Start here

New to pickleball? Read these 12 rules from the top and you're ready to join a casual game. Court sizes and finer rules can wait until you're used to playing.

A "fault" here means a rule break or mistake that loses the rally (Section 2 definitions). It includes hitting the ball out or into the net (10.C.1, 10.C.2).

• 1Your first match - how a doubles game goes TipWalks through a doubles match step by step, from before the start to the end of the game. A starting point for the rules you need in a match, such as keeping score and the serving order.
• 2The score call (three numbers) In doubles, the score is called as three numbers - serving team's score, receiving team's score, server number. A game starts at "0-0-2".
• 3Only the serving team scores A point is scored only when the serving team wins the rally. If the receiving team wins, no point is scored, and the server changes.
• 4How to serve (volley serve and drop serve) There are two kinds of serve - the volley serve and the drop serve. For a volley serve, hit the ball below the waist with an upward paddle swing. For a drop serve, drop the ball and hit it after it bounces.
• 5Serve diagonally Serve from behind the baseline into the opponents' service court diagonally across. There is no second serve, and if the serve touches the net but lands in the right place, play continues.
• 6Serving order in doubles In doubles, both players on a team serve in turn before a side out. After a side out, the player on the right serves first. But the team that serves first in a game gets only one server.
• 7After scoring, only the serving team switches sides When the serving team scores, the server and partner switch sides, and the same server keeps serving. The receiving team does not move.
• 8Two-Bounce Rule At the start of a rally, both the receiving team and the serving team must let the ball bounce once before hitting it. If you break this rule, it is a fault, and you lose the rally.
• 9No volleying in the kitchen It is a fault to volley while touching the kitchen or the kitchen line. To hit a ball that has bounced, you may go into the kitchen.
• 10A ball that touches the line is in If the ball touches the line even a little, it is in. The one exception is a serve that touches the kitchen line, which is a fault.
• 11Talking to your partner in doubles (so nobody freezes) TipIn doubles, it is easy for both players to leave a ball for the other. Prevent this with calls like "mine" or "yours," and by agreeing who takes middle balls. Shouting "out!" at a ball in the air is a call to your partner, not a line call.
• 12Replay the rally when something gets in the way (hinder) If play is disrupted by something that is not a player's fault, such as a ball rolling in from the next court, any player can call a hinder and the rally is replayed.

See it in a figure

Key terms (10)

Then check yourself with a quiz

10 questions from the starter rules (out of 26).