{"id":39,"date":"2026-01-21T13:20:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T04:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/?p=39"},"modified":"2026-06-11T20:17:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:17:58","slug":"pickleball-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/en\/basic-knowledge\/pickleball-rule\/","title":{"rendered":"Pickleball Rules Explained for Beginners | The Basics of the Serve, Scoring and Faults"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pickleball has simple rules, and it's a sport you can enjoy rallies in from the very day you pick up a paddle. That said, it has a few unique rules not found in tennis or table tennis, such as \"serve from below\" and \"no volleys in the kitchen.\" This article organizes and explains, in the order of serve, scoring, and fouls, theRules<\/strong>things beginners should grasp first. For an overview of the sport as a whole,The complete introductory guide to pickleball<\/a>too.<\/p>\n

The basic rules of pickleball<\/h2>\n

The 3 rules to learn first<\/h3>\n

The rules to learn first are just these three. Know these and a match works. First, grasp them roughly in the table.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The 3 rules to learn<\/th>\nIn a word<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u2460 Underhand serve<\/strong><\/td>\nThe serve must always be from below, caught at a position lower than the waist, and hit diagonally. The paddle head is kept below the wrist<\/td>\nServe rules<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2461 Two-bounce rule<\/strong><\/td>\nThe serve and its return, two balls total, must each bounce once. From the third ball, no-bounce (volley) is allowed<\/td>\nTwo-bounce explanation<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2462 Non-volley zone (kitchen)<\/strong><\/td>\nWithin 7 feet (about 2.13m) on both sides of the net, no-bounce volleys are prohibited. Stepping on the line is also a foul<\/td>\nKitchen rule<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

Thanks to the two-bounce rule of \u2461, the serving side can't suddenly rush the net and put it away, so rallies continue. The finer handling of the kitchen can be supplemented bynon-volley zone explanation<\/a>this as well.<\/p>\n

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Even if it looks hard, what you actually keep is just these three. What beginners especially stumble on is \u2461, \"the first two balls must bounce.\" If you're mindful of just this, you can prevent most fouls.<\/p>\n

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Court and equipment<\/h3>\n

The court is 20 feet wide (about 6.1m) by 44 feet long (about 13.4m), the same size as a badminton doubles court. The net is about 86cm at the center and about 91cm at the ends. The equipment you use is just a board-like \"paddle\" and a plastic ball with holes. For details on the dimensions,the complete guide to court size<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nSpecification<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Courts<\/td>\n6.1m \u00d7 13.4m (same as badminton)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Net height<\/td>\nAbout 86cm at center \/ about 91cm at the ends<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kitchen<\/td>\nAbout 2.13m on both sides of the net<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scoring<\/td>\nFirst to 11, 2-point margin (with deuce)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n

How scoring and serving work<\/h2>\n

The serve procedure<\/h3>\n

The game starts with the serve. The procedure is the following three steps.<\/p>\n

\n
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STEP<\/span>1<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2460 Hit underhand<\/div>\n
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Catch the ball at a position lower than the waist and, with the paddle head below the wrist, scoop it up from below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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STEP<\/span>2<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2461 Land it diagonally<\/div>\n
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From behind the baseline on the right side if your score is even, the left side if odd, drive it into the opponent's diagonal service area (beyond the kitchen line).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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STEP<\/span>3<\/span><\/div>\n
\u2462 The receive bounces once<\/div>\n
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The served ball must be bounced once on the receiver's side of the court before being returned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Note that the \"drop serve,\" where you let the ball drop naturally from your hand or paddle and hit it after it bounces, is also officially recognized, and it isn't subject to the contact-height limit (as long as you drop it by gravity without adding your own toss or spin). Beginners who are anxious about a contact point higher than the waist can also start with the drop serve.<\/p>\n

In doubles, the serving team's first player keeps serving until they make a mistake, and once they do, they switch to their partner (the second player). When both make a mistake, serving rights pass to the opposing team (side-out). However, only the very first serve right after the game starts has a special rule where it passes to the opponent the moment the first player makes a mistake.<\/p>\n

How to count points and the score<\/h3>\n

Points are scored only bythe team with serving rights<\/strong>(side-out scoring). Even if the receiving side wins the rally, no point is scored; serving rights simply move. That's exactly why, if you take back serving rights, you can aim for a comeback through consecutive points.<\/p>\n

In doubles, before the serve you call three numbers: \"your score \u2013 opponent's score \u2013 server number (1 or 2)\" (e.g., 0-0-2). First to 11 with a 2-point margin is the basic, and at 10-10 it becomes deuce and continues until there's a 2-point margin. For details on how to count,How to count points | The meaning of 0-0-2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Does \"0-0-2\" feel hard, like a spell? Since only at the start of the game you count from the second server, remember that the last number becomes \"2\" and you'll be fine.<\/p>\n

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Fouls (faults) and line calls<\/h2>\n

Main faults<\/h3>\n

A fault is a rule violation that ends the rally. It leads to a point for the opponent or a shift of serving rights. Representative examples beginners tend to stumble on are as follows.<\/p>\n