Table tennis / Rule 2.7
The return
ITTF · 2026In short
Make the ball reach the opponent’s court.
A correct return
After a service or return, strike the ball so it touches the opponent’s court. It may arrive directly or after touching the net assembly. A return touching the net is therefore not automatically a fault if it still reaches the correct playing surface.
Service and return differ
A return does not need to bounce on your own court after you strike it. That initial bounce requirement belongs to service. The return law also does not require diagonal placement: the right-half-court restriction applies to service in doubles, rather than every subsequent stroke.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Based on the supplied ITTF Statutes 2026, effective 01/01/2026: the Laws of Table Tennis and selected international competition regulations. Independent condensed explanations with wheelchair exceptions identified. Administrative, disciplinary and event-specific chapters are not reproduced in full. References use PDF pages.
Sources & approach ↗
Sources & approach ↗