Pickleball Rules
New to pickleball? You're in the right place. This guide explains the basics in friendly, plain language, from how the court is laid out to how points are scored. Start with the five rules below, then read each section at your own pace so you can step onto the court with confidence.
The 5 Rules You Need to Know
1. Serve underhand. The paddle must make contact below your waist, and the ball must be hit upward, diagonally into the opposite service court. 2. Let the ball bounce once on each side before anyone volleys (the two-bounce rule). 3. Don't volley while standing in the kitchen, the 7-foot zone by the net, or while touching its lines. 4. A ball landing on a line is good, except a serve that lands on the kitchen line, which is out. 5. Games are usually played to 11 points, and you must win by 2. In doubles, the score is called in three numbers.
What Is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a paddle sport played with a plastic ball with holes in it, similar to a wiffle ball. It mixes elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong. You can play singles (one person per side) or doubles (two people per side), and it is easy to pick up but fun to master.
The Court
A pickleball court measures 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, the same size as a doubles badminton court. The net sits across the middle, and each side has a 7-foot zone next to the net called the kitchen. The lines are part of the court they touch, so a ball landing on a line is good.
Serving
Every rally starts with a serve, so it's worth getting this part right. The serve must be underhand. Your paddle has to make contact below your waist, and you should swing up through the ball so it travels in a gentle arc. Keep your wrist firm and think of a smooth, low swing rather than a big overhead slap. Stand behind the baseline, the back line of your court, and serve diagonally into the opposite service court. The ball must clear the net and land beyond the kitchen line, the 7-foot zone next to the net. A serve that lands in the kitchen is a fault, and so is a serve that hits the net and fails to land in the correct service court. The drop serve is a popular alternative. Instead of tossing the ball up, you drop it, let it bounce, and then hit it. The underhand and below-the-waist rules do not apply to the drop serve. Many players like it because it gives a steadier, more controlled contact. Drop serve rules have changed over time, so check the rules your league or tournament uses before you rely on it. Foot faults happen when a server's feet touch or cross the baseline before the ball is struck. Keep both feet behind the baseline until your paddle makes contact, and you may step forward after the hit. Stepping on or over the baseline during the serve is a fault, and the server loses the serve. Let serves are no longer replayed. Since 2021, a serve that clips the net and lands in the correct service court is a legal serve, and play continues. In doubles, both partners get a turn to serve before the serve moves to the other team. The partner who serves next after a side-out is explained in the scoring section of this guide.
The Two-Bounce Rule
The two-bounce rule is the first thing that makes pickleball feel different from tennis, so here is how it works in practice. After the serve, each team must let the ball bounce once before hitting it. The receiving team lets the serve bounce, and then the serving team lets the return bounce too. Only after both bounces can players hit the ball in the air, which is called a volley. Here is an example rally. Alex serves underhand, and the ball lands in Sam's service court. Sam lets it bounce once and returns it. Alex lets that return bounce once as well. Now the ball has bounced twice, one on each side, so either player may volley it. If Sam had tried to hit the serve in the air, or Alex had tried to volley the return before it bounced, that would be a fault and the rally would end. A fault by the serving team only loses the serve, while a fault by the receiving team gives the serving team a point. The rule only applies at the start of a rally. Once both bounces have happened, players may volley freely, as long as they are not standing in the kitchen.
The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)
The kitchen is the 7-foot zone on each side of the net. Its boundary is the kitchen line, and the lines count as part of the kitchen. You cannot volley while standing in the kitchen or while touching its lines, so a volley must be struck with both feet planted outside the zone. The momentum rule catches many beginners. Suppose you volley a ball from outside the kitchen, and your momentum carries you forward until a foot touches the kitchen or its line. That is a fault, even though you hit the ball from the correct side. The fix is to stop your forward motion before you swing, and to let your feet settle outside the line before you volley. You can stand in the kitchen when the ball bounces. The rule only restricts volleys. If a ball has already bounced, you may step into the kitchen to hit it, and you may stand there while you wait for it. Once you hit the ball, keep an eye on your feet, because momentum can still carry you into the zone. Watch your feet every time you move up to the net.
Common Faults
A fault ends the rally. Only the serving team can score, so a fault by the serving team just loses the serve, while a fault by the receiving team gives the serving team a point. Common faults include hitting the ball into the net, hitting it out of bounds, volleying while standing in the kitchen, letting the ball bounce twice, and stepping on or over the baseline during a serve.
Line Calls
Line calls come up in almost every game, so it helps to know the basics. Lines are part of the court they touch, which means a ball that lands on any line is good, with one exception: a serve that lands on the kitchen line is out. Each player is responsible for calling balls that land on their side of the court. If you did not clearly see the ball out, it is in. Calling your own lines fairly, even when it costs you a point, is part of good pickleball.
How Scoring Works
Doubles scoring uses three numbers, and it is easiest to learn one step at a time. 1. Call the serving team's score first, then the receiving team's score, then the server number (1 or 2) for the partner who is serving. 2. Example: the serving team has 4 points, the receiving team has 2, and the first server is serving. The call is 4-2-1. 3. If the serving team wins the rally, it scores a point, and the same server keeps serving from the other side. So 4-2-1 becomes 5-2-1. If that server then loses the rally, the serve passes to their partner and the call becomes 5-2-2. If the partner also loses the rally, it is a side-out and the other team calls 2-5-1. 4. If the receiving team wins the rally, no point is scored. This is a side-out only if the second server was serving. If the first server was serving, the serve passes to their partner. Its first server starts, so the call reads with that team's score first. From 5-2-2, a side-out gives 2-5-1. Games start at 0-0-2 because the team that serves first only gets one server in its first turn, to make up for serving first. Games are usually played to 11 points, and you must win by 2. In singles there are only two numbers: the server's score first, then the opponent's, such as 6-4. Only the server can score. The server serves from the right side when their score is even and from the left when it is odd. If the server wins the rally, they add a point and switch sides of the court. If the receiver wins, the serve changes hands and the new server calls the score with their own points first.
Glossary
ATP (around the post): a shot hit around the outside of the net post instead of over the net.
Banger: a player who mostly hits hard, fast drives instead of soft shots.
Dink: a soft shot from near the kitchen line that lands in your opponent's kitchen.
Erne: a volley hit by jumping or stepping around the corner of the kitchen and landing outside the court, so you never touch the kitchen.
Poach: when a player crosses the middle to take a ball meant for their partner.
Side-out: when the serving team loses the serve to the other team. In doubles this happens after both partners have lost a rally on serve (only one at the very start of the game).
Stacking: partners line up on the same side of the court so each can stay on their preferred side.
Third shot drop: a soft, arcing third shot by the serving team that lands in the kitchen, giving them time to move up to the net.
Transition zone: the area between the kitchen line and the baseline, also called no man's land.
Volley: hitting the ball in the air before it bounces.
Rules as of 2026. The official USA Pickleball rulebook is the final word.