PING PONGLEAGUE 2026

Tournament rules

This is a friendly community tournament. The main goal is to give CERGE-EI people a chance to meet, have fun, and connect outside normal work and study. Competition is welcome, but friendliness, flexibility, fairness, and good sportsmanship come first.

Group stage

• Seven groups of six players.
• Each player plays every other player in their group exactly once: five matches per player.
• Group-stage matches are best of three games; each game is played to 11 points.
• A game must be won by two points. At 10-10, play continues until one player leads by two.
• The published date and time are the default appointment. Players may change them by mutual agreement.
• If possible, keep rescheduled matches close to the original week so the standings remain easy to follow.

Serve & basic playing rules

• Serve alternates every two points. At 10-10, serve alternates every point.
• For the first game, decide the first server and first end by a simple toss, coin flip, or similar method.
• The player who serves first in one game receives first in the next game.
• Change ends after every game.
• If a legal serve touches the net and still lands correctly, replay the serve.
• A ball touching the top edge is in; a ball hitting only the vertical side is out.
• For outside interference, such as another ball entering the playing area, call a let and replay the point.

Ranking

1. Match wins
2. Win rate
3. Set ratio
4. Point differential

If players remain exactly tied after all four ranking criteria, the Sports Representative will resolve the tie fairly, consulting the players involved if useful.

Eligibility & qualification

• A player must complete at least three group-stage matches to be eligible for the knockout stage.
• The top two eligible players in each group qualify automatically: 14 players.
• The two best eligible third-place finishers across the seven groups receive the two wild-card places.
• The knockout stage therefore begins with 16 players.
• Knockout-stage matches are best of five games; each game is played to 11 points.

Rescheduling & forfeits

• If the scheduled time does not work, contact your opponent directly and agree on another time.
• Academic and personal commitments come first; reasonable flexibility is part of the league.
• If the ping-pong room is being used for a class or another scheduled CERGE-EI activity, please reschedule the match. The class or scheduled activity comes first.
• If a match becomes difficult to arrange after a few attempts, contact the Sports Representative and we can help find a workable solution.
• A forfeit counts as one match played, with a win for one player and a loss for the other.
• No artificial sets or points are added for a forfeit.

Results & standings

• After the match, the winner should enter the result in the shared Google Sheet.
• Please enter the actual game scores so the standings can calculate set ratio and point differential correctly.
• For a forfeit, use the forfeit field and do not invent game or point scores.
• The website shows the latest schedule, standings, groups, and results.

Sportsmanship & the shared room

• Please play in a friendly and respectful spirit. The league is also a chance to meet people across CERGE-EI outside the usual work or study setting.
• For small disagreements, talk it through and use common sense - for example, replay a point if both players are happy with that.
• If something more serious comes up, contact the Sports Representative and we will try to find a fair solution together.
• The table tennis room is a shared CERGE-EI space. Classes and other scheduled CERGE-EI activities have priority; if one is using the room, please reschedule your match. Please also be considerate of others and leave the room tidy afterwards.

This Rules page follows the participant manual. If a rule needs clarification during the tournament, the Sports Representative will communicate the update to participants.