Playing Rules
Updated July 7, 2026
General Rules
Participant Insurance: Florida State University does not provide accident insurance coverage for injuries received by Intramural Sports participants. Each participant should make sure that they have coverage either through family policies or the student insurance plan.
Alcohol & Tobacco Products Prohibited: Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, smoking, and the use of smokeless tobacco and similar products are prohibited at FSU Campus Recreation facilities and any Intramural Sports contest. Violators will be asked to leave the area. Failure to do so can result in forfeiture of the contest, suspension of individuals and/or teams, and appropriate action by the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards and/or the FSU Police.
General Eligibility: Participation is limited to currently-enrolled, fee-paying FSU students, faculty members, and full-time staff. FAMU & TSC students and members of the community are not eligible. In order to participate in an intramural contest, each player must present their current, valid FSUCard. Check-in takes place at designated sign-in locations at the facility, not at the fields or courtside.
Seven Priniciples of Intramural Sports: Additional information regarding player eligibility, team rosters, participant check-in, and other IM guidelines is available in the Seven Principles of Intramural Sports online and in print in the Intramural Sports Office at the Main Campus Fields (1001 W. St. Augustine Street). Requests for exceptions to any policy must be directed to the IM administrative staff during regular weekday business hours in the Intramural Sports Office. No exceptions are granted at the fields or courts.
Sport Rules
Current International Table Tennis Federation rules will govern play with the following modifications:
I. TEAM COMPOSITION
1. Teams are comprised of two (2) players for doubles matches and one (1) player for singles matches.
II. EQUIPMENT
1. The Intramural Sports staff will provide tables, balls and paddles. Players may play using their own paddles and balls.
III. MATCH FORMAT & LENGTH
1. A game shall be won by the player or pair first scoring 11 points unless both players or pairs score 10 points, when the game shall be won by the first player or pair subsequently gaining a lead of 2 points.
2. The best of three (3) games will be the winner of the match unless otherwise noted.
3. Changing and Adjusting Equipment – In the case of a ball or other equipment no longer being suitable for play, the game shall pause while a replacement is found. When replaced, the game resumes at the same score, player positions, and serving order.
IV. THE SERVE
1. To execute a serve, all of the following guidelines must be followed:
(1) The ball must rest on an open, flat palm before the toss,
(2) The ball must be tossed at least 6 inches or 16 centimeters above the table surface,
(3) The ball must remain visible to the receiver from toss to contact,
(4) Contact must occur while the ball descends,
(5) Contact must occur behind the end line and above the playing surface,
(6) The ball must bounce once on the server’s side, then once on the receiver’s side.
2. In singles, there is no restriction on where the ball contacts the table on either side of the table.
3. In doubles, the serve must bounce in the server’s right court, and receiver’s right court (diagonally opposite). Note the center line is considered in play for the serve.
4. During the serve:
(A) If a served ball hits the net on the way over and otherwise legally bounces in play, it’s a “let” serve and is re-served. There is no limit on the number of lets and re-serves.
(B) Once the ball leaves the server’s hand it is in play, therefore a miss or mishit results in a point for the opponent.
5. In singles and doubles, the player/team serves two points, then then service alternates to the other player/team. At 10-10, the service shall alternate between players/teams after every point. There is no rule that requires a specific player/team to serve a game point.
6. In singles, players change ends to start game two. The player that served first in game one, shall receive first in game two.
7. In singles, for the third and final game, players change ends to start the game. The player that served first in game one shall serve first in the third game. After one player reaches 5 points, players change ends to finish the game.
8. In doubles for the first game, the serving team shall select a player to serve the first two points. The receiving team shall then select a player to receive both service points from the server. Doubles partners switch places only after their team completes its 2 serves.
Example where Team 1 is A&B and Team 2 is X&Y. Team 1 serves first and selects A to serve. Team 2 selects X as its first receiver.
A serves 2 points to X, A&B switch places on their end while X&Y stay in the same places.
X serves 2 points to B. X&Y switch.
B serves 2 points to Y. A&B switch.
Y serves 2 points to A. X&Y switch.
This order repeats for the rest of the first game.
