The Rules of Pickleball: Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Pickleball is one of those sports that you have likely heard about from some enthusiastic friends who think it’s the best thing ever. Your pickleball playing friends have fallen in love with the sport and would like to expand their community so they can play it more (and hopefully, that includes playing against you).
Pickleball can be enjoyed by people of all ages and sporting abilities. Thankfully, there are not many complicated rules to play the game. Since you’re interested in playing pickleball, let’s go over pickleball rules to get you enjoying the game as soon as possible.
What Equipment Do You Need To Play Pickleball?
Aside from a pickleball court with a middle net, some friends to play with, supportive athletic shoes and comfortable clothing, pickleball requires very little equipment. Here are some of our recommendations for great beginner pickleball equipment:
The Rally Flare Graphite Pickleball Paddle from Pickleball Central is an affordable yet incredibly high quality paddle. The graphite core construction allows for a great strength that allows both beginner players to find their groove, intermediate players to hone their techniques, and advanced players to perfect their game.
The ONIX Pure 2 Outdoor Pickleball from Pickleball Central has been designed for all weather conditions that could happen during a pickleball game. The ball is engineered to fly in the direction you intend and last through many bounces and strikes from the paddle. This pickleball will help you improve your game and have a good time.
How Do You Play Basic Pickleball?
The massively fun game of pickleball is played on a hardtop court with a net in the middle. All you need to play in a location like this are some supportive shoes and clothes that allow plenty of movement, a set of pickleballs, pickleball paddles, and one or three friends to play with. The main idea of the game is to send a ball to the other side so that it goes out of their control.
If the ball goes out of bounds on their side or bounces twice on their side, this earns you or your team a point. If you serve or volley a ball and it does not travel over the net, if the ball bounces twice on your side, or if it goes out of bounds on your side, then the other team gets a point. Most games are played until 11 points, but there are some conditions that we’ll go into next.
What Are The 5 Basic Rules Of Pickleball?
Much like many of your favorite sports, pickleball has a series of basic rules that govern what happens in a game. You’ll be glad the rules aren’t complicated. The intent is to just get everyone out there playing without a confusing learning curve. Let’s cover the 5 basic rules of pickleball:
Respect the Court
One Bounce Per Side
The Baseline Anchor
The Correct Serve
The Game’s End
Next, we’ll go deeper into these rules.
What Are The Rules of Pickleball?
If you weren’t sure what the outline of these rules might mean exactly, let’s cover the details of each rule and how these rules govern a game. The pickleball rules apply to both doubles or singles on the court. We will also go over some of the more advanced rules of the game!
Rule #1: Respect the Court
Every pickleball court under USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) rules has strict definitions. It’s absolutely essential to know and respect the boundaries of the court for a fair game. At all times during play, the ball must stay within bounds. It’s quite simple. If the ball goes outside the court lines, it must be given to the other team for play.
The dimensions of a pickleball court are crucial for the flow and enjoyment of a game. A regulation size pickleball court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long. The court is divided in half for each team, whether it’s a two-person game or a four-person game. Then, each half is divided into three sections.
First, the Non-Volley Section is the area directly adjacent to the net. It’s a 7 foot buffer zone on each side from where it’s not allowed to serve a pickleball. If your foot is within the Non-Volley Section when your paddle touches the pickleball, the serve will not be valid and your team will forfeit the ball to the other team. This section is basically lava. Don’t step on it when serving a pickleball.
Next, the remaining area of each team’s half of the court is further divided into two halves. Each half is 10 feet wide by 15 feet long, enough area for each player to move independently.
The area outside the pickleball court is typically a buffer zone. Regulation sized pickleball courts are surrounded by an area that allows safer movement. The total length of a pickleball area should be 30 feet wide by 60 feet long. Of course, if the ball lands in this area it will be out of bounds.
Rule #2: One Bounce Per Side
Whenever one team has a pickleball, they have a very limited amount of time to send it to the other team. Once the ball arrives at the other team’s half of the court, they can only allow it to bounce on the ground once before they send it back to the other team. However, it is mandatory that the ball bounces once (and only once) before it gets back to the other side.
