Final answer:
The scoring system in table tennis involves playing to 11 points, service alternating every two points, and requiring a 2-point lead to win a game. Matches are typically best of five or seven games, and deuce occurs when the score is 10-10, leading to alternating serves after every subsequent point.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scoring system in table tennis is relatively straightforward. A standard game is played to 11 points and the player must win by at least 2 points. A match is usually played as a best of five or best of seven games. Players score a point when their opponent fails to return the ball, commits a fault, or the ball is struck but does not land on the opponent's side of the table. Service alternates every two points, except when the score becomes 10-10; from this juncture, the service alternates with each point until one player gains a two-point lead.
In competitive play, if the score does reach 10-10, the situation is often referred to as 'deuce'. Players then alternate serve after every point until one player establishes a lead of two points, thereby winning the game. Table tennis also allows for the events of let serves where the serve is replayed without change to the score, typically due to disruptions such as the ball clipping the net on a service but otherwise being legal, or external factors that affect play.