Starting Out in Pickleball? Here Are the Rules You Need to Know

New to Pickleball? Start Here

Pickleball is easy to learn, surprisingly addictive, and one of those rare sports that works for almost everyone.

Kids can play it. Parents can play it. Grandparents can play it.

My 5 year old gives it a crack for fun, and my dad who’s 62 loves getting out on court too.

You can play singles or doubles, but most social games are played as doubles.

Before you jump in, it helps to know a few basics and get familiar with the court terminology.

Some of the basics to get you started:

1. The Serve

The serve in pickleball is always underarm. No tennis style overhead serves here.

The ball is light, so trying to smash it usually sends it sailing out. A smooth, controlled serve is almost always better.

Here’s what you need to know:

• The serve must go diagonally into the opposite service box
• The ball must land beyond the kitchen (also called the non volley zone)
• If the ball lands in the kitchen or outside the court, it is a fault

Then it’s the other team’s turn.

Beginner tip: Focus on consistency over power.

2. The Two Bounce Rule

This is one of the biggest rules beginners forget.

After the serve:

• The receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning it
• The serving team must also let it bounce before hitting it back

Only after those two bounces can players begin to volley (hitting the ball before it bounces).

This rule stops players rushing straight to the net and helps create longer rallies.

A good phrase to remember: “When in doubt, let it bounce.”

3. The Kitchen Rule

The kitchen is the area closest to the net (check the diagram above).

You cannot volley the ball while standing in the kitchen or touching the kitchen line.

A volley simply means hitting the ball before it bounces.

You can step into the kitchen after the ball bounces, just not to volley.

Simple rule: No volleys in the kitchen.

4. Calling the Score

Pickleball scoring sounds confusing at first, but it becomes second nature quickly.

The score is called out in this order:

Your score → Opponent score → Server number

For example:

1 - 2 - 1
(Your team has 1 point, opponents have 2, first server)

1 - 2 - 2
(Second server)

After both players on a doubles team have served, the other team gets the serve.

Always call your score first before serving.

5. Winning

In traditional pickleball scoring:

• Only the serving team can score points
• Games are usually played to 11
• You must win by 2

So if the score reaches 11 to 10, the game keeps going until someone leads by two.

Examples:
11 - 9 = game over
11 - 10 = keep playing
13 - 11 = game over

Quick Rule Checklist

✓ Serve diagonally
✓ Let the ball bounce once on each side after the serve
✓ Only the serving team scores in traditional scoring
✓ Play to 11 and win by 2
✓ Do not volley from the kitchen

You do not need to be competitive to enjoy pickleball. Get out there, have a laugh, hit some questionable shots, and enjoy the rallies.

If you want some beginner friendly drills before heading on to the court, we've got you covered in the Rallo app.

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