Pickleball rules explained

The key pickleball rules: serve underhand and diagonally from behind the baseline so the ball clears the kitchen; let the serve and the return each bounce once; never volley while touching the 7 ft non-volley zone; and a ball on any line is in, except a serve landing on the kitchen line, which is a fault.

The serve

• Serve from behind the baseline, diagonally into the opposite service court.
• The serve must clear the non-volley zone, including its line.
• Volley serve: an upward arc, the paddle head no higher than the wrist at contact, and contact no higher than the waist.
• Drop serve: drop the ball from a natural height and hit it after it bounces. The bounce can be anywhere on the court.

The two-bounce rule

The serve must bounce before it is returned, and the return must bounce before the serving side hits it. After those two bounces, volleys are allowed.

The kitchen (non-volley zone)

• The 7 ft zone on each side of the net, including its lines.
• You cannot volley while touching the zone, and you cannot step into it from the momentum of a volley, even after the ball is dead.
• You can enter the kitchen at any time to play a ball that has bounced.

Faults

• The ball lands out or goes into the net.
• The ball bounces twice before you hit it.
• A volley from the kitchen, or a serve that lands in the kitchen.
• Volleying before the two-bounce rule allows it.

Line calls

A ball touching any line is in, except a serve that lands on the kitchen line, which is short. Players call the lines on their own side, and close calls go to the opponent.