Like all the other sports of the world, the sport of Table Tennis also posses its own terms and definitions. These terms are very much popular to the people who love to play and watch the game. There are quite a few terms that are used in the game of Table Tennis. The terms are listed below:

Service: This term relates with the starting time of any Table Tennis match. This is a stroke played by a player in order to start the match officially. This stroke is played by the players all through the match. This is one of the most popular terms used in Table Tennis.

Return: This is a term that means to return something. When a player serves a ball, his opponent should try to answer him. The stroke he plays in reply of the serve is called as a `Return`.

Rally: This term indicates about the duration of time for which the ball is in play by the players. In a match played between two good players, there can be a rally that is consists of a numerous shots. A rally is stopped when any of the two players fails to return one of his opponent`s shots.

Let: This terms means the rally that has not produced any result. In this kind of rallies, none of the players become successful to score points.

Point: A rally that produces a result and the players can score points is called a `Point`.

Racquet Hand: This term refers the player`s hand with which he is holding and carrying the racquet.

Free Hand: This is the hand of the player that is not carrying the racquet.

Stroke: A player makes a `Stroke` when he hits the ball by touching it with his Racquet, held in the Racquet Hand or with his Racquet Hand below the wrist.

Obstruction: When a player touches the ball in play when it has not passed over his court or an imaginary extension of his end line with his body, his racquet, or anything he wears or carries, then he `Obstruct`-s the ball.

Server: This term indicates the player who strikes the ball first in a rally.

Receiver: The receiver is the player due to strike the ball second in a rally.

Match Officials:
Umpire: Like the other sports, in Table Tennis also the `Umpire` is the person who decides the results of each rally. He is appointed for each match. The umpire sits in line with the net. He has a lot of responsibilities in order to conduct the match properly. The responsibilities are:
1. The Umpire checks whether the equipments and playing conditions are acceptable and he also report any kind of deficiency to the referee.
2. If the players are unable to agree on a choice, he takes a ball at random.
3. He controls the order of serving, receiving and ends and also makes correction to any errors therein.
4. The Umpire decides whether a rally is a point or a let.
5. He calls the score according to the specified procedure.
6. He introduces the expedite system when time is appropriate.
7. The Umpire maintains the continuity of play.
8. The Umpire of a match also observes the regulations concerning advice to the players and the behavior of players very carefully.

Assistant Umpire: The assistant umpire is a person who is appointed in order to assist the umpire. He sits at the other side of the table facing the Umpire. The Assistant Umpire has also some very important responsibilities that he bears jointly with the Umpire. The responsibilities that they bear are to take decisions on some certain matters. They decide whether:
1) A player`s service action is illegal or not.
2) A player is obstructing the ball or not.
3) In a good service of a player, the ball has touched the net assembly while passing over or around it.
4) The ball in play has touched the side of the top of the table that is facing him or the top edge of the playing surface on that side or neither.
5) The rules and regulations of the play are disturbed in such a way that may affect the outcome of the rally.

If there are 2 Assistant Umpires in a match, each of them will make the decisions listed above only in respect of a player at his end of the table or the half-side of the table nearest to him. The other officials may not overrule the decisions that are made by either the umpire or an assistant umpire according to the above listed provisions. It`s only the umpire or an assistant umpire who can time the duration of the practice period or of play and of any intervals. Where there is only one assistant umpire, a different official will act as stroke counter when the expedite system is in operation.

Stroke Counter: There is a person in every Table Tennis match who is appointed to count the strokes when the expedite system is introduced.

These are the most popular and commonly used terms in the game of Table Tennis. However, as this is indeed a famous international sport, there may be some other terms as well depending on the various regions and countries of the world.