PICKLEBALL – BOB’s SUMMARY of the RULES
The following is an abbreviated form of the rules for the sport of pickleball.
If there is ambiguity or conflict between this summary and the official rules, the official rules prevail.
USA Pickleball produces the official rulebook annually in December/January. Open this link to read online or to
download a free version of the current rulebook: https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/official-rules/
Supplement the rules of the game with USA Pickleball’s Sportsmanship Guide.
1. Basics
Pickleball is a sport like tennis and badminton but played with a solid-face paddle and with a whiffle ball on a court about one-third the size of a tennis court.
Pickleball is a sport for all ages and abilities. Pickleball is easy to learn but difficult to master.
Pickleball is played either in a doubles format (2 vs. 2) or as singles. Doubles is most common.
The same court dimensions and rules are used for both singles and doubles with two exceptions.
The score in singles does not include a server number.
Singles could be played either on the full-court, or on diagonally opposite courts (skinny singles), or on the half-court determined by each player’s even or odd score (mini-singles).
2. The Serve*
The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc when the ball is struck.
Paddle contact with the ball must not be made above the waist level.
The head of the paddle must not be above the highest part of the wrist at contact.
A ‘drop serve’ is also permitted in which case none of the three elements above apply.
When contact of the ball is made on the serve, at least one foot of the server must be on the playing surface behind the baseline. Neither of the server’s feet may touch the court on or inside the baseline; and neither of the server’s feet may touch the playing surface outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or centerline.
The serve is made to the diagonally opposite court. The ball must go over the non-volley zone line and bounce in the confines of the diagonally opposite service court which includes the baseline, sideline, and centerline, but excludes the lines around the non-volley zone (NVZ). NOTE: Other than the serve, all shots in pickleball can land anywhere in the court.
A serve is good (playable) if the ball touches the net and still bounces in. There is no “let” serve, i.e.; no "do over" serve.
Only one serve attempt is allowed per server.
The entire score must be called by the server or designee before the ball is served.
*See document, Four Types of Serves
(1) Volley-toss serve with pendulum-bowling swing. (2) Volley-toss serve with drive swing.
(3) Drop serve with pendulum-bowling swing. (4) Drop serve with drive swing.
3. Serving Sequence
In doubles, both players on the serving team have the opportunity to serve starting with whichever player is on the right-side/even-score court.
Whenever a team starts to serve, that right-side server is known at that time as Server 1.
At the start of every game, there is a “start of game exception” to the above two rules. See below.*
When the receiving team commits a fault, a point is scored by the serving team. The same server keeps serving as the same server number but serves from the opposite side court, switching left/right or right/left with the partner.
When the serving team commits a vault after Server 1 has served, no point is scored; but the partner of the server now gets to serve as Server 2 without switching sides. A serve is never made twice in a row to the same diagonal court.
When the serving team commits a fault after Server 2 has served, no point is scored. There is a side-out. The other team now has the opportunity to serve and score points.
After every side-out, the first server is always whichever player at that time is on the right-side/even-score court and is known at that time as Server 1.
The server keeps the same server number (Server 1 or Server 2) as long as he/she keeps serving.
Throughout a game, a player could be Server 1 or Server 2 depending on the server rotation.
In singles, the server always serves from the right-side/even-score court when his/her score is an even number, and always serves from the left-side/odd-score court when his/her score is an odd number.
* Start of Game Exception. At the start of every new game, the team that begins the game serving only gets one partner to serve to at the beginning of the game. He/she is known at that time as Server 2. As normal, Server 2 keeps serving and scoring points, switching right and left with his/her partner, as long as the serving does not commit a fault. As normal, whenever Server 2 has served and the serving team commits a fault, there is a side-out and the other team then gets to serve. The serving sequence never goes from Server 2 to Server 1 on the same team. The sequence always goes from Server 2 to a side-out with the other team then getting to serve. From then on, both partners have a chance to serve.
4. Scoring (Traditional side-out scoring, not rally scoring)
Points are scored only by the serving team whenever the receiving team commits a fault.
Games are normally played first team to 11 points wins, but must win by 2 or more points.
Tournament games may be played to 15 or 21 points, win by 2 or more points.
