The Court - Small but Mighty!

Pickleball is played on a court measuring 20 feet by 44 feet, the same size as a badminton court. The net stands 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center.

Each side of the court features a 7-foot non-volley zone, known as the “kitchen,” where players are not allowed to hit volleys (shots taken out of the air).

The game is most commonly played in a doubles format with two players per team but can also be played as a singles match using the same court dimensions.

Serving

Every pickleball game (and each rally) kicks off with a serve! The player on the right side of their court always serves first, sending the ball diagonally into the opponent’s service area. The serve can be hit either off the bounce or out of the air (a “volley serve”), but it must clear the kitchen, including the non-volley line.

If you’re going for a volley serve, remember:

• It must be an underhand forehand or backhand stroke.

• The ball must be struck below waist level.

• Your paddle must move in an upward arc at contact.

Get that serve right, and you’re ready to rally!

The ball must bounce once on each side before either team can volley

Before any player can hit the ball out of the air (a volley), it must first bounce once on each side—this is known as the “two-bounce rule.”

Here’s why it matters:

If your partner is serving and you’re standing near the kitchen, you’re in a risky spot! The opposing team can fire a shot right at you, and if you instinctively volley it back, that’s a fault. You’ll lose the point because the ball didn’t bounce on your side first.

This rule keeps the game fair—without it, the serving team could just rush the net and dominate every rally! 🚀

Point continues until a fault

After the serve, the rally continues until a player wins the point by hitting a winning shot or committing a “fault,” which ends the rally.

In pickleball, there are four common types of faults:

• The serve lands outside the correct service area or into the kitchen (including the line).

• The ball goes out of bounds, either past the baseline or outside the sidelines.

• The ball hits the net and doesn’t make it over.

• The ball bounces twice on one side before being returned.

Avoid these, and keep the rally going!

You can't volley in the kitchen

The 7-foot area on both sides of the net is known as the non-volley zone, or the “kitchen.” As the name implies, you cannot hit a volley while standing inside this zone or touching the kitchen line. Additionally, if you volley the ball, your momentum cannot carry you into the kitchen afterward.

However, you can step into the kitchen to hit a ball after it bounces. If your opponent plays a short shot that lands in the kitchen, you’re free to enter and return it—just make sure you’re not volleying it out of the air!

You only win points on your serve

In traditional pickleball scoring, points can only be won by the serving team, and the server continues until they lose a rally.

Here’s how it works:

• Each time you win a point on your serve, you switch sides (left and right) with your partner and serve to the other opponent.

• If your team loses a rally, your partner takes over as the server and follows the same pattern.

• When both players on your team have lost their serve, the serve “sides out” and the opposing team takes over.

Keep serving, keep scoring, and keep the game going! 🔥

The correct score must be called before serving

In pickleball scoring, players announce three numbers before serving, such as “0-0-2.” Here’s what each number represents:

The first number is your team’s score.
The second number is your opponent’s score.
The third number tells you whether the first (1) or second (2) server is serving.

For example, if the game is tied at 3-3 and you are the first server, you’ll call out “3-3-1” before serving.

• If you lose the rally, the serve doesn’t go to your opponents yet—it goes to your teammate, who will then announce “3-3-2” before serving.

• If your partner also loses their serve, a “side out” occurs, meaning the opposing team now serves. They will call out “3-3-1” before starting play.

This system keeps everyone on track and ensures fair rotations. Happy serving!

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.