. In singles the ball on the serve touches your own and then the opponent's court; here you have to serve to the correct half-court, remember whose turn it is and, in the last game, switch the receiving order too. The ITTF Laws cover it in 2.6, 2.8 and 2.13. For the basics of scoring, see table tennis rules.

The serve: right half to right half

In doubles the ball on the serve must touch successively the server's right half-court and the receiver's right half-court (2.6.3). So you always serve diagonally, from your right side to the opponents' right side. The other requirements are the same as in singles: open palm, a 16 cm toss, nothing hidden. We cover them in detail in the article on the table tennis serve.

The half-courts are divided by the centre line, 3 mm wide. It is white, parallel to the side lines, and the Laws regard it as part of both right half-courts (2.1.6). A serve that lands on the centre line is therefore good.

The order of strokes

After the serve the players must alternate (2.8.2):

1. the server,
2. the receiver,
3. the server's partner,
4. the receiver's partner,
5. and again from the start.

If the ball is struck by a player who is out of turn, their pair loses the point (2.10.1.12). It does not matter how good the stroke was. The exception: when at least one player of a pair is in a wheelchair owing to a physical disability, after the receiver has returned the serve either player of that pair may make the returns (2.8.3).

Who serves and who receives

The change of serve works as in singles: every two points, and from 10-10 and under the expedite system every point (2.13.3). The difference is in exactly who serves and who receives.

• The pair with the right to serve first chooses which of the two will serve. In the first game the receiving pair chooses who will receive (2.13.4).
• In subsequent games the first receiver is the player who served to the first server in the preceding game (2.13.4).
• At each change of serve the previous receiver becomes the server and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver (2.13.5).
• The pair that served first in a game receives first in the next one (2.13.6).

It sounds complicated, but in practice it is one loop. You play the first two points, then swap roles under 2.13.5, and the order rotates by itself.

A toss is held before the match. The winner chooses to serve, to receive or an end of the table. The loser gets the remaining choice (2.13.1, 2.13.2).

The last game: the switch at 5 points

The deciding game has one extra rule. As soon as one pair reaches 5 points, the pair due to receive next switches its receiving order (2.13.6). At the same moment the pairs also change ends of the table (2.13.7). In the other games ends change after each game (2.13.7).

If you get it wrong

Errors in the order are the most common dispute in doubles. Law 2.14 says that as soon as the error is discovered, play is stopped and resumes with the correct players according to the score that should have applied (2.14.1 to 2.14.3). Points played in error stand. Nobody gets a point for it and nothing is replayed.

Typical situations at the table

The serve landed in the opponents' left half-court. Point to the receiving pair; the serve must go to the right half-court (2.6.3).

The serve landed on the centre line. Good. The line belongs to the right half-courts (2.1.6).

A partner struck a ball that was flying off the table. Point to the opponents, because they were out of turn (2.10.1.12). Better to let it fly.

We forgot to switch the receiving order in the last game. Stop play, correct the order according to the score and carry on. The points stand (2.14).

Did you know?

• The player who served first receives first in the next game. That applies to pairs and to individuals alike (2.13.6).
• The centre line is only 3 mm wide and the Laws count it as part of both right half-courts (2.1.6).
• All the table's dimensions, including the net and the lines, are in the article on table tennis table dimensions.