All information has been gathered from the official USA Pickleball Website to provide a comprehensive guide on playing.

https://usapickleball.org/

SIMPLIFIED RULES FOR BEGINNERS

Court Setup: The court is divided into halves by a net, and there are non-volley zones near the net on both sides. These non-volley zones are known as the "Kitchen".

Serving: The game begins with one side serving the ball diagonally to the opponent's court. The server must keep one foot behind the baseline and hit the ball underhand. The serve must clear the non-volley zone and land in the opponent's service court diagonally opposite.

Returning Serve: The receiving team must let the serve bounce once before returning it. The return must also clear the non-volley zone.

Rally: After the serve and return, both teams hit the ball back and forth until one side commits a fault (e.g., hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net). Players must allow the ball to bounce once before hitting it if they are in the non-volley zone.

Scoring: Points are scored only by the serving team. If the serving team wins a rally, they score a point and continue to serve. If the receiving team wins a rally, they gain the serve but do not score a point. Additionally, *the score should be called as three numbers. Proper sequence for calling the score is: server score, receiver score, then, for doubles only, the server number: 1 or 2. To start a match, the score will be called as: zero - zero – two.

Winning: The first team to reach 11 points and lead by at least 2 points wins the game. Matches are typically best-of-three games.

These are just the basic rules. As you play more, you'll learn about nuances like faults, double bounces, and strategies for winning points. Enjoy playing pickleball!

*Referenced USA Pickleball Website

PROPER EQUIPMENT

To play you will need to have proper equipment. This includes a paddle and ball. Depending on if you are playing indoor or outdoor you will need the proper ball type.

Most Important Rule: Have Fun! ♡