Think you have what it takes to be the Serena and Venus of table tennis? It helps to know the rules first, which vary slightly from singles’ play.
The game starts again with a coin toss; dice roll; rock, paper, scissors; etc. If you win, you get to choose to either serve or receive as well as which side of the table your team wants to start on.
Now it’s time for service. The ball must be tossed into the air and hit with the paddle (as we mentioned before, you can work up to this type of serve). When serving, you must hit the ball so it bounces once in your square and then once in the square diagonal to you, to your opponent.
If the serve skims the net, it’s a let and you can re-serve. If it hits the net and lands on the floor, you lose a point.
From here, players must alternate who hits the ball. If you and Julie are partners and are playing against Adam and Drew the order is as follows.
You serve to Adam, Adam returns, Julie must hit the ball now and then Drew will return it. Every time the ball crosses into your side, you have to alternate returning it with your partner.
A server stays active until five points are scored. Since you have to win by two points, when the score reaches 20-20, switch servers after every point.
How points are scored are the same as in singles’ play.
Typically, matches are best of three or five games. In the second and latter games, be sure to reverse the order in which you started. So if you served first in game one, you will be the first person receiving a serve in the second game.
Now get out there and take the table tennis world by storm. Once you find a partner that is.
More resources for you education:
Game On! 
2 thoughts on “Beyond Billiards: Table Tennis for Doubles”