[ Beginner’s Rules Guide ]
The Rules—
In a Nutshell
A Rules Guide
for Beginners
Here is a brief, easy-to-follow guide to playing
pickleball so you can share your beloved game
with family, friends and your community.
We picklers all know it’s a great way to bring
people together. It gets everyone moving, interacting and,
most importantly, it’s fun! And anybody can play—young,
old, athletes, non-athletes—there’s a spot for you on the
pickleball court!
If you don’t have access to an official pickleball court, don’t
sweat it! Be creative and work with what you’ve got. People
set up nets (or net representations), chalk and tapelines on
their driveways, cul de sacs, in parking lots—you name it!
A common go-to spot is an unused tennis court. The court
specs don’t have to be perfect, until you want them to be. Just
grab four paddles, a couple of balls and go.
Brighten someone’s day—take ’em out for a game of pickleball.
Form teams and liven up a family reunion. Get the kids away from their
electronics. Invite a few friends over for some fun. Coordinate a get-toknow-your-neighbor
and/or club member pickleball tournament.
The Rules in a Nutshell
Pickleball is typically a doubles
game. It can also be played as singles—
the basic rules and playing area are
the same.
The Serve
• Serves must be hit underhand, and
contact with the ball must be made
below the waist.
• You cannot serve off a bounce.
• The serve is initiated with at least
one foot behind the baseline;
neither foot may contact the
baseline or court until after the ball
is struck.
• The server must call the score
before making contact with the
ball. The score is called in three
numbers: server score, receiver
score, server #1 or #2.
• The serve is made diagonally
cross-court and must land within
the confines of the opposite
diagonal court.
• Only one serve attempt is
permitted, except in the event of a
let. Let serves are replayed.
Service Sequence
• Both players on the serving team
have the opportunity to serve and
score points until they commit a
fault (except for the first service
sequence of each new game*).
• The first serve of each side-out is
made from the right/even court.
• If a point is scored, the server
switches sides and the server
initiates the next serve from the
left/odd court.
• As subsequent points are scored,
the server continues switching back
and forth until a fault is committed
and the first server loses the serve.
• After the first server loses the serve,
the partner then serves from his/
her correct side of the court (except
for the first service sequence of
a game*).
• The second server continues
serving until his/her team commits
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