Matches are played to the best of five games. Preliminary doubles matches are played to the best of three. In doubles, the same format applies for the 32 teams that compete. The table is 9ft long and 5ft wide and must be 2ft 6in high from floor to table surface.
White lines mark the court.
For doubles, each court is divided in half by a line 3mm wide that runs parallel with the sidelines and is important for serving purposes. The net is 6in high and splits the table in halves across its width. The ball, which has to be white or orange must be white, yellow or orange, is 38mm in diameter and weighs 2.5g. The umpire choses the balls that are to be used for play. There is no size limitation on rackets, though the rubber must be either pimpled rubber no thicker than 2mm or sandwich rubber no thicker than 4mm.