two teens beginning pickleball game

Pickleball for Beginners: The Rules You Need to Know

Do you want to get in on the fastest-growing sport in the country? If you’re over 40, you’ll love pickleball! This paddle sport is a mix of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. It’s easy to learn and tons of fun. Here are the basic rules of pickleball so you can get started today

Whether you’re trying to improve your backhand or simply keep the ball in play, pickleball is a game that anyone can enjoy. Here are a few ground rules for beginners to help you understand the basic order of play and help you get started.

Pickleball Equipment

Pickleball is one of the most affordable sports and requires very little in the way of fancy equipment. Because it is one of the fastest growing sports, most areas will have pickleball courts at your local park or indoor recreation center. Here is what you’ll need:

pickleball court, net, and basket of whiffle balls with paddles

Ball and Paddle

With a name like PICKLEball, you’d think there would be some reference to pickles. Alas, there are no pickles involved as the only equipment you need is a pickleball paddle and a Wiffle ball.

Net and Court

These days, most locations will have a pickleball court or twenty at your local park or community rec center. The court is about one-third the size of a tennis court and the net is about three feet high.

How Many Pickleball Players on the Court?

Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles. The serving rules and strategies are a little different when playing with doubles (see below), but the basic ground rules are still the same.

When playing doubles, partners stand on opposite sides of the net, and each player takes turns serving.

two women at pickleball lessons

How to Score in Pickleball?

Points are only scored when your team has the serve. Otherwise, the rally continues until someone makes an error. The first team to reach 11 points wins that round. However, you do have to win by 2 points, so the score can go much higher than 11 if the teams are evenly matched.

Serving in Pickleball

To start each point, one player from each team serves the ball diagonally across the net. The server can serve the ball from anywhere behind the baseline on their side of the court.

The serve must be underhand. (Beginners beware: Just because the serve is underhand does not mean it is an easy lob. Some players are fierce!) One reason, I love pickleball is that the players are generally so kind and helpful to beginners. If you are just starting out, ask your opponent to give you an easier serve until you get the hang of the game.

After each point is scored, the serving team switches sides, and then a different player on that team serves. 

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collage of pickleball players and colorful neon pickleballs

Two Bounce Rule

After the serve, the ball must bounce on the opposing side before it gets returned. The ball must then bounce on the serving side. This is called the two bounce rule in pickleball.

Note: This post is all about pickleball for beginners. There are some technicalities with serving and additional rules that I’ll address in a later post.

Volleying

A volley in pickleball means hitting the ball in the air before it bounces. I explained the two-bounce rule above. After the ball bounces twice (once on each side of the court), the ball can be volleyed back and forth. There is one exception to this known as The Kitchen (insert ominous music here).

two players in the pickleball court kitchen

The Pickleball Kitchen 

Just like in tennis, there is a “no Volley Zone” in pickleball. This zone extends 7 feet on either side of the net. Colloquially it’s called the Kitchen. If you are in the kitchen you may not volley the ball – this means that players cannot hit the ball before it bounces on their side of the court. If they do, it’s considered a fault and results in a point for the other team. 

What is Out of Bounds in Pickleball?

If you’re a beginning pickleball player, it’s helpful to know the in and out of bounds. Fortunately, these are pretty simple. If the ball makes contact with the line on the sides, back, or volley zone then it is considered in. If the ball lands outside those lines, it is considered out. Sometimes those balls can be hard to gauge when you are first beginning.

If you are playing doubles, it helps to have your partner call the ball for you if you have a hard time guessing if it will be in or out.

pickleball boundaries

What’s the Most Important Rule in Pickleball for Beginners?

Have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously! After all, it’s just a game, and you’re just learning. Pickleball culture is good-natured and easygoing. Sure, some people are fierce competitors on the court, but most pickleball athletes are welcoming and eager to get new players involved in the sport.

women learning to play pickleball

Be willing to learn and flexible. Keep in mind there are the “official” rules and then there are some people who might make local rules. Like most of us, the chances are high you will try pickleball once and then be hooked for life!

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to grab a paddle and hit the court! Remember to relax and have fun – after all, that’s what pickleball is all about. Who knows? You might even enjoy this new hobby more than you ever thought possible.

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