How many games are in a table tennis match?
B · Beginner · Scoring and winning · 2 of 6Checked 13 October 2026
A match is the best of any odd number of games. The competition decides the number: best of five and best of seven are the usual formats. The first player to win more than half the games wins the match.
How it works
- The Laws say only "the best of any odd number of games".
- Best of five: first to 3 games. Best of seven: first to 4.
- Players change ends after every game.
- Up to 1 minute between games.
- Play is continuous: there is no clock on a match, only on a slow game.
Tricky cases
Are they games or sets?
Games, in the Laws. Many people and some broadcasters say "sets".
Can a match end in a draw?
No. An individual match always has a winner.
Why the rule exists
An odd number of games always gives a winner, and leaving the number to the event lets early rounds be shorter than finals.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ITTF Laws | Best of any odd number of games | L2.12.1 |
| Which events use five or seven | Set by each competition | C |
From the rule book
ITTF Statutes 2026, Laws 2.12 and 2.13.7; Regulation 3.4.4.1. Checked 13 October 2026. Official document: ITTF Statutes (PDF).