Serving
Serve within 10 seconds of the score call
Serve within 10 seconds after you finish calling the score. If 10 seconds pass, it is a fault.
The server must serve within 10 seconds after finishing the score call (6.D). If 10 seconds pass, it is a fault (6.D.1).
When the count starts
- The 10 seconds are counted from the moment you finish saying the whole score (6.D)
- Serving before you finish saying the score is also a fault. Say the whole score, then serve (6.C, 6.C.1)
If positions change after the call
Sometimes, after the score is called, the serving team swaps their left and right serving areas. This is not a fault. It is treated as a do-over. The server waits until everyone is in position, then calls the score again. The 10 seconds are counted from the new call (6.D.2).
Source and review
- Rulebook
- USA Pickleball Official Rulebook (2026 edition)
- Sections
- 6.C, 6.C.1, 6.D, 6.D.1, 6.D.2, 20.D
- Applies to
- USA Pickleball
- Effective
- January 1, 2026
- Last reviewed
- October 10, 2026
How to read the sources: numbers like (8.F.4) are rulebook sections, and links are outside sources. An "Author's note" is the author's personal experience, not an official rule.