# Inverted, short pips or long pips: rubber types and ITTF rules What changes between inverted, short pips, long pips and anti-spin rubber in table tennis, how each reacts to the opponent's spin and what the ITTF requires for thickness and colors. Updated on 10/07/2026 Inverted rubber (pips in) is the one that generates the most spin and is the choice of almost every player. Short pips make the ball flatter and less sensitive to the opponent's spin, long pips send back the spin they receive, and anti-spin barely spins the ball at all. Below, what each type does in play, who should use it and what the ITTF requires for thickness and colors. ## Inverted, short pips, long pips and anti-spin in one table | Type | Surface | Spin you generate | What it does with the opponent's spin | Typical style | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Inverted (pips in) | smooth and grippy | a lot | feels a lot of it, you adjust the angle | almost everyone: topspin, attack, all-round | | Short pips | low, wide pips facing out | little to medium | feels less of it, the ball comes out flatter | blocking and hitting close to the table, counterattack | | Long pips | tall, thin pips facing out | almost none | sends back the spin it receives, reversed for the receiver | defense, blocking, breaking rhythm | | Anti-spin (pips in) | smooth and very slippery | almost none | returns the spin in a more stable way | blocking and variation, usually on one side only | In the ITTF list of authorized coverings, rubbers appear in four categories: In (pips in), Anti (pips in, a category used at the manufacturer's request), Out (pips out) and Long (long pips). The "medium pips" that some brands advertise is a commercial term for pips-out rubbers that fall between short and long. ## What a rubber is like on the inside Every table tennis rubber starts with a **pimpled sheet**: a layer of solid rubber with small cylinders spread across the surface. [ITTF](https://www.ittf.com/handbook/) rule 2.4.3.1 requires between 10 and 30 pips per square centimeter. What changes is which side the pips face and whether there is sponge underneath. - **Pips in (inverted and anti-spin):** the sheet is glued onto a sponge with the pips facing it. The ball touches the smooth face. - **Pips out (short pips and long pips):** the ball touches the tops of the pips. There may or may not be sponge underneath. Without sponge, the rubber is called **OX**. The ITTF calls a rubber with sponge a "sandwich": a single layer of sponge covered by a single pimpled sheet. Two layers of sponge are not allowed, even if they are identical. ## Inverted rubber: the standard in the modern game It is the rubber on practically every ready-made paddle and on the vast majority of club players. The smooth surface has the largest contact area with the ball, and so it generates the most friction: it is the only one that allows heavy topspin, serves with lots of cut and real variation in rotation. The price is sensitivity. The same grip that spins the ball also "reads" the spin that arrives. A cut serve returned with a flat paddle goes into the net; a hard topspin blocked with an open paddle goes up. Learning to adjust the angle to the incoming rotation is a big part of learning table tennis, and that is why almost every coach starts with inverted rubber on both sides. Within inverted rubbers there are different families. The **Chinese tacky rubbers**, like the DHS PF4 and the Hurricanes, hold the ball and demand a full stroke. The **non-tacky inverted rubbers** on ready-made paddles, like the Donic Vari Slick and the Butterfly Wakaba, are easier to use. The hardness and thickness of the sponge complete each one's personality, a subject we detail in the guide to [how to choose a table tennis paddle](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/how-to-choose-a-table-tennis-paddle/). Want just ready-made paddles that spin well? We picked seven in the guide to [ready-made table tennis paddles with spin](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/7-ready-made-table-tennis-paddles-with-spin/). ## Short pips: the flat, fast ball On short pips, the ball touches only the tops of low, wide pips. The contact area is smaller, so the rubber generates less rotation, but it is also less affected by the rotation that arrives. This changes the game in three situations: - **Serve return.** A serve with sidespin or backspin deviates less on short pips. You can attack the return with a flat hit, where an inverted rubber would require precisely reading the spin. - **Hitting close to the table.** Short pips favor flat, fast strokes with a low trajectory. The ball reaches the opponent sooner and with little rotation, which is uncomfortable for players used to blocking topspin. - **The "dead" ball.