PICKLEBALL
RULES.

Pickleball rules in 60 seconds

Pickleball is played with paddles and a perforated ball on a 20-by-44-foot court. Play singles or doubles, serve diagonally, respect the two-bounce rule and keep volleys out of the kitchen.

This page explains standard recreational play and flags situations where other competition formats may apply. Tournament rules and organiser instructions always take priority over a simplified guide.

How do you serve in pickleball?

To begin a rally, the server stands behind the baseline and sends the ball diagonally into the opposite service court. The serve must clear the kitchen, including its boundary line. Only one serve attempt is allowed under normal rules.

Volley serve versus drop serve

The server must observe the correct feet positioning behind the baseline. A serve touching the kitchen line is a service fault, but a serve touching the centreline, sideline or baseline of the correct service area is in.

The two-bounce rule explained

After the serve, the receiving side lets the ball bounce before returning it. The serving side then lets that return bounce before striking it. Once those two bounces have happened, either side may hit the ball before it bounces (a volley), subject to the kitchen rule.

1. Team A serves: Team B waits for the serve to bounce.
2. Team B returns: Team A waits for that return to bounce.
3. Now both teams can choose a groundstroke or a volley.

What is the kitchen in pickleball?

The kitchen is the seven-foot non-volley zone next to the net on both sides. You cannot hit the ball out of the air while touching the kitchen, including its boundary line. Your momentum after a volley must not carry you into the area, even if the rally has already ended.

Can you go into the kitchen?

Yes. You can step inside the kitchen whenever you like, and hit a ball there after it bounces. The restriction is on volleying from the area, not on entering it.

Can you jump over the kitchen to volley?

To make a legal volley, neither your contact with the ball nor the momentum from that volley can cause you to touch the non-volley zone. Because momentum rules can be subtle, beginners should learn the standard kitchen restrictions first.

Want the full breakdown? Read our guide to what the kitchen is and how to play around it.

How does pickleball scoring work?

In traditional side-out scoring, only the serving team scores a point by winning the rally. A common recreational game is played to 11 points, and the winning team must finish at least two points ahead. You may also see games to 15 or 21 depending on the event.

Why are there three numbers in doubles?

In traditional doubles, the score is called as serving team's points – receiving team's points – server number . For instance, 4–2–1 means the serving team has four, the opposition has two, and it is the first server's turn in that team's serving sequence.

What is rally scoring?

In a rally-scoring format, a point can be awarded after every rally regardless of which team served. USA Pickleball's 2026 rules provide a provisional rally-scoring option with different service procedures. Don't mix the two systems during a game: agree which format you are playing before the first serve.

Prefer it step by step? Our beginner's guide to pickleball scoring walks through it.

Doubles rules and serving order

Doubles features two players on each side. Under traditional side-out scoring, both players on a team normally have an opportunity to serve before the serve passes to the opposition. The exception is the opening service sequence, which starts with only one serving turn.

Why does the game start at 0–0–2?

Calling the opening score as 0–0–2 indicates that the opening team gets only one serving turn. Once that turn ends, the serve passes to the other team. After that, each team normally gets its first and second server before a side out.

Where should you stand?

The serving team changes service sides after scoring a point, while receivers hold their correct positions for that rally. At beginner level, focus on calling the score clearly, remembering whose turn it is to serve, and observing the two-bounce rule before moving towards the kitchen line.

Singles rules: what changes?

The same court dimensions and main rules apply in singles. Because there are no partners, the serving player serves from the right-hand side when their score is even and the left-hand side when their score is odd, serving diagonally each time. Traditional singles scores are called using two numbers rather than three.

Singles requires more court coverage. Doubles can be a convenient starting point if you want to get used to the scoring and social side of pickleball.

Pickleball court size and lines

A standard pickleball court is 20 feet (6.1 metres) wide and 44 feet (13.4 metres) long for both singles and doubles. The net is 36 inches (91.4 cm) at the sidelines and 34 inches (86.4 cm) in the middle. The kitchen extends 7 feet (2.13 metres) from the net on each side.

The baseline is the back boundary. The sidelines mark the edges. The centreline divides the service areas, and the kitchen line marks the non-volley-zone boundary. A ball touching a boundary line is normally in; a serve touching the kitchen line is out.

For a visual explanation, open the interactive pickleball court explorer on our beginner page.

What counts as a fault in pickleball?

A fault is a rule violation that ends the rally. Common examples include:

• Hitting the ball outside the boundary lines.
• Failing to return the ball before it bounces a second time.
• Hitting a serve into the net or kitchen.
• Volleying while standing in or touching the non-volley zone, or being carried into it by momentum.
• Volleying before the two-bounce rule has been satisfied.
• Touching the net while the ball is in play.

Most new players trip over the same few things. Here are the 7 beginner pickleball mistakes and how to fix them.

Pickleball rules FAQs