The 2008 Olympic & National Trials – Table Tennis is coming to the Daskalakis Athletic Center Jan. 10 – and obviously there are a lot of unknowns.

Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

However, what we do know is that Jan. 10 at 9 a.m., 40 skillful athletes will set forth on a quest to gain entry into the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing.

These 40 men and women believe they have what it takes to represent the red, white and blue.

While these athletes come from different backgrounds, with some becoming U.S. citizens just a few years ago, they have all worked very hard, training and practicing for hours on end in order to compete at this level.

You may have either seen some of these athletes on ESPN or you may not be aware of their talents– but if you do get a chance to watch them, you certainly will have a good memory of them at the end of the event.

Table tennis may not be one of the most popular sports in the United States, but for these athletes this may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Whether you come to watch this spectacle in person, or are just curious about what table tennis is and what the rules are, this piece can lead you in the right direction.

What is Table Tennis?

Table tennis is essentially what its name states, “Tennis played on a Table,”- granted there are differences, mainly in size.

The sport is played on a nine-by-five foot table that is 30 inches above the ground according to the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation).

The paddles are considerably smaller than tennis rackets, and contain an outer layer made of rubber. The rubber surface allows players to maximize spin they can put on the ball, which plays a large part in strategy.

The ball is made of celluloid and is completely hollow inside.

There are different strategies of play in the game where some players may put more spin on their shots while others may play with power, but ultimately a player must have multiple talents in playing both offense and defense to win a match.

Oh and having good reflexes doesn’t hurt either.

What are the rules?

While you should probably research the rules if you want a more in-depth understanding, this is a basic idea of the rules of table tennis.

Sept. 1, 2001, the USATT (United States of America Table Tennis) decided to make a major change in scoring by adopting the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) 11-point format. Formerly games were played to 21 points, which is likely what many of you play to today.

Players must alternate serves every two points and a point will be scored regardless of whom served.

In order to win, a player must be the first to score 11 points and also be ahead by at least two points (i.e. 11-9). In the event that a match is tied 10-10, players will alternate serves every point until someone gains a two-point advantage.

What is the Trial structure?

Each match will be in a best-of-seven games format. Therefore, the first player to win four games will be deemed the winner.

The Top 12 players will compete in a round-robin format in which each competitor will play each of the other 11 other players.

While the women only have nine entrants (and will only play eight matches), the men have 31 as there will be a single elimination open qualifying tournament on Thursday to get down to the field of 12. With the top 10 ranked players getting a bye, two players will come from the remaining field of 19.

The top four male finishers and the top four female finishers at the Trials will go on to the North American Qualification Tournament, hosted in Vancouver, Canada on Apr. 4-6 and compete with Canadian competitors for the three North American spots. Those three winners will advance to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

What is the tournament schedule?

The tournament begins Jan. 10 at 9:00 A.M. with a single elimination open qualifying tournament that will advance the top two competitors to the Main Draw.

The Main Draw for the men kicks off at 8:00 A.M. Jan. 11, while the women begin at 9:00 A.M. that same day.

Each competitor will play four matches in a given day during the Main Draw.

The Final Matches will be held Jan. 13 at 3:00 P.M.

The below schedule outlines the entire event by hour.

Interesting Table Tennis Facts

Table tennis is the most popular racquet sport in the world and ranked second overall in terms of participation. Over 10 million players compete in sanctioned tournaments each year.

Table tennis became a medal Olympic sport in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

Photo By: Evan Rosen/The Triangle

The record for the number of balls hit back and forth in a 60 second period is 173 set by Jackie Bellinger and Lisa Lomas in 1993.

Exerts from USATT.org, ITTF.org and drexeldragons.com were used in this article

by Mike Mazzeo, Assistant Sports Editor