Pickleball Rules: The Complete Guide for Beginners
Pickleball Rules: The Complete Guide
Pickleball rules are simple to learn but take time to master. Here is everything you need to know.
Scoring
Games are played to 11 points. You must win by 2 points. Only the serving team can score a point. In doubles, scores are called as three numbers: server score, receiver score, and server number (1 or 2). Example: 4-2-1 means the serving team has 4 points, receiving team has 2, and server 1 is serving.
Serving
The serve must be underhand. The paddle head must be below the wrist at contact. The ball must be struck below the waist. The serve must land in the diagonal service court. Drop serves (letting the ball bounce before striking) are also allowed.
The Two-Bounce Rule
The ball must bounce once on each side before volleys (hitting in the air) are allowed. This means the receiving team must let the serve bounce, and the serving team must let the return bounce before playing it. After these two bounces, players may volley or play the ball off the bounce.
The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)
The kitchen is the 7-foot area on each side of the net. You cannot volley the ball while standing in the kitchen or touching the kitchen line. You may enter the kitchen to play a ball that has bounced. If your momentum carries you into the kitchen after a volley, it is a fault.
Faults
- Hitting the ball into the net
- Hitting the ball out of bounds
- Volleying from the kitchen
- Stepping into the kitchen after a volley
- Server foot fault (stepping on or over the baseline before contact)