9. In doubles for the second game, teams change ends. The team that did not serve first in the first game shall be the first to serve in this game. Once the server is selected, the receiving team MUST use the player that did not receive serves from that server in the first game as the receiver from that server in this game. Essentially, every player will serve to a different receiver than the first game during game two.
Continuing the example, Team 2 now serves first. Team 2 can choose X or Y to serve, and selects X. Team 1 MUST have the player A receive (since player B received X’s serves in game one). X serves 2 points to A. A to Y. Y to B. B to X. And, repeat.
10. In doubles for the third and final game, teams change ends. The team that served in game 1 has the first serve again and can select either player to serve first. The receiving players will swap again (different that the previous game, rather matching game one). After one team reaches 5 points, players change ends to finish the game AND teams change swap receivers.
Continuing the example, Team 1 serves first in game 3 and chooses B to serve first. Matching the first game, B starts serving to Y, then Y to A, then A to X, then X to B.
Once a team reaches 5 points, teams switch ends and receivers swap for the remainder of the game. B serves to X, X to A, A to Y, and Y to B.
11. If a player serves or receives out of turn, play shall be paused, and a point will go to the opposing team.
V. THE RALLY
1. During a rally, the ball must contact the table before being returned. A volley results in a point for the opponent.
2. If the ball touches a player’s paddle hand and otherwise results in a legal hit, there is no rule violation and play shall continue as normal. A player may not touch the ball with their non-paddle hand for any reason. This results in a point for the opponent.
3. If an opponent’s hit sails over the near end of the table (the player’s side) without touching it and hits any part of the player or their paddle, that is still a point for the player (not the opponent who hit it out).
4. A player may touch the ball or the table with their paddle hand (after reaching in to return a short serve, for example) and may contact the table without moving it with their person or anything they are wearing. However, the rally is over and the opponent scores the point when a player:
(A) touches the table with their non-paddle hand,
(B) touches the net with their paddle, any part of their person, or anything they are wearing,
(C) causes the table to move as a result of contacting it with the paddle, any part of their person, or anything they are wearing.
5. An otherwise legal serve or hit in a rally may contact the top edge of the horizontal table top surface and be counted as valid, even if it bounces side-wise. The vertical sides of the table are NOT part of the legal playing surface.
6. If a player hits the ball in a rally or on a serve and it bounces back over the net after hitting the opponent’s side of the table (due to extreme spin) without your opponent touching it, that is the player’s point.
Sporting Behavior
1. The mission of Intramural Sports is to provide a recreational environment for the University community which is safe and enjoyable. While the game atmosphere is often competitive, ensuring participant safety, providing a fun, social atmosphere, and promoting sporting behavior among participants, spectators, and team followers are our primary concerns. The game atmosphere should remain good-natured at all times. Participants shall maintain good sporting behavior throughout their participation in all facets of the intramural program.
2. The Sporting Behavior Rating System is intended to be an objective scale by which teams’ attitude and behavior can be assessed throughout the intramural sports league and playoff seasons. Behavior before, during, and after an intramural sports contest is included in the rating. The team captain is responsible for educating and informing all players and spectators affiliated with their team about the system.
3. A team is responsible for the actions of the individual team members and spectators related to it. Additionally, FSU Intramural Sports does not recognize the use of coaches. Only the team captain shall speak to the officials regarding administrative matters (protests, ejections, disqualifications, etc). Furthermore, the team captain’s efforts in assisting officials/staff to calm difficult situations and to restrain troubled teammates are key to controlling team conduct.
4. Sporting behavior is vital to the conduct of every Intramural contest. In order to encourage proper conduct during games, officials, administrative personnel, and supervisors shall make decisions on whether to warn, penalize or eject players or teams for poor behavior. These decisions are final. The Intramural Sports administrative staff will rule on further penalties as a result of unsporting conduct.
5. Each participant should choose their team members carefully, as all team members will suffer the consequences of any disciplinary action taken by the Intramural Sports staff against that team for violation of the intramural rules and sporting behavior guidelines. Protests or appeals of sporting behavior ratings will not be recognized. The Intramural Sports administrative staff reserves the right to review any rating given to a team.
6. Additional information regarding team and participant sporting behavior including the rating method, factors, and scale is available in the Sporting Behavior Principle of the Seven Principles of Intramural Sports, available online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.
