right to choose the initial order of serving, receiving and starting at a particular end shall be decided by toss and the winner may choose to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end. •• When one player or pair has chosen to serve or to receive first or to start at a particular end, the other player or pair shall have the other choice. •• After points have been scored, the serving player or pair shall become the receiving player or pair. This will continue until the end of the game, unless both the players and pairs score points or the expedite system is in operation, when the sequence of serving and receiving shall be the same but each player shall serve for only point in turn.
Fig. . : Player playing table tennis •• In each game of a doubles match, the pair having the right to serve first shall choose which of them will do so and in the first game of a match, the receiving pair shall decide which of them will receive first; in subsequent games in the match, the first server having been chosen, the first receiver shall be the player who served to him or her in the preceding game. •• In doubles, during the change of service, the previous receiver shall become the server and partner of the previous server shall become the receiver.
•• The player or pair serving first in a game shall receive first in the next game of the match and in the last possible game of a doubles match, the pair due to receive next shall change their order of receiving when the first pair scores points. Do You Know? India has won a total of five medals in the th Commonwealth Games. Fig.
. : Left arm service in table tennis •• The player or pair starting at one end in a game shall start at the other end in the next game of the match and in the last possible game of a match, the players or