Table Tennis

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Ping Pong, Pingpong

Category

Activities, Sporting Activities, Tourism, Recreation

Message / Function

For notice in general and to indicate the location of facilities for playing table tennis

	Source	Description
a)	Unknown	Front view of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, perspective view of table with net
	BS 8501:2002	Human figure with table tennis bat and ball, partial view of table with net and leg
	Unknown	Human figure with table tennis bat, partial view of table
	Baden-Baden	Human figure with table tennis bat, table indicated by line
1)	ON Testdesign	Human figure with table tennis bat, ball, partial view of table
	CNIS	Human figure with table tennis bat and ball, partial view of table
	Elbhavelwinkel	Human figure with table tennis bat and ball, partial view of table
2)	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, part of table with leg
3)	ON Testdesign	Side view of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, part of table with leg
b)	BGD'82	Side view of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, part of table with leg
	Sagamihara	Side view of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, table an ball movement indicated by lines
	O'88	Side view of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, table indicated by line
	O'21	Side view of upper part of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, table indicated by line
	Aicher & Krampen	Side view of upper part of human figure with table tennis bat and ball, table indicated by line
	Anderegg	Hand holding table tennis bat, ball in foreground
c)	SSRS	Table tennis bat and ball
	Dutchicon	Table tennis bat and ball, both in outline
	SIS	Table tennis bat and ball
	O'72	Table tennis bat and ball, fat horizontal line above
	O'24	Tennis table seen from above, table tennis bat and ball at each end

Discussion

The range of pictograms shown in the table above gives a good impression of typical images used to indicate the location of facilities for playing table tennis. Renderings show quite some variation, from simple depictions of just a table tennis bat and ball to more complex pictograms showing a human figure with table tennis bat and ball near or behind the tennis table. The image from the Summer Olympics in Paris 2024 even presents a tennis table seen from above with a table tennis bat and ball at each end.

Studies from two countries present research covering several concepts found in pictogram variants for this referent:

In Appropriateness Ranking Tests conducted in Austria (Brugger, 1984) and Sweden (Gärling, 1985), the pictograms marked with a) to c) reached the best results among eight variants examined. Variant a) was ranked as most appropriate in Sweden, whereas a rotated version of the Swedish Standard Recreation Symbols (SSRS) variant c) was placed best in Austria.

The three pictograms marked 1) to 3) studied in a follow-up Comprehension Test (Brugger, 1990) all reached more than 90 % responses related to table tennis. Of these three designs the later ÖNORM A 3011 version (marked 2)) elicited just 3.6 % wrong responses.

Recommendation

TableTennis

Based on test results available we recommend the use of symbol No 124 of ÖNORM A 3011 Part 7 to signify Table Tennis.

Tests of pictograms of referent Table Tennis

Brugger, Ch. (1984): Reihungstest 1984. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1984-10-05.

Brugger, Ch. (1990): Abschlußbericht über den Verständnistest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 10/90, Vienna.

Gärling, T. (1985): ISO Appropriateness Ranking Test 1985 - Redovisning av genomförande. Report to the Swedish Standards Institute dated 1985-07-24.