Table tennis is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth to each other with paddles. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. Players must allow a ball played towards them only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opponents' side. If the ball doesn't land on the opponent side, it is a "dead ball", unless the receiving player has hit the ball before it has clearly passed the end line of the table. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. A skilled player can impart spin to the ball, which makes its bounce and reaction on the opponent paddle or racket difficult to predict or return with confidence.
Table tennis originated in England in the 1880s as an after-dinner amusement for upper class Victorians. A line of books was used as a net, a rounded top of a champagne cork or knot of string as a ball, and a cigar box lid as a paddle.
Table tennis evolved into the modern game in Europe, the United States and Japan. It is among the most popular sports in the world in terms of player numbers, as well as one of the newest of the major sports. The game is controlled by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926.