Photo courtesy of ITTF

As soon as someone hits the ball on the full in Table Tennis the point is over. However the person who hit the ball on the full does not always lose the point. To determine who wins the point you need to identify if the ball was hit over the table or not.

If you hit the ball on the full over the table then the point is awarded to your opponent.

If you hit the ball on the full behind the baseline of the table then you win the point.

The easy way to remember this rule is to note that the first mistake counts. If your opponent has hit the ball out of play and past the end of the table, then they lose the point. If you hit the ball while it is still in play (over the table) you lose the point. Either way as soon as the ball is hit on the full the point stops.

Hitting the ball on the full is also known as a volley, or volleying the ball. Whatever name you give it, the same rules apply.

We cover this and other rules in our lesson “Table Tennis Rules Made Easy”