In doubles, the score consists of saying three numbers in sequence: the serving team’s score is said first, the receiving team’s score is said next, and the last number called is the server’s number either 1 or 2. The starting score of every game is Zero-Zero-Two.
Before contacting the ball on the serve, the server (or designee) must say the score completely and accurately, so all players know the score before the ball is served.
When the serving team’s score is an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10), the player who was the first server in the game for that team should always be in the right-side/even-score court when serving or receiving. When the serving team’s score is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9), that player should always be in the left-side/odd-score court when serving or receiving.
When the score is called and the serve is made, a “rally” begins. A rally ends when a fault occurs. A good rally is when the ball gets hit back and forth over the net multiple times by both teams.
4. Two-Bounce Rule
When the ball is served, the receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning the ball.
The serving team then must also let the ball bounce before returning the ball, thus two bounces.
After the ball has bounced once in a team’s court and hit back off the bounce, from then on, that team may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or hit the ball off a bounce (a groundstroke).
The two-bounce rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage in tennis, and the rule extends rallies.
5. Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) also known as “the kitchen”
The non-volley zone is the court area within 7 feet on each side of the net. The NVZ includes the NVZ line (“kitchen” line) and the sidelines bordering the NVZ.
Volleying is prohibited in the non-volley zone. A “volley” is any hit of the ball in the air before it bounces. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone.
It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, a player is touching the NVZ line or anywhere in the non-volley zone.
It is a fault if, after volleying a ball, a player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the NVZ including the associated lines even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.
Other than when volleying the ball, a player may be in the non-volley zone any time for any length of time. A player does not have to wait for the ball to bounce in the NVZ to step into the NVZ.
NOTE: Players can be anywhere on or off the court at any time except for the server at the time of serving.
6. Line Calls (“in” or “out” . . . also “short” or “wide” or “long”) See section #6 in the rulebook.
A ball contacting any part of any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in.”
A serve contacting the non-volley zone line or bouncing in the NVZ is “short” and a fault.
Line calls should be made promptly and loudly – or clearly with a hand signal – by either player of the team receiving the ball. When in doubt, don’t call it out. Always make calls in favor of the opponent if you’re not sure. If partners on the team making the line call don’t agree, the call is “in”.
Opponents should not argue calls. Accept line calls made by your opponent and move on to the next rally.
7. Faults
A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team and continuation of the serve by the same server.
A fault by the serving team results in the server’s partner getting to serve, or a side-out.
8. Determining the First Team to Serve
Any fair method can be used to determine which team has first choice of side, or to serve, or to receive. E.g., flip a coin.
Some courts have a “house rule” that determines which team serves first. For example, a house rule might be the team with their back to an outer fence serves first. Check with a court coordinator or other players on the courts for house rules.
9. Terms to Know
Paddle (not racquet) Rally Volley Groundstroke Two-bounce rule
Side-out Line call Non-volley zone (kitchen) Foot fault
Mid-court or no-man’s land (also “transition zone”)
The four lines: Baseline Sideline Centerline NVZ (kitchen) line
The two service courts: Right-side/even score service court Left-side/odd score service court
10. Nine Basic Shots in Pickleball
1. Serve. 4 types of serves:
(1) Volley or toss serve with a pendulum - bowling swing. Most common.
(2) Volley or toss serve with a drive swing.
(3) Drop or bounce serve with a pendulum - bowling swing.
(4) Drop or bounce serve with a drive swing.
2. Drive (usually used for the return-of-serve)
3. Dink
4. Drop Shot
5. Volleys (swing volley, punch volley, block volley, smash volley, reset volley)
6. Lobs (baseline lob, NVZ line lob – “surprise lob”)
7. Overhead smash
8. Around-the-post (ATP)
9. Erne (Jumping over the corner of the NVZ, landing outside the court, having volleyed the ball over the net and back into the opponents court.
Each shot could be hit with either the forehand or the backhand, and could be hit flat or with one or more types of spin.
11. Three Types of Spin
1. Back-spin (chop). High-to-low swing, brushing down on the back of the ball. Deadens the ball. Makes the ball bounce low and kick backwards.
2. Side-spin (slice). Left-to-right or right-to-left swing. Makes the ball kick left or right.
3. Top-spin. Low-to-high spin, brushing up on the back of the ball. Makes the ball loop over the net and kick forward.
