Can you lose on a Serve in Ping Pong?-[Reliable Guide]

Playing table tennis is fun and all until you are submerges under tons of rules! Then again, if you learn the rules and practice accordingly, you won’t fail!

Most people worry about losing on a serve in table tennis. Can you lose on a serve in ping pong when you are playing it with the best players? Will it be acceptable for your game? Or will this have an adverse effect?

Let us learn how and why you lose on a serve in table tennis and how you can fix it!

Is losing on a serve in Ping Pong true? 

When you play the match, it is mainly played best 3 of 5 games in table tennis. For every game, the one player that gets to win 11 points before the others, the player is the winner.

But in this case, keep in mind that the one that wins has won the game by a two-point margin or more. And if you ask can you lose on a serve in ping pong, then yes, you can!

How you lose on a Serve in Ping Pong 

As you are on a ping pong game, you are sure to be one of those significant contestants that deserve applaud. And when the opponent serves the ping pong ball, you must do it so that it flies appropriately.

It must go over the net. And eventually, it must reach the opposite part of the ping pong table. And yes, keep in mind that the ball should touch the opposite side of the net and not yours.

• If the ball touches any part of the table that is on your side, this will be an error.
• On the other hand, there are times when you throw the ball, and then it gets trapped into the net. If it happens when you throw the ball, this is your error too!

Both of these are wrong serves. As a result, you will not get any points for these errors. And this is when you have the chance of losing on serve in your table tennis game! And the only solution for this problem is careful when you serve the ping pong ball!

Lose a Point on a Serve in the Game 

1. When you attempt to make a serve, you might miss the ball. This is a loss. The same scenario can happen when you plan to make a return the ball too.
2. When you serve the ball, and the ball gets caught up in the net, it usually comes back to your court. This is a way to lose on a server in ping pong. The process includes the top part of the net too.
3. At times, you hit the ball hard. And in that case, the ball goes too far. As a result, it bounces and then hits the floor. In some cases, it might hit the wall too. This will be counted as a loss.
4. According to the rule of the ping pong ball, the ball will hit your part of the table once when the opponent serves the ball. But if you see that it hits this part more than once, you will lose a point.
5. When the opponent or the ping pong robot you are playing with serves the ball, and it comes inside your court, you have to give the ball enough time to make a bounce on your side of the table. And if you mistakenly hit the ball before it touches the table, your point will be cut.
6. As you are in the game, you lose control at times. And in that situation, you might mistakenly touch the net. Also, you can move the table too. Both of these will be counted as a loss.

Touching Fingers vs. Touching the Hand

No matter you are a seasoned ping pong player or just a newbie, you will indeed have touched the ball accidentally.

The nature of the game is the ball will touch the racket and the table.

But at times, the ball might touch your fingers, and it mostly happens when you are going for a rally. According to table tennis rules, it is not wrong that the ball touches the fingers.

Nevertheless, his rule only works for the hand you are holding the ping pong paddle. If the ball hits the fingers of the other hand, that’s a fault.

If you are too relieved that the ball can touch your fingers, be aware because the rule clearly states FINGERS and not the HAND!

So, yes, you cannot let the ball hit your hand by any means. More precisely, if the ball hits any part of your body above the wrist, it will be considered foul. But if it is a bad, what is a loss here? Let us describe it a bit more!

• When the opponent serves the ball, at times, the ball touches the hand, and then it touches your paddle! This is a loss.
• In the worst-case scenario, you will see that the ball touches your paddle first. Yes, you must be happy, but then, for your wrong movement, it might hit your hand.

In both of these cases, two shots happened. And when such double shots happen, this is counted as a loss! However, the best thing about this is the two shots are visible.

In both of these cases, the ball will hit one thing and then will change the direction and will hit the other. As it is touching different objects, the sound will be different here. And so, this is a loss once again.

If you see the other part when the ball hits your fingers, will you serve it, and eventually, it goes inside the court of your opponent? It is a valid serve and not a loss.

Wrap Up 

We have cleared how you can lose on a serve in ping pong and what you need to be careful of! All you need is a little patience and learn the process properly.

Always remember that losing a point is not an option. Keep your eyes and mind concentrated, and don’t get distracted! What other problems do you face in a ping pong game? Share it with us in the comment section!