The rules,
minus the jargon.
Pickleball takes about ten minutes to learn. This page covers the serve, the scoring, the two-bounce rule and the famous kitchen — in plain English, with pictures.
The court.
A pickleball court is 44 feet long and 20 feet wide — about a third the size of a tennis court. That smaller footprint is the whole reason the game is so quick to pick up.
7 feet either side of the net. Marked in orange above — you'll hear about it constantly.
Each side splits into two boxes. You serve diagonally into the opposite one.
36 inches at the posts, dipping to 34 inches in the middle.
The serve.
Unlike tennis, there's no big overhead serve in pickleball — and no second attempt if you miss. It's designed to start the rally, not end it.
Your paddle has to be travelling upward when you make contact, and contact must happen below your waist. The top of your paddle can't be above your wrist.
At least one foot behind the line, and neither foot touching it, until after you've hit the ball.
The serve goes to the box diagonally opposite you, and it must clear the kitchen — landing on the kitchen line is a fault.
Miss it and you lose the serve. There's no second serve like in tennis.
If your serve nicks the net and still lands in the right box, play on. Under current rules that's live, not a let.
You can also drop the ball, let it bounce, and hit it. Handy if the standard serve motion feels awkward.
The two-bounce rule.
The first two shots of every rally have to bounce. It stops the serving team charging the net immediately, and it's why pickleball rallies last as long as they do.
The returning team must let the serve bounce before they hit it.
The serving team must let the return bounce too. That's the second bounce.
Both bounces done — from here either team can hit the ball out of the air.
The kitchen.
Properly called the non-volley zone. Almost everyone gets this backwards at first, so here's the distinction that matters:
- Standing in the kitchen whenever you like
- Stepping in to play a ball that has bounced
- Hitting a bounced ball while standing in it
- Volleying while standing in it or on its line
- Letting your momentum carry you in after a volley
- Touching the line with anything — including a dropped paddle
The short version: the kitchen restricts volleys, not your feet. If the ball bounced first, you can play it from anywhere on the court.
Scoring.
Games go to 11 and you have to win by 2. Only the serving team can score a point — if you're receiving, winning the rally gets you the serve, not a point.
Points your team has.
Points the other team has.
Which server you are on your team.
Every game opens on “0–0–2”. The 2 looks odd, but it's deliberate: the very first serving team only gets one server before handing over, so the game starts as though their first server has already been and gone. It keeps the rest of the game fair.
Win a rally while receiving and you take over the serve. The score doesn't change.
When your team's score is even you serve from the right. Odd, from the left. It's a useful self-check — if you're on the wrong side, someone's miscounted.
Your team keeps serving until you lose two rallies — one for each partner. Then it goes to the other team. That's what the third number tracks.
First to 11, but 11–10 isn't a win. You keep playing until someone's two clear.
Faults.
The ball doesn't make it over.
The ball lands outside the lines. Touching a line is in.
Hitting the ball out of the air while standing in the non-volley zone or on its line.
Volleying the serve, or volleying the return of serve.
A serve landing in the non-volley zone — including on its line — is a fault.
Letting the ball bounce twice on your side before you return it.
If the ball hits you or anything you're wearing, the point goes to the other team.
Tips & strategy.
Knowing the rules gets you on court. These are the habits that actually start winning you games — and the ones we spend most of our coaching time on.
The team standing at the net wins the vast majority of points. Once the two bounces are done, your job is to move forward — hanging back at the baseline is the most common beginner habit worth breaking.
Imagine a rope about three metres long tying you to your partner. If they slide wide to chase a ball, you slide with them. The gap down the middle is where most points leak.
A soft shot from the baseline that lands in their kitchen. It doesn't win the point outright — it buys you the seconds you need to walk up to the net, which does.
Middle balls cause a split-second of who's-got-it hesitation between opponents. The net also sits two inches lower in the centre, so it's the safest place to hit.
Dink rallies aren't won by the best shot, they're won by whoever stops being patient last. Keep the ball low, wait for a pop-up, and only then hit hard.
If a ball is coming at you above shoulder height near the baseline, it's usually heading out. Playing it gives away a free point. Hands off and let it fly.
