What are the 5 Rules of Pickleball?

What are the 5 Rules of Pickleball?

Whether you’re new to pickleball or are just looking for a bit of refresher before heading to the court, there are five essential rules you need to know. What are the 5 rules of pickleball, you ask? Let’s go over each of the five basic rules one by one.

Double Bounce Rule

The double bounce rule or second bounce rule is unique to pickleball. It adds a challenging element that other racquet sports don’t have. The rule is simple: you must let the ball bounce once on each side after the serve. 

Double Bounce Rule
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When the ball is served, the ball must bounce once in the receiving team’s court. Then, there should be one bounce when the ball lands back in the serving team’s court.

Once the ball bounces once on each side, the two-bounce rule is complete. If the ball bounces more than once, the serve is over, and the next serve goes to the other team.

Staying in Bounds

staying in bounds

Staying in bounds is a concept that applies to most racquet sports. The out-of-bounds rule states that if a ball goes out of the white lines of the pickleball court, it’s out of bounds. The rules of pickleball state that a ball hit out of bounds goes to the opposing team, and you lose your serve.

Serving Rules

Serving Rules
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Serving rules in pickleball say that you must serve at the baseline, with one foot behind the line. It isn’t a legal serve if one foot isn’t behind the baseline. A serve must also be done underhand below your waistline for it to be legal. The ball should be served diagonally across the court.

The serving team is faulted if any of the serving rules are broken. The ball goes to the receiving team.

Another important part of the serving rules is serving sequence rules. If you’re playing doubles, the first server will serve until they get a fault. Then, it goes to the second server until there’s a fault. Once both players have faulted, the other team can serve.

Each time a player serves the ball, they’ll switch sides with their partner and serve from the opposite side of the court. For example, a player starting out on the right serving side will move to the left service court for their next serve. The switching of sides continues until that player loses the serve. Failing to switch sides results in an incorrect serve. Also, note that only serving teams switch sides. Receiving team members stay right where they are.  

No Volley Rule

No Volley Rule
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The no volley zone of the pickleball court is within 7 feet on either side of the net. Players often call this the kitchen. You must keep the ball out of the non-volley zone when you’re serving. 

The ball must bounce outside the kitchen until it’s returned by the other team. Once each team has hit the ball outside the no volley zone once, it can be hit anywhere on the court.

Hitting the ball into the no volley zone is known as a drop shot. It’s a risky move that can pay off big time if you know what you’re doing!

Scoring Rules

Scoring Rules

To win at pickleball, you have to win by two points or more. With pickleball scoring, the game traditionally ends when someone scores 11 points. The exception is if someone reaches 11 points but isn’t winning by at least two points. In this case, the score can go up to 15 until a winner is crowned.

Some players prefer to play to 21 points. It’s important to know what score you’re playing to at the start of the game because players switch sides midgame.

For instance, players switch once a team wins 6 points if you’re playing to 11. if you’re playing to 21, you switch sides at 8 points. 

Once you reach the chosen number of points and win by at least two, the game ends. Only the serving team can score points.

The Most Important Rule of Pickleball – Have Fun!

Now that you know the pickleball rules, it’s time to lace up and go to the court! Check out more articles to learn about the game of pickleball, the biggest players in the game, and receive recommendations for the best pickleball gear. From paddles to gift guides, there’s something for everyone!

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