Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong into a fast, accessible sport. The rules are straightforward once you understand a few core concepts. This guide covers everything—from the court layout to fault calls—based on the official USA Pickleball rulebook.
The Court
A pickleball court is 20 feet wide × 44 feet long—the same for singles and doubles. That's roughly one-third the size of a tennis court, which makes it far less taxing to cover.
The Kitchen
A 7-foot zone on each side of the net. Volleying inside here is a fault—more on this below.
Service Areas
Behind the kitchen, divided by a centerline into left and right service courts.
The Net
36 in. at the sidelines, 34 in. at center. Slightly lower than a tennis net.
Baseline
22 feet from the net. Servers must stand behind this line when serving.
Serving Rules
The serve starts every rally, and pickleball has specific rules to keep it fair and returnable:
1. Underhand only
Your arm must swing upward, and contact must be below your waist (specifically, below your navel). No overhand or sidearm serves.
2. Diagonal cross-court
The serve must travel diagonally and land in the opponent's opposite service area. Right-side server aims at opponent's right service court.
3. Behind the baseline
Both feet must be behind the baseline. At least one foot must touch the playing surface when you strike the ball.
4. Clear the kitchen
The serve must clear the net and land beyond the non-volley zone line. Landing on the kitchen line is a fault.
5. One attempt only
No second serves like in tennis. Exception: if the ball clips the net and lands correctly (a "let"), the serve is replayed.
Drop Serve Option
You may also drop the ball from any natural height and hit it after the bounce. When using a drop serve, the underhand and below-waist rules do not apply—the bounce naturally limits the height anyway.
Scoring
Key Rule
Only the serving team can score points. If the receiving team wins the rally, they get the serve—not a point. This is called a "side out."
The Three-Number Doubles Score
Scores are called as three numbers—e.g., "4–2–1"
4
Serving team's score
2
Receiving team's score
1
Which server (1st or 2nd)
Server Rotation in Doubles
Both players on a team get to serve before it's a side out. When Server 1 loses a rally, Server 2 takes over. When Server 2 loses, the serve passes to the other team.
Game start exception: The team that serves first begins with only one server (score "0–0–2") to offset the serving advantage.
Switching Sides
When the serving team scores, the two servers switch sides of the court (left ↔ right). The receiving team stays put. This ensures you serve from both sides.
Winning
First to 11 points, win by 2
Tournament play may use 15 or 21. There's no score cap—if tied at 11, keep playing until someone leads by 2.
The Two-Bounce Rule
After the serve, each team must let the ball bounce once before they can volley it (hit out of the air).
Serve → ball travels to receiving side
First bounce: receiving team must let it bounce before returning
Second bounce: serving team must let the return bounce before hitting back
After both bounces: either team can volley or play off the bounce freely
Why this rule?
Without it, the serving team could rush the net and smash the return out of the air immediately. The two-bounce rule neutralizes the serving advantage and creates longer, more strategic rallies.
The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)
The kitchen is the 7-foot zone on each side of the net. It's the most unique feature of pickleball and the most commonly misunderstood.
You cannot volley while standing in the kitchen
Any part of your body or anything you're wearing/carrying that touches the kitchen during or after a volley is a fault. Momentum counts too—even if the ball is already dead.
You CAN stand in the kitchen any other time
You can walk through it, stand in it, and hit balls that bounce in the kitchen. The restriction is only on volleys (hitting before the ball bounces).
Common Misconception
Many beginners think you can never step in the kitchen. Not true! Stepping in to hit a ball that has bounced (a "dink") is actually a fundamental part of high-level play. You just can't volley from in there.
Faults
A fault ends the rally. Serving team fault = lose the serve. Receiving team fault = serving team scores. A fault occurs when:
Ball hit into the net
Ball lands out of bounds
Ball bounces twice on one side
Volley hit from the kitchen
Violating the two-bounce rule
Serve in wrong service area
Serve lands in the kitchen
Player touches the net
Ball hits a player's body
Singles Rules
Same core rules as doubles, with a few key differences:
Two-number score. No server number needed—just your score vs. opponent's (e.g., "4–2").
Score determines serve side. Even score (0, 2, 4…) = serve from the right. Odd score (1, 3, 5…) = serve from the left.
Immediate side out. Lose a rally on your serve and it goes directly to your opponent. No second server.
Line Calls
Ball on any line = IN
Exception: on the serve, a ball touching the kitchen line is a fault.
You call your own side
Each team calls balls on their own side of the net in recreational play.
Doubt = in
If you're not sure, call it in. Give the benefit of the doubt to your opponent.
Call promptly
If you don't make an "out" call immediately, the ball is considered in.
Quick Reference
Court Size
20 × 44 ft
Net (center)
34 inches
Net (sides)
36 inches
Kitchen depth
7 feet
Game to
11, win by 2
Serve style
Underhand
Ready to Practice?
Put the rules to work with focused drills and video coaching.
