Table tennis doubles rules: who serves, who receives and who hits

Doubles uses the same scoring as singles, but adds two rules that change everything: partners must take turns hitting the ball, and the serve follows a fixed rotation among all four players. That is where almost all the questions come from.

This guide to table tennis doubles rules covers the hitting order, the serving rotation, what changes from one game to the next and the most common mistakes. Serving technique for doubles is in how to serve in doubles.

Rule 1: hits alternate

In doubles, the order of who hits the ball never changes during a rally:

1. The server (A) serves.
2. The receiver (X) returns.
3. The server's partner (B) hits.
4. The receiver's partner (Y) hits.
5. Then A again, then X, B, Y, until the rally ends.

If a player hits the ball out of turn, their pair loses the point, even if the shot was good. That is why doubles demands so much movement: after you hit, you have to get out of the way so your partner can step in.

Rule 2: the serve goes diagonal

In doubles, the serve must bounce first on the right half of your side and then on the right half of your opponent's side, diagonally. The white center line counts as part of the right half, so a serve on the line is good.

Otherwise the serve follows the singles rules: open palm, a toss of at least 16 cm (about 6 in), ball always visible. Details are in table tennis serve rules.

Rule 3: the serving rotation

Each player serves 2 points in a row, just like in singles. When the serve changes, the previous receiver becomes the server and the partner of the previous server becomes the receiver. With pair A and B against pair X and Y, the order is:

At 10-10, the order stays the same, but each player serves only 1 point before passing it on.

Who picks the order

At the start of the match, a coin toss (or similar draw) decides who chooses to serve, receive or start at a particular end. Then:

• The serving pair chooses which of them serves first.
• In the first game, the receiving pair chooses who receives first.
• In later games, the serving pair picks the server, and the first receiver must be the player who served to them in the previous game.

Example: in game 1, A served to X. In game 2, the X and Y pair serves first. If X serves, X serves to A. If Y serves, Y serves to B, because B was the one who served to Y in game 1.

The deciding game: switching order at 5

In the last possible game of the match (for example, game 5 of a best of 5), when the first pair reaches 5 points, the pairs change ends and the receiving pair switches its receiving order. That way no player spends the whole deciding game receiving from the same opponent.

Common doubles mistakes

• Hitting twice in a row because your partner "wasn't going to get there": point lost.
• Serving straight instead of diagonally, right to right.
• Getting the receiving order wrong after a new game starts. If that happens, the umpire stops play and corrects the order as soon as the error is noticed, and the points already played still count.
• Standing in front of your partner after you hit.

Mixed doubles and wheelchair doubles

The rules are the same for men's, women's and mixed doubles. In mixed doubles, a man and a woman play together, and the event has been part of the Olympic Games since Tokyo 2020.

In para table tennis, when at least one player of a pair is in a wheelchair, the rule is different: after the serve and the return, either player of that pair may hit the ball, without alternating.

Frequently asked questions