Back to sports wiki

Sport from the database

Swish

a version of table tennis for blind athletes. At its core, the sport is about play the audible ball along the table surface into the opponent's end so they cannot return it legally. Participation format: Singles and doubles for blind, low-vision, and inclusive groups. It is typically contested on or in Table with side rails and raised centre barrier. Scoring is based on Point or rally scoring to 11 points with set formats. Core equipment includes Adapted table with rails/centre barrier, audible ball, and rectangular bat. Important forms include Singles swish, Doubles swish, Recreational / inclusive swish. Listed competitions include Blind Sports Australia Swish programs, Blind Sports Victoria / regional Swish, Inclusive blind-sport activity programs. Origin/development…

LevelVariant FamilyRacket Family CategoryRacket sport

AI-generated illustration: Swish — AI-generated illustration

Classification

Category Racket sport

Family Racket Family

Level Variant

Getting started

Kurzbeschreibung A racket/rebound sport is about returning a ball or shuttle with a racket, hand, or implement so the opponent cannot make a legal return.

Geeignet für Suitable for beginners who like reaction, technique, short sprints, and direct rallies.

Cost 30-150 EUR for racket, ball/shuttle, and shoes. 10-60 EUR per month for court, hall, or training. 10-40 EUR per month in a club. Rental rackets reduce starter cost; indoor court fees can raise ongoing cost.

First progress First rallies often happen on day one; reliable technique takes several weeks.

Fitness level easy to medium

Was du brauchst

racket or hand implement
ball or shuttle
court/table/wall
sports shoes
eye protection if needed

First steps

learn grip and ready position
play slow rallies
practice serve and return
build technique before speed

Start at a club, sports hall, public court, course, or with rental equipment.

Use non-slip shoes and build shoulder, knee, and wrist load gradually.

Weitere Angaben

Tags variant, variante, swish, racket-sport, ruckschlag-familie, ruckschlagsport, rueckschlagsport

Rules and format

Die Grundlagen

Ziel

The objective is to play the audible ball along the table surface into the opponent's end so they cannot return it legally.

Teilnehmer

Singles or doubles, mainly for blind and low-vision players but playable inclusively with sighted players.

Teamgröße

Singles: 1 vs 1; doubles: 2 vs 2.

Spielfeld

Table-tennis-like table with side rebound rails and a raised centre barrier under which the ball must roll.

Dauer

Games are played to 11 points depending on ruleset, often best-of-three or best-of-five.

Wertung

Rally or point scoring; faults include missed return, lifting the ball too high, out ball, or illegal multiple contact.

Gewinnbedingung

Victory comes by reaching the target score with the required margin or by winning the match in sets.

Ausrüstung

swish table or adapted table-tennis table
audible ball
rectangular bat
side rails
optional eyeshades/simulation glasses

Wichtige Regelpunkte

ball leaves the table surface
illegal barrier/net contact
out ball
multiple contact
service fault

Regelquellen

Federations and sources

Federations

Blind Sports Australia (BSA)

Topend Sports Topend Sports · aggregator · medium
Vision Impaired Table Tennis (Swish) Blind Sports Australia · official · high
BSA Toolkit Cards - Swish Blind Sports Australia · official · high
Blind Sports Victoria Swish Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria · federation · medium
BSRV Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria · official · high