Notes

After both players are ready to start, you will 'play to serve', by setting the ball in play with your hand instead of a serve, after which the ball must go over the net 4 times. After this, whoever wins the point will serve first. If the ball does not go over the net 4 times before it leaves play, redo the play to serve.

After playing to serve, each player will take turns serving twice in a row. If the score reaches 20-20, each player will take turns serving only once in a row until one player has a 2-point advantage, at which point the game is won.

In your serve, you must throw the ball upwards, in full view of the opponent (i.e. not from below the table or behind your body), without any spin, and hit it once it's come back down. Officially the rule is a minimum of 6 inches thrown upwards, so you can't surprise your opponent with an unexpectedly early serve. It doesn't matter the exact number, but please bear in mind the reason and don't try to trick your opponent with sneaky serves.

If you serve 3 lets in a row (when the ball hits the top of the net and then hits your opponent's side), you lose the point. This is not an official rule but we will adopt it in the interest of time.

You do not have to serve diagonally.

Volleys are not legal.

If the ball hits the ceiling and then your opponent's side, it's legal. However, if it hits anything else, eg. a wall, it's not legal.

If the ball skims the edge of the table on the serve or any point, it's still legally in play and you must return it to avoid losing a point. If the ball goes around the net instead of over, it's still legal. However, if the ball touches only the side of the table (not the edge) and doesn't bounce upwards at all, it's not legal.

If you touch any part of the table with your free hand while the ball is still in play, you will immediately lose the point. You are allowed to touch the table with the hand that's holding the bat.