Service end line

Alois Rosario Answered 1 year ago

Hi Stephen,

You've spotted an interesting aspect of Mima Ito's service game! In table tennis, the rules about where you contact the ball during the serve are quite specific. According to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rules, when you serve, the ball must be behind the end line (the white line at the back of your side of the table) and above the level of the playing surface. There's no requirement for the ball to be inside the sidelines, so you can serve from anywhere as long as the ball is behind the end line and above the playing surface at the moment of contact. So, to answer your question directly, yes, it is allowed to contact the ball behind the end line during a serve, and then follow through over the line. Mima Ito, like many top players, uses this technique to create different angles and spins, making her serves more effective and challenging for her opponents.