The serve
- Serve underhand, from behind the baseline, diagonally into the opposite service box.
- The serve must clear the kitchen (the zone right by the net) and land in the box.
The two-bounce rule
The serve must bounce once before it is returned, and the return must bounce once before the serving team hits it. After those two bounces, players may hit the ball in the air (volley) or after one bounce.
The kitchen (non-volley zone)
- The kitchen is the area 7 feet (about 2.1 m) from the net on each side.
- You can't volley the ball while standing in the kitchen or on its line.
- You can step in to hit a ball that has bounced there.
Scoring
- Only the serving team scores points.
- If the serving team loses the rally, the serve passes to the partner, then to the other team (a side out).
- Games go to 11, and you must win by 2. Our quick matches go to 7.
Faults (you lose the rally)
- The ball lands out or in the net.
- You volley from the kitchen.
- You volley before the two bounces have happened.
Tips
- Get to the kitchen line together with your partner after the return.
- Use soft dinks into the kitchen to stop opponents attacking.
- Smash anything that pops up high.
Ready to play?Pickleball is free on phone, tablet and computer.
Play