The best thing you can do is send the ball back to the other side of the court as quickly as possible. Catching the other team in a moment of inattention will win your team some points.
Keep in mind that it can remain in the air within their territory and they can keep it there longer by consistently hitting it with the paddle, but this is a very inefficient way to play the game.
Rule #3: The Baseline Anchor
The baseline is the line at the very back of the pickleball court. The pickleball must be served from this location to begin play during a round. No serves from in front of or behind the baseline are valid. The serving player must be touching the baseline with their foot when making a serve.
One foot must remain anchored on the baseline at the moment the paddle connects with the ball and begins its flight to the other side. As soon as the ball starts moving after the serve, the serving player’s foot can leave the baseline.
Rule #4: The Correct Serve
Much like with other net-based games like tennis, the serve is the most important move a player can make during a play and it’s one worth practicing. It sets the entire round in motion. As such, there are strict rules as to where the ball can land immediately after the serve. The pickleball serving rules are among the most important aspects of the game.
The ball must travel over the net.
Once over, it must land on the other team’s court. However, it must not land in the other team’s no-volley zone.
It is a good idea to try to send the ball as deep into the other team’s court as possible. The opposing players will need more volleying power to send it back to your side of the court. The extra travel time for the ball can help you prepare as the pickleball flies back in your direction.
Rule #5: The Game’s End
Pickleball is similar to other net-based games in this regard as well. By default, a pickleball game will end when one side has earned 11 points. However, the end of a game is a little more complicated than that.
Both teams will decide on the final score before the game begins. Most games go to 11 or 15, but some informal games may go longer. Of course mutual agreement is necessary when choosing final score numbers.
The teams will switch sides of the court at a midpoint of the game to ensure there is no one-side advantage. For 11 point games, this will happen at 6 points. For 15 point games, it will happen at 8 points, and so on.
Much like in volleyball, the winning team of a game of pickleball must win by at least 2 points. For instance, if the opposing team has 9 points and your team gets 11 points, the game is over. If the score is 10 to 11, the game must continue until the 2 point gap is achieved.
What Is The Double Bounce Rule of Pickleball?
The double bounce rule of pickleball is crucial to how the game is played and enjoyed. It refers to the period of game play immediately after the serve. There is a specific order of events that needs to happen in order to enable free play. Here is the sequence of events that needs to happen in a game of pickleball:
The serving player serves the pickleball while one foot is on the baseline. The ball must clear the net and land in the opposing players’ court, not in their no-volley zone.
The receiving team needs to allow the ball to bounce only once on their side of the court. After it has bounced, they must return the ball back to the serving team. This is called the “groundstroke.”
The serving team needs to perform the same groundstroke as described in Step 2 and return the ball back to the receiving team.
After the ball once again clears the net and the no-volley zone, free play can take place until one team scores a point.
What Are Three Etiquettes of Pickleball?
Sportsmanship is important in any sport, pickleball included. Even if you are playing well within the rules that are outlined above, you may make an unwitting faux pas or even a deliberate move that offends or disadvantages the opposing player. Let’s cover three of the most important etiquettes during a pickleball game:
Etiquette #1: Respect the Mobility of Opposing Players
Some players may be older or have some restricted movement capabilities. This can mean that they are not as ready to run or jump for a volley or serve you send their way. While this could quickly win you a game, it definitely won’t make you friends in the pickleball sphere. When you’re playing in a non-tournament game, try to accommodate the other player’s mobility when volleying and serving.
Etiquette #2: Shake Hands at the Net
Both before and after the game, it’s important to keep a friendly level of respect for your opposing player or team. Make sure to meet at the net before and after the game so you can shake hands and get the game off to a friendly start.
Etiquette #3: Refrain from Coaching
Unless you’re in an explicit mentor, trainer, or coach relationship with the opposing player, there is no need to critique their techniques during the game. If they ask you for some pointers, then go for it! Offering unsolicited opinions about their play can be discouraging and sour attitudes towards you in the local pickleball community.