When they've got you scrambling, don't try to out-hit them. A soft block that drops into the kitchen neutralises the attack and puts you back in the rally.
Shots with names.
A handful of pickleball shots are famous enough to have been named after the players who made them famous. They look like they must be against the rules. They aren't.
The Erne
A volley hit from beside the net post, standing outside the sideline. You either jump over the corner of the kitchen or run around it before the ball arrives. It works because the area outside the sideline isn't part of the kitchen — so you can be right on top of the net and still volley legally.
- Take off from outside the kitchen and land outside it too
- You may land on or past the sideline — that's not the kitchen
- Touching the kitchen or its lines before, during or after the shot
- Momentum carrying you into the kitchen on the landing
- Crossing the plane of the net before you've made contact
Around the post (ATP)
When a sharp cross-court angle drags you right off the side of the court, you can hit the ball around the outside of the net post instead of over the net. The ball never has to cross above the net at all — it can travel well below net height and still be perfectly good.
- No height limit — the ball can pass below the top of the net
- You can cross the net's imaginary extension line after making contact
- Hitting the net post itself
- Touching any part of your opponents' court
The Nasty Nelson
A serve deliberately aimed at the opponent who isn't receiving — the one standing up at the kitchen line, usually not paying much attention. If the serve hits them before it bounces, the serving team wins the point outright.
Common questions.
What is the kitchen in pickleball?
The kitchen is the nickname for the non-volley zone — the 7-foot area on each side of the net. You can step into it any time you like, but you can't hit the ball out of the air (a volley) while you're standing in it or touching its lines.
How does pickleball scoring work?
In traditional doubles, only the serving team can score. Games go to 11 points and you must win by 2. The score is called as three numbers — your score, their score, and whether you're the first or second server on your team.
Why do you call three numbers in doubles?
The third number tells everyone whether you're the first or second server for your team. Both players on a team get a turn to serve before the ball goes to the other side, so the third number keeps track of where you are in that rotation.
Can you volley in pickleball?
Yes — anywhere except the kitchen. You just can't volley while standing in the non-volley zone or touching its line, and your momentum can't carry you into it after the shot either.
Does the ball have to bounce in pickleball?
On the first two shots of every rally, yes. The serve must bounce before the returning team hits it, and the return must bounce before the serving team hits it. After those two bounces, either team can volley.
Is a ball landing on the line in or out?
In — with one exception. A ball touching any line is good, except a serve that lands on the kitchen line, which is a fault.
Do you have to serve underhand in pickleball?
Yes. Your paddle has to be moving upward, contact has to be below your waist, and the highest part of your paddle can't be above your wrist. You can also use a drop serve, where you drop the ball and hit it after it bounces.
How long does a game of pickleball take?
A single game to 11 usually takes 15–20 minutes. At our sessions we play round robin format, so you'll play multiple short games and rotate partners rather than one long match.
What is an Erne in pickleball?
An Erne is a volley hit from beside the net post, outside the sideline — either by jumping over the corner of the kitchen or running around it. It's legal because the sideline area isn't part of the kitchen, so you can be right up at the net without breaking the non-volley rule.
Is the around-the-post shot legal in pickleball?
Yes. The ball doesn't have to travel over the net — it can go around the outside of the net post at any height, even below the top of the net. As long as it lands in the opponent's court and you don't hit the post, it counts.
What is a Nasty Nelson?
A serve aimed at the opponent standing at the kitchen line who isn't receiving. If it hits them before bouncing, the serving team wins the point. It's legal, it's named after pro player Tim Nelson, and it's the shot most likely to start an argument at social play.
Do I need to know all the rules before my first session?
Not at all. Most people pick up the basics within their first few games, and we'll walk you through the scoring on the night. Come to a Social Saturday session and we'll sort you out.
These are the rules as they're played at our sessions and in most social play in Australia. Tournament play follows the official rulebook, which goes into far more detail on equipment, officiating and edge cases.
The rest you'll pick up on court.
Paddles supplied, all levels welcome, and we'll talk you through the scoring on the night.