The Doubles Game

The Court

Pickleball is played on a court with the same dimensions as a badminton court. The central net height is 36”(.914m) at both ends and 34”(.86m) in the middle.

The Game

Played in doubles or singles using pickleball paddles and a pickleball ball over a central net.

The Score

A game is usually played up to 11 points win by 2 clear points. If time constraints win by 1.

How To Win Points

A point can only be won by the serving player/team. A ball that hits a line is ‘in’, unlike in squash when a ball hitting a line is ‘out’.

The Service

Serves are diagonal, like tennis, starting on the right-hand side and alternating.

The serve must:

● clear the NON-VOLLEY ZONE (including the non-volley line

● be played underhand with the paddle below the wrist and below the waist

● keep both feet behind the back line when serving

● serve the ball from the air without being bounced unless using a drop serve

● a drop serve is allowed. Server releases the ball from a height and strikes the ball with either a forehand or

backhand motion after the ball bounces. The ball can bounce more than once before being struck. The release of

the ball must be visible to the receiver (and referee if there is one)

● announce the score before serving, 3 numbers: server’s score; receiver’s score; server number (1 or 2) A server

gets 1 service attempt. At the start of a new game only 1 player in a team serves, initially after saying the score

0-0-2. When the service is lost and ‘Side Out’ occurs, then both players in the opposing pair get to be the server.

The Double Bounce Rule

Each team must play their first shot off the bounce. That is, the receiving team must let the serve bounce and the serving team must let the return of the serve bounce before playing it. Once these two bounces have occurred, the ball can either be volleyed or played off the bounce.

General Open Play

The struck ball, whether volleyed or hit after a single bounce, must cross to the opponents side of the court in the same manner as a tennis shot (i.e. without bouncing on the strikers side of the net or hitting a ceiling etc).

Volleys

Volleys are only allowed when both of the player’s feet are behind the non-volley zone line. Also, the point is lost if the volleyer’s momentum carries the player into the NON-VOLLEY ZONE after volleying (like running into the tennis net).

 

The Singles Game

The Service

Before serving the server calls out the score, the server’s score first and then the receiver’s score.

The Service

The server’s score determines the side from which to serve. Serves are executed on the right side of the court when the server’s score is an even number (0, 2, 4, …), the left side when the server’s score is odd (1, 3, 5, …).