How to Play Pickleball: A Beginner's Complete Guide

What You Need to Play

One of the reasons pickleball has exploded in popularity is how low the barrier to entry is. You don't need much to get started:

• A paddle – Solid (not strung), usually graphite, composite, or wood. Budget options start around $25. See our best paddles guide for picks.
• A pickleball – A plastic ball with holes, roughly the size of a baseball. Outdoor balls have smaller holes; indoor balls have larger ones.
• A court – 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, with a net at 36 inches on the sides and 34 inches in the center. Many tennis courts can be converted to two pickleball courts.
• Court shoes (recommended) – Regular sneakers work, but court-specific shoes give much better lateral support. See our shoe guide.

Understanding the Court

The pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long — the same size for both singles and doubles. That's about a third of a tennis court, which is why pickleball plays fast.

The key zone to understand is the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) — commonly called the "kitchen." It's the 7-foot rectangle on each side of the net. You cannot volley (hit the ball out of the air) while standing in or touching the kitchen line. You can step in after the ball bounces there. See the full court dimensions guide for diagrams.

How to Serve

The serve starts every rally. Here's what the rules require:

1. You must serve underhand — paddle contact must be below the waist
2. The serve goes diagonally cross-court into the opponent's service box
3. The ball must clear the kitchen (non-volley zone) and land in the service area beyond it
4. Both feet must be behind the baseline when you serve
5. You get one serve attempt (no second serve like tennis, unless it's a let)

See our complete serve rules guide for details on foot faults, lets, and common serving mistakes.

The Two-Bounce Rule

This is one of the first rules that surprises new players, and it's fundamental to how pickleball feels different from tennis.

The rule: After the serve, each team must let the ball bounce once before they can start volleying. Specifically:

• The receiving team must let the serve bounce before returning it
• The serving team must let the return bounce before hitting it
• After those two bounces have occurred, both teams can volley freely

Think of it this way: the first two shots of every rally must bounce. After that, anything goes (as long as you're not in the kitchen).

The two-bounce rule exists to prevent the serving team from rushing the net and winning easily with a put-away volley. It creates a more balanced game.

The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone) Rule

The kitchen rule is the defining feature of pickleball. It's what makes the sport different from every other paddle game.

The rule, plain and simple: You cannot hit the ball out of the air (volley) while any part of your body is touching the kitchen or its boundary lines. This includes your paddle, your hat, your momentum — all of it.

Why the kitchen rule matters strategically

Because you can't smash volleys from the net, players have to develop touch and placement instead of pure power. This is why "dinking" — soft, low shots played just over the net — is such a central part of pickleball strategy at higher levels.

How Scoring Works

Pickleball scoring takes some getting used to, but it follows a logical pattern once you understand it.

• Only the serving team can score points
• Games are typically played to 11 points, win by 2
• In doubles, each player on the serving team gets to serve before the serve passes to the other team (this is called a "side out")
• At the start of the game, the first team only gets one serve (not two) to make things fair

In doubles, the score is called as three numbers: serving team's score – receiving team's score – server number (1 or 2).

Example: "4-3-2" means the serving team has 4 points, the receiving team has 3, and it's the second server's turn.

For the full breakdown with examples, see our pickleball scoring guide.

Faults and Out-of-Bounds

A fault ends the rally. The most common faults are:

• Hitting the ball out of bounds
• Hitting the ball into the net
• Volleying while in or touching the kitchen
• Violating the two-bounce rule
• Stepping on or over the baseline during the serve
• The ball bouncing twice on one side before it's returned

If the serving team faults, they lose their serve (or the point goes to the other team in singles). If the receiving team faults, the serving team scores a point.

Playing Doubles (The Most Common Format)

Most recreational pickleball is played as doubles — two players per side. A few key doubles-specific rules and tips:

• Both players serve: Each partner gets a serve turn before the serve switches sides (except the very first serve of the game)
• Positioning: The classic formation is one player at the baseline (while serving/returning) and both players moving to the kitchen line after the first few shots
• Communication: Call "mine!" or "yours!" to avoid both players going for the same ball — especially on balls down the middle
• Stack formation: Advanced teams sometimes use "stacking" to keep a preferred player on their stronger side — but don't worry about this as a beginner

Quick Summary: The 9 Rules Every Beginner Needs

Frequently Asked Questions