Equipment
Table tennis: equipment
The official limits on table tennis equipment, with metric and imperial figures and the rule each comes from.
Importance 5 out of 5Importance rating
Table tennis bat
A table tennis racket (bat) can be any size, shape or weight, but the blade must be flat and rigid and at least 85% natural wood by thickness.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Length | No limit: any size or shape | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Width | No limit: any size or shape | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Weight | No limit | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Blade | Flat and rigid | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.1 |
| Blade material | At least 85% of the thickness is natural wood; an adhesive layer inside may be reinforced with fibre | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.2: the reinforced adhesive layer may be no thicker than 7.5% of the total or 0.35 mm, whichever is smaller |
| Sandwich rubber thickness, including adhesive | 4.05 mm (0.16 in) maximum | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.3: must be less than this figure, subject to the tolerance in the relevant technical equipment document |
| Plain pimpled rubber thickness | 2.05 mm (0.08 in) maximum | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.4.3: ordinary pimpled rubber, pimples outwards, must be less than 2.05 mm including adhesive |
Table tennis ball
A table tennis ball is a 40 mm sphere weighing 2.7 g, made of white or orange matt plastic.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 40 mm (1.57 in) | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.3.1 |
| Weight | 2.7 g (0.095 oz) | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.3.2 |
| Material and colour | Plastic, white or orange, matt finish | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.3.3 |
Table tennis net
A table tennis net is 15.25 cm high along its whole length, with its posts set at the same height.
| Item | Specification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Height at the centre | 152.5 mm (6 in) | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.2.3: 15.25 cm along the whole length |
| Height at the posts | 152.5 mm (6 in) | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.2.2: posts 15.25 cm high |
| Post position | The outer edge of each post is 15.25 cm outside the side line | ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), ITTF Statutes 2026, Law 2.2.2 |
Related sports
Sources
- ITTF Statutes 2026 (including the Laws of Table Tennis), International Table Tennis Federation, 2026 (effective 1 January 2026), consolidated clean version v1documents.ittf.sportOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)