Pickleball Rules
Plain & Simple
Everything you need to know — from your very first serve to competitive tournament play. No confusing rulebook jargon.
The Basics
Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with a paddle and a plastic ball. It can be played as singles (1v1) or doubles (2v2). Doubles is by far the most popular format you’ll encounter at public courts.
Court: 20 ft × 44 ft · Net height: 36 in at sides, 34 in at center · First to 11 (win by 2) · Only the serving team scores
The court at a glance
The non-volley zone (kitchen) extends 7 feet from the net on both sides.
Serving Rules
The serve is the most rule-heavy part of pickleball — get this right and the rest flows naturally.
- The serve must be hit underhand — paddle contact below the waist
- The arm must be moving in an upward arc at the moment of contact
- You must serve diagonally cross-court into the opposite service box
- The serve must clear the kitchen (non-volley zone) and land in bounds
- Only one serve attempt is allowed (no second serve like in tennis)
- Both feet must be behind the baseline when serving — no stepping on or over the line
Hitting the ball into the net, landing in the kitchen, landing out of bounds, or serving overhand are all faults. The serve passes to the next server.
Drop serve vs. volley serve
The traditional volley serve (tossing and hitting from the air) was the only option for decades. Since 2021, a drop serve is also legal — you simply drop the ball and let it bounce before hitting. There are no restrictions on swing motion with a drop serve, making it easier for beginners.
Scoring
This trips up almost every beginner — and plenty of intermediate players too. Pickleball uses a 3-number score call in doubles.
“Seven — five — two” means serving team has 7 points, receiving team has 5, and Server 2 is serving.
- Only the serving team can score a point — if the receiving team wins a rally, they just earn the serve back
- In doubles, each team gets two serves per rotation (one per partner) before losing the serve
- Exception: at the very start of a game, the first team to serve only gets one serve
- Games are played to 11, win by 2. Tournament games sometimes go to 15 or 21
Always call the score loudly before every serve. It’s etiquette and it keeps everyone on the same page — disputes over the score are one of the most common issues on public courts.
The Kitchen
The non-volley zone — universally called “the kitchen” — is the 7-foot zone on both sides of the net. It’s the rule that defines pickleball strategy more than any other.
| Situation | Legal? |
|---|---|
| Standing in the kitchen and letting the ball bounce, then hitting it | ✓ Legal |
| Hitting a volley (before bounce) while standing in the kitchen | ✗ Fault |
| Your foot touches the kitchen line while volleying | ✗ Fault |
| Your momentum carries you into the kitchen after a volley | ✗ Fault |
| Jumping from outside the kitchen, hitting a volley, landing outside | ✓ Legal |
| Jumping from outside the kitchen, hitting a volley, landing inside | ✗ Fault |
Even if you hit the ball while legally outside the kitchen, if your forward momentum carries your foot into the kitchen zone immediately after — it’s still a fault. You must re-establish both feet outside before volleying again.
The Two-Bounce Rule
Also called the double-bounce rule, this is one of pickleball’s most important and most misunderstood fundamentals.
- After the serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning it
- After the return, the serving team must also let the ball bounce once before hitting
- After both of those bounces have happened, either team may volley freely
The two-bounce rule prevents serve-and-volley dominance. It forces both teams back from the net at the start of every point, creating longer rallies and more strategic play.
Common Faults
A fault ends the rally. If committed by the serving team, they lose the serve. If committed by the receiving team, the serving team scores a point.
| Fault | Who Typically Commits It |
|---|---|
| Ball lands out of bounds | Either team |
| Ball hits the net and doesn’t cross | Either team |
| Volleying in the kitchen | Either team |
| Ball bounces twice before being hit | Either team |
| Illegal serve (overhand, wrong court) | Serving team |
| Serve lands in the kitchen | Serving team |
| Ball hits the player or their clothing | Either team |
If a serve hits the top of the net and lands in the correct service box — it’s still in play. Unlike tennis, there are no let serves in pickleball. Play on.