Ready to learn how to play pickleball? You're not alone. Pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in America, and it's tons of fun.
Whether you're an absolute beginner or a seasoned player looking to refresh your grip on the game, I've got you covered with this quick guide. Follow these 7 simple rules and you'll be out playing in no time.
To get started, all you need is a quality pickleball paddle, pickleball balls to play with, and a pickleball court near you. The best way to learn the basics is with a private lesson or beginner's clinic. They often provide equipment if you're not ready to invest in gear yet.
How to play pickleball
Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court (20' x 44') with a net height of 36" at the sidelines and 34" at the center. Each end of the court has a 7’ area called the non-volley zone (or 'kitchen') where players aren’t allowed to hit volleys (a shot hit out of the air).
The sport is most often played in "doubles" (two players on each team). I'll mostly be covering the rules for doubles, so check out my guide on how to play singles pickleball if you want to learn more.
Let's get into the 7 main rules for pickleball. These are just a brief overview, so check below for a deep dive into each rule.
Rule #1: each rally begins with a serve
The pickleball game (and each rally) starts with a serve. The player on the right side of their court always starts the serve. You serve diagonally to your opponent:
The person serving can either hit the ball after it bounces or out of the air (a "volley serve") and their serve must clear the kitchen (including the line).
When hitting a volley serve, it must be hit with an underhand forehand or backhand stroke with contact below the waist. Your paddle must also move in an upward arc when you strike the ball.
Rule #2: the ball must bounce once on each side before either team can volley
Before any player can hit a shot out of the air (called a volley), the ball must bounce once on each side (known as the "two-bounce rule").
So, if your partner is serving and you start up at the kitchen, you're in a dangerous position. Why? This is because the returning team can hit a shot right at you. If you react with a volley, it's considered a fault and you'll lose the point because you didn't let the ball bounce first on your side.
Without this rule, the serving team can easily rush the net and gain an unfair advantage every time.
Rule #3: each point continues until a fault
After the serve, play continues until a rally is won either by someone hitting a winning shot or a "fault" is committed. A fault ends the rally. In pickleball, there are four basic fault types:
- The serve lands outside of the required service area or beyond the kitchen (including the line).
- The ball lands out of bounds (behind the baseline or outside the sideline).
- The ball hits the net and falls on your side.
- The ball bounces twice on one side before the player can return it.
Rule #4: you can't volley in the kitchen
The 7’ zone on each side of the net marks the non-volley zone, or 'kitchen'. As the name suggests, you can never hit a volley while any part of your body is in the kitchen (or even on the kitchen line). You can’t let your momentum carry you into the kitchen after a volley either.
Rule #5: you only win points on your serve
In traditional pickleball scoring, you only win points on your serve and you continue serving until you lose a rally. After winning each point on your serve, you switch sides (left and right) with your partner and serve to the other opponent.
When your team loses a point, your teammate begins serving following the sequence described above until another point is lost by your team (the serving team). Once that happens, the serve “sides out” (switches) to the other team.
Rule #6: the correct score must be called before serving
In pickleball scoring, you’ll hear players announce three numbers, like "0-0-2". Here’s what each number means:
Let’s say the game is tied at 3-3. If you start the serve, you’ll announce “3-3-1”, so everyone knows you are the first player in rotation serving.
If you lose the rally, the ball doesn’t go to your opponents. It goes to your teammate who will announce "3-3-2".
If your partner loses their serve, a "side out" occurs. This means that they've lost their two serves and it's now their opponent's turn to serve. Their opponents then call out "3-3-1" before starting their serve.
There is one exception to this rule: the first player to serve at the beginning of a new game calls out "0-0-2". This is because the starting team only gets one serve since they have the advantage of being able to score points first to start the match.
Rule #7: first team to 11 points wins—but you must win by 2
Following all the rules above, the game continues until one team gets 11 points. However, they must win by 2.
So, if a game is tied 10-10, the next score doesn’t end the game. Play continues past 11-10 until one team can win by 2 points. As a result, some games can continue for a very long time. You might see final scores of 12-10, 15-13, or even 21-19. These are often the most fun games.
How to set up a pickleball court
If a court already has lines drawn, you’ll rarely have to set up. Just show up and play.
Other times, you might have a court with permanent lines, but no net. You'll need a portable net for these. Once assembled, place it in the center of the court like you would in tennis.
How to serve in pickleball
Every rally in pickleball begins with the serve. Unlike in tennis, the purpose of the pickleball serve is to put the ball in play. According to USA Pickleball Official Rules:
- For a volley serve (where the ball is hit before it bounces), the serve must be hit with an underhand stroke so that contact with the ball is made below the waist.
- The arm must be moving in an upward arc and the highest point of the paddle head must be below the wrist when it strikes the ball.
- The highest point of the paddle head cannot be above the wrist. In other words, the pickleball serve is an underhand forehand or backhand stroke that finishes with an upward motion:
Where to serve in pickleball
In pickleball doubles, you always serve to the diagonally opposite service court. Your serve must completely clear the kitchen line, and land between the sideline and baseline to count. The serve can land "on the line" for the baseline and sideline, but not on the kitchen line.
Where to stand when serving
You must stand behind the baseline when serving in pickleball. Your feet cannot touch the baseline or sideline during your serve.
You should remain behind the baseline as the serving team until after a third shot is hit. If you were to run up to the kitchen after serving, you would risk violating the two-bounce rule.
Serving strategies
While the goal of the pickleball serve is to place the ball in play, you can use it to your advantage. Here are three strategies for improving your pickleball serve:
- Serve deep. Short serves cause your opponent to run toward the kitchen line. You want to keep them back as long as possible, so a deep serve is best.
- Hit to a weakness. Serving to your opponent's weaker side (forehand or backhand) may result in more errors or weaker returns by them.
- Add spin (advanced). By changing the angle of your paddle on your serve follow-through, you can introduce spin. Spin can throw your opponents off guard, and cause unforced errors on the return.
What is an illegal serve in pickleball?
An illegal serve in pickleball is any serve that violates any of the serving rules. Just remember:
- A serve must land into the opposite (diagonally) service area.
- A volley serve (out of the air) must be hit underhand with an upward motion.
- The volley server must strike the ball at a height lower than their waist.
- The server's feet must be behind the baseline when serving.
- It must be your turn to serve, so follow the rotation and make sure to serve in the correct order.
What is the two-bounce rule in pickleball?
The "two-bounce rule" means that the ball must bounce once on each side after a serve before any player can volley the ball out of the air.
Let's use doubles as an example. When a player serves the ball and it lands in their opponent's court, that counts as the first bounce. After the opponent returns the ball, the serving team must wait for the ball to bounce again before hitting it.
This means players can only "volley" the ball once the two-bounce rule has been fulfilled. If a player is standing close to the net before fulfilling this rule, they cannot legally hit it out of the air.
Source: Mackie, B. (2024, July 19). How to play pickleball - 9 simple rules for beginners. Pickleheads. https://www.pickleheads.com/guides/how-to-play-pickleball