Competition

Competitive table tennis is very well organised and is particularly popular in Europe, Asia and increasingly in the U.S.A. Britain hosts a series of leagues, regional and national competitions each year which include:

• English/Scottish/Welsh championships
• Butterfly Grand Prix (open event)
• County Championships
• Senior British League
• Women’s British League
• Junior British League
• Veterans British League

Overseas competitions include:

• European Championships
• European Champions League
• Euro Top 12
• Asian Championships
• Asian Games

as well as national leagues in several European and East Asian countries.

There are also several large international competitions including:

• World Championships
• World Cup
• Olympics
• International Table Tennis Federation Pro Tour

Most competitive events are played with a standard racket (a wooden frame with a sponge and rubber covering) and a 38mm ball. In recent years ‘Hard Bat’ competitions have emerged in which players must use rackets that do not have a layer of sponge underneath the rubber and ‘Large Ball’ events where a 44 mm ball is used. These events seek to slow the speed of the ball down, reminiscent of the early stages of table tennis competitions. In standard competitive events, preliminary matches are played to the best of five games unlike championship matches in which opponents play to the best of seven games.