How table tennis scoring works
Table tennis has had two scoring systems in living memory. The modern one, games to 11 with two serves each, replaced the old 21-point game in 2001. Both are here, because plenty of basements never got the memo.
Winning a game and winning a match
A game goes to 11 points, and you must win by two. At 10-10 the game continues until somebody leads by two, with no upper limit: 15-13 and 24-22 are both legal scores. A match is a best of five or best of seven games, so the first to three or four games wins. Score All counts games won beside each name and starts the next game with the serve in the right place.
The two-serve rotation, and what changes at deuce
Each player serves two points in a row, then the serve passes. Once the score reaches 10-10, the serve alternates after every single point for the rest of the game. That switch is the part people forget mid-game; the app makes it automatically and shows whose serve it is.
Doubles serve order
Doubles has a fixed rotation through all four players, and the receiving pair swaps who receives between games. Concretely: if A1 serves to B1, then B1 serves to A2, A2 serves to B2, and B2 serves to A1. Getting this wrong is the most common cause of an argument in club doubles, so the console names the serving player rather than just the side.
Changing ends
Players change ends after every game, and in the deciding game they change again when the first player reaches 5 points. Score All prompts the swap at the right moment when the rule is on.
The old 21-point game
Before 2001 games went to 21 with five serves each, still win by two, and a match was best of three. It is a slower, more forgiving game and it is a preset here, not a workaround.
House rules people actually play
Skunk (game over at 7-0 or 11-0), a hard point cap so deuce cannot run forever, handicaps where one player starts ahead, and "loser serves next game" are all switches when you set the match up. None of them are official. All of them are common.
What Score All does with these rules
Games to 11, win by 2
A game is won by the first player to 11 points with a 2-point lead. At 10-10 (deuce) play continues until someone leads by two. Matches are best of 5 or best of 7 games; Score All tracks games won and starts the next game for you.
Serve changes every 2 points
Each player serves two points in a row, then serve passes. At deuce the serve alternates every point. The app shows who serves next, so nobody has to count, and undo restores the serve state exactly.
Doubles serve order
In doubles the serve rotates through all four players in a fixed order, and the receiving pair swaps between games. The console shows the serving player by name.
Classic 21 and house rules
Prefer the old rules? Games to 21 with 5 serves each is a preset. Basement rules like skunk at 7-0, a point cap at 15, handicaps and "loser serves next game" are all switches when you set up the match.
Table Tennis scoring FAQ
How many points is a game of ping pong?
11 in the modern rules, win by two. Before 2001 it was 21 with five serves each, which many clubs and basements still play.
Do you have to win by 2 in table tennis?
Yes. At 10-10 play continues until one player is two clear, however long that takes.
How many serves each in table tennis?
Two each, alternating, until 10-10. From 10-10 the serve changes after every point.
What is the skunk rule in ping pong?
A house rule that ends the game early at a blowout score, usually 7-0 or 11-0, to save time in a queue. It is not in the official rules.
Is there a free ping pong scoreboard app?
Yes. Score All scores table tennis for free from any phone, with a live scoreboard link for spectators and a TV code for a big screen. Nothing to download.
Does it track who serves in table tennis?
Yes. It follows the official 2-serve rotation, single serves at deuce, the classic 5-serve mode, and the full doubles serve order. Undo puts the serve back exactly where it was.
Can I run a ping pong tournament with it?
Yes. Single and double elimination, round robin and king of the hill brackets advance automatically as matches finish, with table assignments and push notifications when players are up.