Pickleball Rules Guide

In the world of racket sports, one game has been steadily gaining popularity for its unique blend of tennis, badminton, and ping pong elements - pickleball. If you're new to this exciting sport or looking to brush up on the rules, you're in the right place. The handy guide below outlines the basic rules of the game. For a comprehensive listing of the rules, please download the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook .

Basic Rules Overview

Pickleball is played either as doubles (two players per team) or singles; doubles is most common.

The same size playing area and rules are used for both singles and doubles.

The Players & Court Dimensions

Court size: The pickleball court is rectangular, measuring 44 feet long and 20 feet wide.

Net Height: The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle.

Service Courts: The court is striped like a tennis court with right and left service courts.

Non-volley Zone: There is a 7-foot non-volley zone in front of the net (commonly referred to as "the kitchen”).

Scoring Rules & Terms

Points: Points are only scored when serving.

Game Scoring: Typical games are played to 11 points (must win by 2 points).

Faults & Side-Outs: A Fault is a loss of the rally resulting in a point for the opposing team, a loss of the serve, or a side-out. A side-out is when the serve is awarded to the opposing side.

Court Sides: The right side of the court is the even side. The left side of the court is the odd side.

Serve Start: After a side-out or at the start of the game the serve always starts on the right/even side.

What Constitutes a Fault in Pickleball?

In pickleball, understanding what defines a fault is crucial for proper gameplay. A fault is any action that halts play due to a rule being broken, affecting both the score and flow of the game.

Faults Specific to Teams

Receiving Team Faults: Any fault by the receiving side grants a point to the servers.
Serving Team Faults: If the serving team commits a fault, they lose their serve, often referred to as a "side out."

Fault Conditions in Play

Faults can occur under various circumstances:

Serve and Return Errors:
- The serve must land in the correct area. A failure to do so results in a fault.
- Striking the ball into the net during a serve or a return marks a fault.
Volley Violations:
- Players cannot volley the ball or hit it in the air until it has bounced once on each side.
- Hitting the ball from within the non-volley zone when volleying is not allowed.
Out of Bounds and Bounces:
- Sending the ball outside the court boundaries results in a fault.
- A fault is called if the ball touches the ground twice before a player strikes it back.
Net and Physical Contact:
- Players, including their paddle or attire, must avoid touching the net or post while the ball is live.
Service Rule Breaches:
- Violating any service rules contributes to a fault.
Interference and Strikes:
- A ball in play should not hit the player or anything they wear.
- Contact with permanent objects before the ball bounces on the court also results in a fault.

These rules ensure a fair and competitive environment, promoting skillful play and sportsmanship in pickleball.

Serving Sequence Rules

Singles

First Serve: The first serve for each player is done on the right-hand/even side. If the server wins their first serve, that player makes the next serve on the left-hand/odd side.

Serve Continuation: The player continues to serve, switching between the right and left sides until they fault. The serve then goes to the opponent.

Serve Positioning: If the server’s score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc.), the serve must be from the right-hand/even side of the court and served to the receiver’s right-hand/even side of the court.

If the server’s score is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.), the serve must be from the left-hand/odd side of the court and served to the receiver’s left-hand/odd side of the pickleball court.

Scoring Announcement: When serving, you say your score first, then your opponent’s score.

At the start of a game the score is 0-0.

Doubles

Initial Serve: The first serve for each team is done on the right-hand/even side.

Serve Rotation: In doubles, at the start of a new game just one player on the serving team will serve until a rally is lost or a fault is committed (a side out). After the first side out, the other team serves.

Position Switching: Once the first side out of the game occurs, both players on a team then serve until their team commits two faults. For example, once the first server of a team loses a rally, the first server’s teammate then serves until he/she loses a rally, which then results in a side-out with the serve going to the opposition. The exception to this rule, as mentioned above, is the first serve of the game where a side out occurs after only one fault is committed.

As subsequent points are scored, the server switches positions with his/her teammate (right court/left court) and serves to the opposite court side. You only switch serving positions with your teammate when your team scores a point on a serve.

When the serving team’s score is an even number the player who was the first server in the game for that team will serve from the right-hand/even side court; when the score is odd that player serves from the left-hand/odd side court.

Scoring Announcement: When serving, you say your score first, then your opponent’s score, then your server number (1 or 2).

At the start of a new game the score is 0-0-2.

Your server number may change during the game depending on your position when you side out. Sometimes you are server 1, sometimes you are server 2.

Serve Rules

Server Position: The server must stand behind the baseline with at least one foot in contact with the ground while serving. Failure to do so results in a fault.

Serve Direction: The serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court. If a serve hits the net, but still lands in the correct service court, play continues without interruption.

Underhand Serve: The serve must be made underhand with the server’s arm moving in an upward arc when the ball is struck. Paddle contact with the ball must not be made above the waistline (navel level) when serving.

Volley Serves & Drop Serves: Both volley serves and drop serves are permitted. Volley serves are more traditional and are performed by tossing the pickleball in the air and striking the ball with your paddle before it bounces on the court. Drop serves are performed by dropping the pickleball to the ground from any natural height, either by using your hand or letting the pickleball roll off your paddle, and then striking the ball after the first bounce off the court.

Forehand & Backhand Serves: You may hit the serve with either a forehand or backhand motion.

Non-Volley Zone/Kitchen: On serves, the pickleball may not land in the Non-Volley Zone (also known as the Kitchen) or on the Non-Volley Zone line, as each of these scenarios results in a fault.

Two-Bounce Rule: When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces. After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke). This rule is essential because it eliminates the serve and volley advantage. By requiring both teams to let the ball bounce once before volleys are allowed, the game becomes more balanced and rallies are extended.

Out of Order Serves: The serving team must maintain the correct serving sequence. Failure to do so results in a fault.

Non-Volley Zone (The Kitchen)

Zone Definition: The non-volley zone (a.k.a. the kitchen) is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net.

Prohibited Actions: Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone to prevent players from executing smashes from a position close to the net.

Faults: It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps on the non-volley zone, including the line and/or when the player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the non-volley zone including the associated lines.

It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone, even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.

Legal Presence: A player may legally be in the non-volley zone any time other than when volleying a ball.