Pickleball rules for beginners: court, net, serve, two-bounce rule, kitchen
A short guide to the basic pickleball rules: court and net size, serving, the two-bounce rule, the kitchen (non-volley zone), line calls, common faults and scoring.
Pickleball is easy to pick up, but a few rules are unique to the sport. This guide covers what you need for your first game.
Court and net
| Item | Size |
|---|---|
| Court | 20 × 44 feet (about 6.1 × 13.4 m), same for singles and doubles |
| Net | 36 inches (about 91 cm) at the posts, 34 inches (about 86 cm) at the center |
| Kitchen (non-volley zone) | 7 feet (about 2.13 m) from the net, on both sides |
Serving
- Serve diagonally; the ball must clear the kitchen and land in the opposite service court. Landing in the kitchen or on the kitchen line is a fault.
- Use an underhand motion with contact below the waist, or a drop serve (drop the ball, let it bounce, then hit).
- At least one foot behind the baseline; neither foot may touch the baseline or the court at contact.
- One serve attempt per server. A serve that clips the net and lands in the correct court is in play.
More: pickleball serve rules.
The two-bounce rule
The receiving side must let the serve bounce before hitting it, and the serving side must let the return bounce too. After those two bounces, either side may volley (hit the ball out of the air).
The kitchen
You may not volley while standing in the kitchen or touching its line, including when your momentum carries you in after the shot. Balls that have bounced can be played from the kitchen.
More: pickleball kitchen rules.
In or out
A ball on the line is in, except a serve touching the kitchen line. A double bounce on your side, hitting out, or hitting into the net loses the rally.
Scoring
- Only the serving side scores.
- Games are usually to 11, win by 2.
- Doubles uses a three-number call: serving score, receiving score, server 1 or 2. Games start at 0-0-2.
More: pickleball doubles scoring.
Singles vs doubles
The rules are almost the same. Singles uses a two-number score (server, receiver); the server serves from the right when their score is even and from the left when odd, and there is no second server.
Find a game
Open app.dinkdink.asia and go to Groups to find pickleball near you.
FAQ
How big is a pickleball court?
A pickleball court is 20 feet (about 6.1 m) wide and 44 feet (about 13.4 m) long, for both singles and doubles.
How high is a pickleball net?
36 inches (about 91 cm) at the posts and 34 inches (about 86 cm) at the center.
Is a ball on the line in?
Yes. A ball touching any line is in, except a serve that touches the kitchen line, which is a fault.
What is the two-bounce rule?
After the serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce before hitting it, and the serving team must let the return bounce too. Only then can players volley.