How the table tennis world ranking works

The lists

Eight lists, all for senior players: men's and women's singles; men's and women's doubles, both by pair and by individual player; and mixed doubles, by pair and by individual.

The formula

Ranking points = the sum of the eight non-expired results with the most points, with two limits:

• at most one result from an event closed to players of some countries (continental or regional events);
• at most four results from non-senior (youth) events.

A result expires a year after it entered the ranking, in the same week. Continental championships, games and cups can last up to 26 weeks longer if their continent has fewer than two such events counting.

Singles points, main draw

The regulations do not say which games are in group A and which in group B; they name the Commonwealth Games and the Pacific Games as multi-sport games. The full table also has columns for the last 64 and 128, and for qualifying rounds, plus youth events.

Extra rules:

• A player who comes through qualifying into the main draw gets extra qualifying points (50 at a Grand Smash, 20 at a Star Contender, 15 at a Contender).
• A bye in the first round followed by a defeat earns the points for the round of the bye.
• A lucky loser (beaten in qualifying but let into the main draw) gets whichever is higher, the main draw or the qualifying result, with no extra qualifying points.
• Doubles and mixed doubles have their own tables, on the same scale.

Team events

Team points (for example at the World Team Championships or the Mixed Team World Cup) are shared among the team's players by their share of the matches the team won. A player needs at least 10 per cent of the wins to get points, and no player gets more than 70 per cent.

Ties

Level players are separated by: fewer results counting; the single best result; the best WTT Grand Smash result; last week's ranking; the younger player (or pair); and last, at random.

Pulling out and penalties

A player who withdraws late or gives a walk-over without proof of injury or illness can get a penalty: a zero result that counts as one of their eight for a year. It is waived after the player takes part in eight more ITTF or WTT events. Disqualification for unsporting conduct also brings a penalty.

Ranking protection

A player out injured, ill or pregnant for 6 to 18 months can ask, through their national association, to keep their ranking for entries and seeding on return: for three events or six months after a 6-to-12-month absence; five events or nine months after a 12-to-18-month absence.

A worked example

Made up to show the arithmetic. An Indian player's best results in the past year: Asian Championships semi-final (175), two WTT Contender titles (400 each), WTT Star Contender quarter-final (105), WTT Champions last 16 (90), World Championships last 32 (90), WTT Contender final (280) and a WTT Feeder win (125). Eight results: 175 + 400 + 400 + 105 + 90 + 90 + 280 + 125 = 1,665. A ninth result, say a 35 at another Contender, would not count unless it beat the lowest of the eight.

Where to see it

ittf.com/rankings, every Tuesday.