Table Tennis vs Ping Pong: Is There Any Real Difference?
Table tennis vs ping pong: both names describe the same game. Learn where each name came from, why a trademark mattered, and which one the rules use.
In the table tennis vs ping pong question, both names refer to one game, in which players hit a light ball back and forth over a net on a table. Table tennis is the name used by the world governing body, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and by the Olympic Games. The ITTF traces the words Ping Pong to an 1884 song and says the sound of the celluloid ball led people to use that name for the game, which was registered as a trademark in England in 1900.
The ITTF’s own history explains how a single game came to carry both names, and how the sport was later organised under the ITTF.
Same Game, Two Names
According to the ITTF history, the game was sold under many names in its early years, and two of them, Ping Pong and Table Tennis, gradually became the most popular. The ITTF’s rules are called the Laws of Table Tennis. They form part of the ITTF Statutes and cover the table, the net, the ball, the racket, the serve, and how points, games and matches are won.
Where the Name Table Tennis Came From
The ITTF history says the game probably started in England, with improvised equipment, during the late 1800s. It developed after lawn tennis grew popular in the 1880s.
The name Table Tennis appears early in that story. The ITTF Museum records that in 1885 an English inventor applied for a patent for a game called “Table Tennis”, although the application was abandoned in 1887. In 1887, a board and dice game sold in the United States also carried the name “Table Tennis”, and the ITTF describes that game as the earliest production use of the name.
Where the Name Ping Pong Came From
The ITTF ties the name Ping Pong to the arrival of the celluloid ball. Its history says the first action games used rubber or cork balls, which bounced either too much or too little. Around 1900, celluloid balls took their place, and the game became a huge success.
According to the ITTF, a researcher traced the words Ping Pong to a song from 1884, and the noise the celluloid ball made against the drum-style rackets of the time led people to use that name for the game. One London game maker then added Ping Pong to the title of its own set and later dropped the set’s original name.
Ping Pong was one of many trade names. The ITTF lists others such as Whiff Waff, Pom-Pom, Netto, Clip-Clap and Tennis de Salon.
The Trademark Question
The ITTF history records a legal side to the name:
- In 1900, a company in England registered Ping Pong as a trademark.
- That company soon joined forces with a London game maker, and the two companies enforced the trademark strictly.
- They insisted that only their branded equipment be used at ping pong tournaments and clubs.
- An American company acquired the US rights to the name and enforced the trademark in the same way.
From Rival Associations to One Federation
According to the ITTF, the two competing names led to two separate associations in England in 1901: a Table Tennis Association and a rival Ping Pong Association. Each had its own rules, and the result was confusion. The two associations merged in 1903.
The ITTF history adds that the sport could only move forward once its commercial ties were cut. The ITTF timeline says the ping pong craze had faded by 1904, and that the game revived in England and Europe in 1922, when England set up standard laws.
In 1926, the International Table Tennis Federation was started in Berlin. That same year, London hosted the first World Championships, and the federation adopted its constitution and its first standardised Laws.
The Olympic Games also use the name table tennis. According to the International Olympic Committee, the sport made its Olympic debut at the Seoul Games in 1988.
Do the Rules Differ Between the Two?
At World, Continental, Olympic and Paralympic title competitions and at open tournaments, the ITTF Laws apply. A few of their basic requirements:
- A game goes to the first player or pair to reach 11 points. At 10-10, play continues until one side is 2 points ahead.
- A serve starts with the ball resting freely on an open palm, and the toss must rise at least 16cm.
- The table is 2.74m long and 1.525m wide, and the top of the net is 15.25cm above the playing surface.
- The ball has a 40mm diameter and weighs 2.7g.
Which Name Does the Governing Body Use?
The governing body’s name is the International Table Tennis Federation, its rules are the Laws of Table Tennis, and the Olympic sport is listed as table tennis. The name Ping Pong, by contrast, was registered as a trademark in 1900.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ping pong the same as table tennis?
Yes. Both names describe one game. The rules published by the ITTF are called the Laws of Table Tennis.
Why is it called ping pong?
The ITTF says a researcher traced the words Ping Pong to an 1884 song. Around 1900, the noise the celluloid ball made against drum-style rackets led people to use that name for the game.
Was Ping Pong a trademark?
Yes. According to the ITTF history, a company in England registered Ping Pong as a trademark in 1900, and an American company later acquired the US rights to the name.
