The rules of pickleball explained, without jargon

Pickleball has a reputation as an easy sport to learn, and it is. But it has three or four rules that don't exist in any other racket sport, and they're exactly the ones that make you doubt on day one.

This isn't the official rulebook translated. It's what you need to know to play and to settle the arguments that come up on court.

The court: what each line is

The court measures 44 by 20 feet (13.41 by 6.10 meters), the same size as a doubles badminton court. It's the same for singles and doubles.

• The net is 36 inches (91 cm) at the posts and 34 inches (86 cm) in the center: it's lower in the middle.
• The kitchen (officially the "non-volley zone") is the 7 feet (2.13 meters) next to the net, on each side.
• The service areas are the two rectangles behind the kitchen, separated by the center line.

How do you serve in pickleball?

The serve has four conditions, and all four get broken on day one:

1. Underhand. Contact with the ball must be below your waist.
2. Paddle head up. At the moment of contact, the head of the paddle must be below your wrist.
3. Diagonal. You serve from your right side to the opponent's cross-court box, and vice versa.
4. Past the kitchen. The ball has to bounce beyond the non-volley line. If it lands inside the kitchen or on its line, it's a fault.

Also, both feet behind the baseline at the moment of contact, and you only get one attempt. There is no second serve as in tennis.

There is also the drop serve: you let the ball bounce on the ground and hit it afterwards. It's legal and many beginners prefer it because it's easier to control.

What is the two-bounce rule?

It's the most characteristic rule of pickleball and the one most often missed.

After the serve, the ball has to bounce twice before anyone can volley: once on the receiver's side, and once on the server's side.

With an example:

1. You serve. The ball bounces on the opponent's side. First bounce.
2. The opponent returns it. That ball has to bounce on your side. Second bounce.
3. From there on, you can volley freely.

If you or your partner volley that return without letting it bounce, it's a fault and you lose the point.

Why does it exist? So the serve isn't a weapon. Without this rule, the server would move to the net immediately and the point would end in two shots. With it, points last and the sport becomes tactical.

What can and can't you do in the kitchen?

Here is the other big source of arguments.

What you CAN'T do: hit the ball on the volley (without a bounce) while standing in the kitchen or on its line.

What you CAN do: enter the kitchen whenever you want. You can be inside, walk around it, and hit a ball that has bounced inside.

And the nuance that catches everyone: momentum counts. If you volley from outside but the momentum of the shot carries a foot into the kitchen right afterwards, it's still a fault. Even if the ball is already on the other side.

It also doesn't count to rest the paddle, drop a cap or touch the line with anything of yours during that movement.

How do you score in pickleball?

Games go to 11 points, win by two. In tournaments sometimes to 15 or 21, but always with those two points of margin.

And here's what confuses most: only the serving pair scores. If you receive and win the point, you don't add: what you win is the serve.

The three-number score

In doubles it's called like this: "4 – 2 – 1".

• First number: the points of the serving pair.
• Second number: the points of the receiving pair.
• Third number: whether you are your pair's first or second server.

That third number exists because, within each turn, both members of the pair serve before giving up the serve. When the first loses the point, the partner serves. When they also lose it, the serve passes to the other team.

Exception: at the start of the match, the first serving pair only has one server. That's why the first score is called "0 – 0 – 2", to offset the advantage.

The most common faults

• The ball bounces twice before you return it.
• The ball goes out or into the net.
• Volleying with a foot in the kitchen, or stepping in from momentum afterwards.
• Breaking the two-bounce rule.
• The serve doesn't clear the kitchen or isn't diagonal.
• The ball touches you or your clothing. Even if it was going out.
• Touching the net with the paddle, hand or any part of your body while the ball is in play.
• Hitting the ball before it crosses the net to your side.

Questions that always come up on court

Is the line in or out?

In, on all lines except the kitchen line during the serve. If the serve lands on the non-volley line, it's a fault.

Can I hit it with my hand?

Yes, if the ball hits the hand holding the paddle, below the wrist. Any other part of the body is a fault.

Can I pass the paddle over the net?

Yes, as long as you hit the ball on your side and it's the natural follow-through of the stroke. What you can't do is touch the net.

What if the ball goes around the post?

It's legal. It's called Around the Post and it's one of the most spectacular shots in the sport. The ball can even go below the height of the net.

How long does a match last?

There's no time limit. A game to 11 usually lasts between 15 and 25 minutes. That's why it's played best of three.

What changes in singles

The court is the same, without removing a single inch. Three things change:

• There is no third number in the score. It's called just "4 – 2", because there's no partner to serve after you.
• The side you serve from is decided by your own score. With even points, you serve from the right. With odd, from the left.
• You run a lot more. It's the demanding version of the sport, and the least played.

The two-bounce rule and the kitchen work exactly the same.

Rally scoring: the variant you'll see more and more

In the traditional system only the server scores. In rally scoring someone always scores, whether they win or lose the serve, and that's why matches last a predictable time.

It's used mainly in professional leagues and in some team tournaments. In open play and at most clubs the traditional system is still used, so learn that one first.

Which paddles are legal?

To play with friends, any. For sanctioned competition, the paddle has to be approved and meet two limits:

• Maximum length 17 inches (43.2 cm).
• Length + width at most 24 inches (60.96 cm).

There's no weight limit. And the surface can't carry anything that gives the ball extra spin: no added roughness, stickers or treatments.

Quick glossary

• Kitchen: the non-volley zone, those 7 feet (2.13 m) next to the net.
• Dink: the soft drop shot that lands in the opponent's kitchen. The central shot of the sport.
• Third shot drop: the third shot of the point, played soft so you can move up to the net.
• Erne: jumping outside the post to volley without stepping in the kitchen. Legal and very showy.
• ATP (Around the Post): sending the ball around the post, even below the height of the net.
• Fault: any action that ends the point through an infraction.

Who's in charge when there's no referee

In open play there's no judge. The unwritten rule is simple and works: you call the balls on your side. If in doubt, the ball is good. You don't argue about a ball that landed on the other side, because from your position you haven't seen it better than they have.

The only thing you really need to memorize

If you keep three things:

1. Let the return of serve bounce.
2. Don't volley from the kitchen, or step in from momentum.
3. Only the server scores points.

You learn the rest by playing. And if you're just starting, you'll like the first-month guide, with where to play and what gear you really need.

Related guides

• What the dink is and how to practice it
• Doubles: positions and strategy
• Indoor and outdoor balls: differences

If you don't have a paddle yet, take a look at the ACE paddle.