Serving diagonally

Hi. I was wondering about the serves, because as I have played with my friends at school we have always played so the serve MUST cross the table. Meaning that it must go diagonal from one corner to the opposite on the other side.

But now I've seen several videos on youtube, and it seems that people do not play these rules. What is right and what is wrong?

Also some of my friends are saying that it is allowed to hit the ball before it bounces on the table on their side, but I have never even heard that this is allowed. Or is it?

Many thanks

Hi Samuel,

In singles you are allowed to serve anywhere on the table from anywhere.  The middle line is only for doubles serving where you always serve from your right hand box diagonally.

You are right with the second rule.  You are not allowed to hit the ball before it bounces.  If you do this while the ball is still over the table you lose the point.  But if the ball has already passed over the table and then you hit the ball before it bounces you still get the point because the ball was already out.