Ping pong doubles rules
Doubles adds exactly two rules to the singles game: the serve must travel diagonally from right half-court to right half-court, and partners must alternate strokes for the entire rally. Everything else — scoring, lets, faults — is unchanged.
On this page
The diagonal serve
In doubles the ball must bounce first in the server's right half-court, then in the receiver's right half-court — a diagonal path across the table. The 3 mm white line down the centre of the playing surface exists purely to judge this; in singles it is simply part of the court and can be ignored.
A serve that lands on the wrong half is a fault, and the point goes to the receiving pair. Every other service condition — the open palm, the 16 cm toss, the visibility requirement — applies exactly as it does in singles.
Alternating strokes
Partners must hit the ball alternately for the whole rally. If your partner just played the ball, you must play the next one — no matter where it lands, and no matter how much better positioned they are.
Two consecutive touches by the same player is the most frequent doubles fault and costs the point immediately. Most beginner pairs lose more points to this than to any stroke.
This is why doubles partners rotate physically after each shot, usually along a diagonal or a figure-of-eight, clearing space for the incoming partner instead of standing side by side.
Serving and receiving order
At the start of a game, the serving pair chooses who serves first and the receiving pair chooses who receives first. Once the first two serves are done, the order is fixed by rule:
- The first server serves two points to the first receiver.
- The first receiver then serves two points to the first server's partner.
- That player serves two points to the original server's receiver partner.
- The fourth player serves two points back to the first server, and the cycle repeats.
In each new game the pair that received previously now serves, and the player who receives first must be the one who served to them in the previous game. In the deciding game, the receiving pair swaps its order as soon as either side reaches five points.
What does not change
- Games are still to 11, win by two, with service changing every two points.
- At 10–10 service changes after every point, and the rotation continues from where it was.
- Lets, edge balls, volleys and free-hand faults work identically to singles.
Frequently asked questions
Does the serve have to be diagonal in doubles?
Yes. The ball must bounce in the server's right half-court and then in the receiver's right half-court. A serve landing on the wrong half is a fault.
Do doubles partners have to alternate hits?
Yes, strictly. Every shot must be played by the partner who did not play the previous one. Hitting twice in a row loses the point.
What is the white line down the middle of the table for?
It marks the two half-courts used to judge the diagonal doubles serve. In singles it has no effect and counts as part of the playing surface.
Who serves first in a doubles game?
The serving pair chooses, and the receiving pair then chooses who receives. From the second game onwards the order is fixed by the previous game's rotation.
Are doubles games also played to 11?
Yes. Scoring in doubles is identical to singles — 11 points, win by two, two serves each until 10–10.
Now find a table
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