Pickleball is a sport that has been around since the 1960s, although I just heard about it a month ago. I have to say, it was so fun and awesome to play. I’ve always been a fan of tennis, so I naturally enjoyed a game that’s a cross between tennis, ping-pong, and badminton. It’s much easier to play too! Since pickleball is a sport for anyone, young and old, this review will go over some of the basic pickleball rules.
The game started in the mid-60s when a couple of drunk guys (I’m assuming they were drinking) wanted to play badminton. Since they couldn’t find the shuttlecock, they used a plastic ball, lowered net, and wooden paddles. Pickleball was born, and we’re better for it. More on the history can be found here.
I am by no means an expert player, so if you want the full and official rule book, here it is. It’s about 80 pages and a bit dry, so an overview might help. This guide will enable you to be able to get on the court and start playing today.
Pickleball is played with paddles, a plastic ball, and a court that’s 44 feet by 20 feet. There is a 7-foot no-volley zone which is designed to prevent spiking the ball. One is only allowed to play a ball from the no-volley zone (aka the kitchen) if the ball bounces there first. The player can then enter the kitchen and play the ball. Spikes are allowed outside of the kitchen. Other than this difference, the rules and play are similar to tennis. See the image below for a diagram of the court.
Pickleball is played with singles or doubles, normally to 11 points – win by 2.
Pickleball Rules on Serving
- Serving starts on the right service side
- Serving is always behind the baseline – neither foot can touch the line or court until the ball is hit
- The server must use an underhand serve
- The high point of the paddle must be below the wrist during the serve
- The ball is hit over the net to the adjacent service side
- The returning player must allow the ball to bounce once before playing
- Only one fault is allowed
- The server continues on a let – when the ball hits the net and lands in the diagonal service zone
Common serving faults:
- Hit into net/not over the net
- Hit into the kitchen (the no-volley line is also considered a fault)
- Out of bounds
- Foot on baseline
- Paddle above the wrist (not underhand serve)
Two-Bounce Rule
The two-bounce rule applies to both singles and doubles. The ball must bounce once after the service to the returning player, then the ball must bounce again on the server-side when the ball is returned. Normal play begins after this, meaning that players can hit the ball out of the air or after it bounces. If this rule is not followed by either team, then it’s considered a fault.
Pickleball Rules for Doubles
- Only the serving team can score points
- Serving starts on the right side then continues as such, right side – even score, left side – odd score
- Play continues until a fault of either team
- If the serving team wins the point, the same server continues while switching sides with their partner for the second serve and beyond
- If the serving team loses the point, the serve switches to the other team
- When the serve switches, both players get to serve before switching back to the original team – the original team then has both players serve consecutively
- Servers always continue serving until either team faults
- The score should be called prior to serve and called as such, “server score, returning team score, server number (1 or 2)”
The official rule book gives an overview, “Both players on a team will serve before a side-out is declared, except at the start of each game, when only the starting server will serve. The starting server of each game is therefore designated as “Server 2” for scoring purposes since a side-out will occur once a rally is lost or a fault is committed by the serving team and service is awarded to the opposing team.”
Pickleball Rules for Singles
- Rules essentially the same as above
- Serve begins on the right side and continues right/even score, left/odd score
- Typically play to 11, win by 2
- Paddle rules while serving are the same
- The score called before serve “server score, receiver score”
Kitchen (No-Volley Zone) Rules
- A ball cannot be played out of the air while the player is in the kitchen
- If the above occurs, it is a fault for the team
- Players can enter the kitchen and play a ball if the ball bounces in the kitchen
- Players can enter the kitchen if they are not playing a ball out of the air
Final Remarks:
There you have it! You should be able to grab a paddle and start playing today. Pickleball really is for anyone to play. If you are older, then it becomes a game of angles, placement, and precision. If you are younger, then you may use speed, force, and agility to your advantage. That’s what’s great about the sport. Anyone has a fighting chance with various different strategies. Truly an awesome game! Are you ready to play? If so, check out our best paddle review here. Thanks for reading.