do-you-have-to-serve-cross-court-in-table-tennis

In table tennis, it is not always necessary to serve cross - court.

1. In normal play
   • In most competitive and recreational table tennis games, there are no rules mandating that the serve must be cross - court. The server can serve the ball to any part of the opponent's half of the table as long as the serve complies with the general rules of serving. For example, the ball must be tossed at least 16 cm vertically upwards from a flat palm, and the server must not hide the ball during the serve.
2. In doubles play
   • In doubles, the serve must be made cross - court. The server must serve the ball so that it touches first their right - hand half of the table and then bounces into the opponent's right - hand half of the table. This rule is in place to ensure fairness and maintain a certain pattern of play within the doubles format.