• Pickleball is played either as doubles (two players per team) or singles (one player per team). Doubles is typically the most common type of play.
  
  
  

• The serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court.
  
  
• Only one serve attempt is allowed per server.

• The server tosses the ball and hits it before it bounces on the court.
  
  
• The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc when contact with the ball is made.
  
  
• 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 the point of contact.
  
  

• A "Drop Serve" is a legal alternative to the Volley Serve discussed above.
  
  
• The server drops/releases the ball from any natural height (you can not toss the ball into the air) and allow the ball to bounce on the court before hitting it.
  
  
• The volley serve restrictions do NOT apply to a drop serve. For instance, the restrictions for hitting the pickleball below your waist, moving your arm in an upward arc, or keeping the highest point of your paddle below your wrist do not apply.
  
  

• At the time contact is made with the ball, at least one of the server’s feet must be in contact with the court (you cannot jump in the air and serve for example)
  
  
• Any foot in contact with the court must not touch outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or centerline.
• Any foot in contact with the court must be behind the baseline on the playing surface.

• Both players on the serving doubles team have the opportunity to serve and score points until they commit a fault ***(except for the first service sequence of each new game).
  
  
• The first serve of each side-out is made from the right side (even) court.
  
  
• If a point is scored, the server switches sides and the server initiates the next serve from the left side (odd) court.
  
  
• As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is committed and the first server loses the serve.
  
  
• When the first server loses the serve, the partner then serves from their correct side of the court ***(except for the first service sequence of each new game).
  
  
• The second server continues serving until his team commits a fault or loses a rally and they then lose the serve to the opposing team.
  
  
• Once the service goes to the opposition (a side out), the first serve is from the right/even court and both players on that team have the opportunity to serve and score points until their team commits two faults or loses two rallies.
  
  
• In singles, the server serves from the right side (even) court when his or her score is even and from the left side (odd) when the score is odd.
  
  

***At the beginning of each new game, only one partner on the serving team has the opportunity to serve before faulting losing a rally, after which the service passes to the receiving team.

• Points are scored only by the serving team.
  
  
• Games are normally played to 11 points, win by 2.
  
  
• Tournament games may be to 15 or 21, win by 2.
  
  
• Social / rec play games may be played for a set time limit (say 11 minutes) and the team with the highest score at the end of the time limit is the winner.
  
  

• When the ball is served, the receiving team must let the ball bounce (once) on their side of the court before returning it, and following the return, the serving team must also let the ball bounce (once) on their side of the court before they can hit a return, thus the two bounce rule.
  
  
• After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may then either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke).
  
  
• The two bounce rule was introduced to eliminate the serve and volley advantage (as in tennis) and extends rallies.
  
  
  

• The non-volley zone is the court area within 2.13m (7 feet) on both sides of the net.
  
  
• The non-volley zone is commonly referred to as the "kitchen".
  
  
• Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from "smashing" the pickleball while close to the net.
  
  
• It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps in the non volley zone. This includes the non volley zone line.
  
  
• It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone (this includes anything the player is wearing or carrying), even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.
  
  
• A player may be in the non volley zone any time except when volleying a ball.
  
  

• A ball contacting any part of any line, except the non volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in".
  
  
• When a ball from a serve contacts the non volley zone line it is considered short and is a fault.
  
  

• 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.
  
  
• A fault by the serving team results in that server’s loss of serve or side out.
  
  

• A Pickleball Court is 6.1 m wide (20 feet) by 13.4 m long (44 feet). The Non Volley Zone ("Kitchen") is 2.13m (7 feet) on either side of the net.
  
  
• The net height is 91.5 cm (36 inches) at the ends and 86.4 cm (34 inches) at the center.
  
  
  
  

Want to know ALL the detailed rules to this game?

Click the following link to download a copy of the Official 2024 USPA Pickleball Rule book.