Bold rule change is the league’s biggest innovation since the Golden Game
PRINCETON, N.J.,– Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) is at it once again, reimagining the rules of Table Tennis.
Ahead of its upcoming third season, MLTT today announced a major change in doubles play. Starting this fall, MLTT introduces Open Serve Doubles, allowing players to serve from anywhere on their side to anywhere on the opponent’s side. The existing rule is that players must serve from their right side of the table diagonally to the opponent’s right side. This rule has existed since the International Table Tennis Federation codified the rules in 1926.
This change follows on the heels of other exciting innovations that MLTT has incorporated, including:
- Serve Clock – Servers and receivers have 18 seconds maximum between points (25 seconds after a towel break), keeping the pace fast and engaging.
- Instant Replay – Players can challenge key calls, including net/edge balls, doubles line serve violations, ball touching a player, and more.
- Golden Point – All singles and doubles matches are played as three games to 11 points; at 10–10, players battle for a single sudden-death point to decide the game.
- Golden Game – A high-stakes, race-to-21 team finale where each of the five players rotates in every four points; the winning team earns six bonus points, often swinging the match in dramatic fashion.
“It seems completely arbitrary to only serve from the right side in doubles and no one seems to know why, at the very least, we do not alternate sides,” said Flint Lane, Founder and Commissioner of MLTT. “Open Serve Doubles will be far more exciting for players and fans.”
Open Serve Doubles introduces a new layer of strategy, deception, and unpredictability to doubles matches. It challenges traditional serve-receive pairings and rewards creativity, coordination, and quick thinking. It also levels the playing field for players since left-handed players generally have a large advantage in traditional doubles.
The change was tested extensively in the offseason, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from players and coaches. MLTT teams drafted and trained with the understanding that this shift was coming.
“I love to see the innovations that MLTT continues to roll out,” said Dima Ovtcharov, six-time Olympic medalist and former world number one player. “Open Serve Doubles promises to bring a level of excitement to our sport that is refreshing.”
Season 3 of Major League Table Tennis kicks off this September, with 10 teams—including newcomers New York Slice, Atlanta Blazers, and the newly relocated Los Angeles Spinners—competing in cities across the U.S.
About MLTT
Founded in 2023, Major League Table Tennis (MLTT) is the first professional table tennis league in the United States. The league features ten teams from cities across the country, competing in an innovative team-based format that includes singles, doubles, and the unique Golden Game. MLTT is committed to advancing the sport by providing the ultimate table tennis experience for all involved, supporting athletes as they compete at the highest levels. For more information, visit mltt.com.