** Strokes with little friction produce balls with almost no rotation, hard to read. For the player on the other side, the ball seems to have spin and doesn't, or vice versa. The counterpoint is that short pips forgive strokes away from the table less and limit topspin against backspin. That is why they usually appear on one side only, almost always the backhand, of players who play close to the table. ## Long pips: the spin that comes back Long pips have tall, thin pips that bend when the ball hits. Because they bend instead of gripping, they transmit little new rotation. The ball leaves, to a large extent, with the rotation it already had. What confuses the player on the other side is the direction. Imagine you send a topspin to long pips and the opponent simply blocks. The ball comes back spinning in the same direction it was already spinning, but now traveling the opposite way. To you, that is backspin: the ball you sent with topspin comes back with backspin. If you push a backspin ball into long pips, it may come back with light topspin. That is why long pips are a weapon of **defense** and of **breaking rhythm**: - classic defenders chop away from the table with long pips on the backhand and inverted rubber on the forehand; - blockers close to the table use long pips to return the opponent's topspin as backspin; - many players use the **OX** version, without sponge, for more control and spin reversal, and the thin-sponge version to be able to attack with the same side. The ITTF defines long pips technically by the ratio between the pip's height and the diameter of its top. In the federation's T4 technical leaflet, a pips-out rubber is classified as long when that ratio exceeds 0.89, and the maximum limit is 1.10. Pips-out rubbers also go through a friction test before entering the list, which prevents surfaces that are too slippery. Long pips can't be learned on your own. They demand a different arm motion, a different reading of the game and, almost always, an assembled paddle with a suitable blade. ## Anti-spin: the inverted rubber that doesn't grip Anti-spin has pips in, like an inverted rubber, but the surface comes from the factory very slippery. The ball slides and leaves with little new rotation, sending back a good part of the spin it received. Compared to long pips, anti-spin tends to be more stable and predictable, with fewer "weird balls," and usually uses a sponge. It appears on one side only, usually on players who block a lot and want to alternate balls with and without spin. Don't confuse the two: anti-spin is manufactured that way and authorized by the ITTF. Treating a regular rubber to make it slippery is prohibited by rule 2.4.7, which requires using the covering without any physical or chemical treatment. ## Sponge: the same name changes everything The rubber type is only half the choice. The sponge underneath decides the speed: - **OX (no sponge):** only on pips-out rubbers. Maximum control and reversal effect on long pips, little speed. - **Thin sponge:** the standard for short pips and for those who use long pips with some intention to attack. - **Medium and thick sponge:** the territory of offensive inverted rubbers. The limits in ITTF rule 2.4.3 are straightforward: a pips rubber without sponge must be under 2.05 mm in total, glue already counted, and a rubber with sponge under 4.05 mm, also with glue. Within the sandwich, the pimpled sheet can't exceed 2.0 mm. In practice, authorized rubbers glued in the normal way stay within those numbers. ## ITTF rules for rubber: thickness, colors and approval The ITTF publishes the rules in the [official handbook](https://www.ittf.com/handbook/), followed by the Brazilian confederation [CBTM](https://www.cbtm.org.br/) and by state federations. For players heading to a tournament, the points that most often knock paddles out at the equipment check are these: - **Authorized model.** The rubber must be on the list of authorized coverings (LARC), with the ITTF logo and the authorization number printed near the handle. - **One black side.** Always. There is no legal paddle without a black side. - **The other side a bright color.** Rule 2.4.6 asks for a bright color clearly different from black and from the color of the ball. Since October 1, 2021, the ITTF accepts [pink, violet, green and blue](https://www.ittf.com/2021/09/30/distinct-difference-new-colours-effect-friday-1st-october-2021/) in addition to red. - **Matte surface.** Excessive gloss is prohibited, including on the bare face of one-sided penhold paddles. - **No treatment.** No products that increase grip or speed after manufacturing. ### Why the color rule exists The color isn't aesthetic. It lets the opponent know, on every stroke, which rubber hit the ball. With inverted rubber on one side and long pips on the other, this makes all the difference: the same hit produces opposite rotations depending on the face. Players with different rubbers often twist the paddle in their hand during the point to switch faces, and the color is what lets the opponent follow the switch. A straight handle makes that twist easier; we explain it in the guide to [FL, ST and AN handles](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/table-tennis-paddle-handle-fl-st-or-an/). The new colors have already reached ready-made paddles. The **Loki K5000** comes with blue and black Rxton I rubbers, ITTF-approved, and the **DHS 6 Star Color Edition** has a blue Hurricane 9. Heads up Two common traps in the catalog: the JOOLA Duo Colorato kit has blue and yellow, and green and purple rubbers, with no black side, and is not valid in tournaments. The JOOLA Infinity Overdrive comes with black rubber on both sides and also needs a change before an official competition. For casual play at home, both work normally. ## Which rubber is for you A simple decision tree, from the most common to the most specific: - **Just starting or playing for fun?