What do yellow and red cards mean in table tennis?
A · Advanced · Time, coaching, cards and officials · 6 of 8A yellow card is a warning for bad behaviour. A second offence costs 1 point and a third costs 2 more, each shown with a yellow and a red card held together. After that the umpire calls the referee, who can disqualify the player with a red card.
How it works
| Offence in the same match | Umpire's action |
|---|---|
| First | Yellow card: warning |
| Second | Yellow and red cards together: 1 point to the opponent |
| Third | Yellow and red cards together: 2 points to the opponent |
| Any more | Play suspended and the referee called |
- Misbehaviour includes abusive language, deliberately breaking the ball or hitting it out of the playing area, kicking the table or surrounds, and disrespect to officials.
- A serious offence goes straight to the referee.
- The referee may disqualify a player from the match, the event or the whole competition, and shows a red card.
- A disqualified player forfeits any title, medal, prize money and ranking points from that event.
- In doubles a warning or penalty for one player applies to the pair.
- In a team match, warnings and penalties carry over from one individual match to the next for that player.
- A coach who has been warned and offends again is sent away with a red card.
- Changing a bat that is not damaged during a match is reported to the referee.
Tricky cases
Can a penalty point end a game?
Yes. A penalty point is added to the opponent's score like any other point, so it can be the one that wins the game.
Can the umpire disqualify a player?
No. Only the referee can disqualify.
Is a red card on its own used for players?
Yes, by the referee, when disqualifying. The umpire's penalties are shown with yellow and red together.
Why the rule exists
Penalty points give the umpire something between a warning and ending the match, so behaviour has a cost a player feels on the scoreboard.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ITTF regulations | As above | Reg 3.5.2 |
| Further sanctions | The ITTF Integrity Unit may act on serious or repeated cases | Reg 3.5.2.13 |
From the rule book
ITTF Statutes 2026, Regulations 3.4.1.5 and 3.5.2. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: ITTF Statutes (PDF).