Frequently Asked Questions

A set is won by the player who first reaches 11 points with a lead of at least 2 points. At 10:10, play continues until one player gets a two-point lead — there's no upper limit. A match is usually best of 3 or 5 sets. More: table tennis rules →

Every 2 points, the serve passes to the opponent. At a tied 10:10 score, the serve changes after every point until the set ends.

A "let" (undecided point) is called when: the ball touches the net during a serve and lands correctly on the other side, a player serves before the receiver is ready, or the serve is disrupted from outside. The point is replayed — the score doesn't change.

An edge ball is when the ball hits the top or side edge of the table — it counts as a point for the player who hit it. Hitting the side of the table (below the playing surface) is a point for the opponent.

A serve is legal when: the ball rests on an open, flat palm (not between the fingers), it's thrown straight up at least 16 cm, contact happens behind the end line of the table or its extension, and the hand and ball stay above table level and visible throughout the serve. More: serve technique →

The correct position: feet slightly wider than shoulders, right foot back half a step (for right-handers), knees bent, weight on the balls of the feet. The racket is lowered below the ball — the starting point is around thigh or even knee level. Hips turned to the right, arm relaxed. More: forehand topspin technique →

The pendulum serve generates sidespin with a receding ball path — after bouncing off the table it changes direction in a way that's unexpected for the receiver. The arm swings like a pendulum, from right to left, with contact happening at the far end of the swing. Effect: the ball can fly to the left even though the racket moved to the right.

The ball travels at 60–100 km/h — a player has 0.3–0.6 seconds to react and get into position. A player who doesn't reach the ball in a good position can't execute a proper stroke, no matter their level of technique. Footwork is a prerequisite for every other element of the game. More: footwork →

Multiball is a training method: a coach or robot feeds balls continuously from a basket, and the player hits each one without collecting them. It allows 50–200 strokes in a few minutes — the equivalent of hours of normal rallying. It's an essential method for mastering new technical elements. More: glossary →

A training session is divided into 4 phases:

1. General warm-up (15 min) — running, coordination drills, dynamic stretching.
2. Specific warm-up (15 min) — play at the table, contrast drills.
3. Main part (75 min) — technical or tactical work; the most important part.
4. Cooldown (15 min) — free play or match play, session review.

Full guide: how to plan training sessions →

As a rough guide:

Children 7–10 (beginners): 1–2 sessions/week, 60–75 min each.
Intermediate juniors: 2–3 sessions/week, 90 min each.
Advanced juniors: 3–5 sessions/week, 90–120 min each.
Adult club players: 2–3 sessions/week.

The number of sessions should increase gradually — a sudden jump in load raises the risk of injury.

A typical season in Polish table tennis has 3 phases:

Preparation phase (summer–September): technique, conditioning, building a base.
Competition phase (October–March): tactics and match play, adjusting for competitions.
Transition phase (April–May): rest, recovery, season review.

Beginners: regular drills (predictable ball placement) — building consistent technique.
Intermediate: irregular and conditional drills — reaction speed and tactics.
Advanced: complex multiball drills, working on weaknesses, preparing for specific opponents.

A player is ready when they can: execute a legal serve 8 out of 10 times, sustain a rally of 10 balls consistently, and play forehand and backhand from both sides of the table. Technical readiness matters more than age. More: tournament preparation →

Up to 8 people: round robin — the fairest format, but a lot of matches.
8–64 people — recommended: Swiss system — everyone plays the same number of rounds with no elimination, and the result reflects true skill level. Underrated in Poland, but it's by far the best fit for most club tournaments.
Quick knockout tournament: single-elimination bracket — simple, but one bad match can eliminate even a strong player.
16+ people, plenty of time: two-stage tournament — group stages plus playoffs, the most exciting format.

Full guide: how to organize a tournament →

Formula: n × (n−1) / 2, where n is the number of participants.

4 people → 6 matches  ·  6 people → 15 matches  ·  8 people → 28 matches  ·  10 people → 45 matches

The format works best for groups of up to 6–8 people; with more participants, the tournament's length grows very quickly.

Knockout bracket: a loss eliminates you from the tournament. Pros: fast, exciting. Cons: one loss eliminates you — the best player doesn't necessarily win.

Swiss system (recommended for most tournaments): everyone plays the same number of rounds with no elimination, paired each round against opponents with a similar record. The result reflects a player's true level, not just luck in the draw. It takes more time — and it's well worth it.

A club league is an internal, season-long competition — players compete against each other every week during training, and results are tracked in a standings table. It requires no registration and no entry fees.

Two scoring systems: match-based (2 pts for a win, 0 for a loss) — simple, good for kids; set-based (e.g. 3:1 gives 3 pts to the winner and 1 to the loser) — motivates players to fight for every set. More: club league →

Split by two criteria: technical level and age. The youngest kids (7–9) should always be separate — different methods, different pace. Group the rest by level: beginner, intermediate, advanced. An ideal group is 6–10 players per coach with 3 tables. More: running a club →

The most effective method: a demo lesson at a primary school (grades 3–5). Contact the PE teacher → run a 45-minute session → hand out a flyer with the schedule on the way out. Conversion: 3–8 kids per class. Requires no budget, just the coach's time. More: player recruitment →

A training table (22–25 mm top, 1,200–3,000 PLN) is enough for 99% of Polish clubs. A recreational table (12–16 mm top, 200–600 PLN) has unpredictable bounce and isn't suitable for technical training. An ITTF-approved table (3,000–8,000 PLN) is only needed for hosting official competitions. More: club equipment →

Rule of thumb: 3 players per table for drills (rotation: two play, one waits), 2 per table for multiball. For a group of 9 players: 3 tables. For a group of 15 players: 5 tables.

Five signs: (1) you have more than one coach and each keeps their own file; (2) building a schedule takes more than 30 minutes; (3) you can't remember what exercises you ran 3 months ago; (4) parents ask about progress and you have no data to show them; (5) you're planning a tournament and spend 2 hours wrestling with a spreadsheet. More: PNS vs Excel →

Yes — the "Starter" plan is completely free and requires no payment details. You register your club and start using it right away.

On the free plan you can invite several coaches with different roles (admin, coach). Higher limits will be available on the paid Club plan — details coming soon.

Yes, PNS works in the browser on any device — computer, tablet, and phone. No app installation required.

You can add exercises to the library manually — the table editor lets you draw a diagram and describe the exercise in a few minutes. File import is planned for the future.

Data is stored on servers in Europe. Each club has a fully isolated space — other clubs have no access to your exercises or plans.

The app runs stably and is already used by real clubs, but we're still actively adding new features. Your data is safe. Current Beta users will get preferential terms when moving to a paid plan.