How to Play
All You Need to Know To Start Playing Pickleball

LEARNING THE BASICS
Picture a smaller version of a tennis court—20 feet wide and 44 feet long for doubles. You’ve got a net in the middle, and that’s where the magic happens. No need for a lawn; this is all about indoor action!
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The Serve
You kick things off with a serve. It has to be underhand, which means no fancy baseball pitches allowed. Aim diagonally at the opponent's service box. Miss? Just try again. The player on the right side of their court always starts the serve. You serve diagonally to your opponent. The person serving can either hit the ball after it bounces or out of the air and their serve must clear the kitchen.​


The Ball Must Bounce On Each Side Before Either Team Can Volley
Before any player can hit a shot out of the air (volley), the ball must bounce once on each side.
If you react with a volley, it's considered a fault and you'll lose the point because you didn't let the ball bounce first on your side.
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Without this rule, the serving team can easily rush the net and gain an unfair advantage every time.
Each Point Continues until a Fault
If you hit the ball out of bounds, into the net, or commit a kitchen foul, that’s a fault. It’s a polite way of saying, “Oops, better luck next time!” Just take a breath and refocus; the game goes on! A fault ends the rally. In pickleball, there are four basic fault types:
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The serve lands outside of the required service area or beyond the kitchen (including the line).
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The ball lands out of bounds (behind the baseline or outside the sideline).
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The ball hits the net and falls on your side.
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The ball bounces twice on one side before the player can return it.

You Cannot Enter the Kitchen Unless the Ball Hits First
No, not where you whip up snacks! The kitchen is the non-volley zone near the net. If you’re standing in there, you can’t hit the ball out of the air.
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BUT, you can hit the ball if it bounces in the kitchen first—just not out of the air. If your opponent hits the ball landing in the kitchen, you can step in and play it from the kitchen.
You Only Earn Points if You are Serving
In pickleball scoring, you only win points on your serve and you continue serving until you lose a rally. After winning each point on your serve, you switch sides (left and right) with your partner and serve to the other opponent.
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When your team loses a point, your teammate begins serving following the sequence described above until another point is lost by your team (the serving team). Once that happens, the serve switches to the other team.
You Must Say The Score Before Serving
In pickleball scoring, you’ll hear players announce three numbers, like "0-0-2". Here’s what each number means
- The First Number is the score of the serving team
- The Second Number is the score of the opponents team
- The Third Number is which player of the team is serving, first server (1) or second server (2)
First Team to 11 Points Wins BUT You Must Win By Atleast 2 Points
To claim your pickleball glory, reach 11 points first and be ahead by at least 2 points. When you win, feel free to do a little victory dance—celebrating is part of the game!
So there you have it! Grab your paddle, rally your friends, and get ready for some fun on the court. It’s all about enjoying the game and not taking things too seriously!
TALK LIKE A PRO
KITCHEN
The non-volley zone near the net. Players can't hit the ball while standing in this area unless it bounces first.
Erne
A shot executed by leaping outside the sideline and volleying the ball before it crosses the net.
DINK
A soft shot that lands in the opponent's non-volley zone (the kitchen). It’s all about finesse
FAULT
An error that results in the loss of a point or serve, such as hitting out of bounds or into the net.
Volley
Hitting the ball before it bounces on your side of the court.
Pickled
Equivalent to being “skunked” in other sports, scoring zero points in a game. The score would be 11-0.