** Inverted on both sides. Any approved ready-made paddle does the job; see the options in the guide to [paddles for beginners](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/best-table-tennis-paddles-for-beginners/). - **Play at a club and want topspin?** Inverted on both sides, with a 1.8 to 2.0 mm sponge. - **Play close to the table, hit more than you spin and struggle with spin serves?** Try short pips on the backhand, keeping inverted on the forehand. - **Like to defend away from the table, or to block and break the opponent's rhythm?** Long pips on the backhand, with a defensive or all-round blade. Look for a coach who knows the style. - **Want variation without giving up control?** Anti-spin on one side, usually the backhand. Notice that only the first two answers fit a ready-made paddle. No ready-made paddle in our [table tennis catalog](https://racquetrank.com/us/table-tennis/) comes with pips or anti-spin: the approved ones use inverted rubber on both sides, or on one side only on penholds. Short pips, long pips and anti-spin are bought separately and glued onto a blade; the guide to [ready-made or assembled paddles](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/pre-assembled-vs-custom-table-tennis-paddle/) shows how to do that assembly and when it pays off. To compare paddles by rubber, sponge and ITTF approval, use the [table tennis comparison tool](https://racquetrank.com/us/compare/table-tennis/) or see the [DHS](https://racquetrank.com/us/table-tennis/dhs/) and [Tibhar](https://racquetrank.com/us/table-tennis/tibhar/) lines. Is long pips rubber banned? No. Long pips are legal as long as the model is on the ITTF list of authorized coverings, has a pimpled sheet of at most 2.0 mm and respects the ratio between pip height and diameter defined by the federation. What is prohibited is treating the rubber to change its properties, such as reducing surface friction. What is the difference between anti-spin rubber and long pips? Anti-spin has the pips facing in, like an inverted rubber, but the surface is very slippery. Long pips have the pips facing out, tall and thin, which bend on impact. Both generate little spin of their own and send back the opponent's spin, but long pips produce more unpredictable balls and anti-spin tends to be more stable and easier to control. Can I play with both rubbers red? Not in a tournament. The rule requires one black side and the other a bright color, different from black and from the color of the ball. The bright colors accepted today are red, pink, violet, green and blue. Two reds, two blacks or combinations without black are only for casual play. Are short pips good for a beginner? Generally not as a first rubber. Short pips demand flatter, more precise strokes and teach less about spin. The most common path is to start with inverted rubber on both sides and only try short pips after you have formed your topspin and block, if your style is hitting close to the table. How do I know if a rubber is ITTF-approved? Look for the ITTF logo and the authorization number printed on the rubber, near the handle, and check the model on the list of authorized coverings published by the federation. On ready-made paddles, the spec sheet usually states whether the rubbers are approved. ## Where to buy the racquets in this guide - [Wakaba 1000 Butterfly](https://racquetrank.com/us/table-tennis/butterfly/wakaba-1000/)5 wood plies · 5 · Concave (FL) [See price](https://racquetrank.com/go/01M45XH8TWBAQWXRZASS3SBTMK)Butterfly The prices above are checked automatically at each store and may have changed since the last check. The price that counts is the one shown on the store's website at checkout. We may earn a commission on purchases made through store links, at no extra cost to you. ## More table tennis guides - [Best Table Tennis Paddles 2026: Pre-Assembled and Blades by Playing Style](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/best-table-tennis-paddles/) - [7 Best Table Tennis Paddles for Beginners in 2026](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/best-table-tennis-paddles-for-beginners/) - [10 Best Table Tennis Paddles for Intermediate Players in 2026](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/best-table-tennis-paddles-for-intermediate-players/) - [How to Choose a Table Tennis Paddle: Complete Buying Guide](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/how-to-choose-a-table-tennis-paddle/) - [Pre-Assembled or Custom-Built Table Tennis Paddle: Which Is Worth It?](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/pre-assembled-vs-custom-table-tennis-paddle/) - [7 ready-made table tennis paddles with spin for topspin](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/7-ready-made-table-tennis-paddles-with-spin/) - [Table tennis paddle handles: FL, ST, AN or penhold?](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/table-tennis-paddle-handle-fl-st-or-an/) - [10 best table tennis paddles for advanced players in 2026](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/best-table-tennis-paddles-for-advanced-players/) - [7 best table tennis paddles for competition in 2026](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/best-table-tennis-paddles-for-competition/) [All table tennis guides →](https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/table-tennis/) --- Fonte: https://racquetrank.com/us/guides/inverted-short-pips-or-long-pips-table-tennis-rubber/