Introduction to Pickleball sessions

Pickleball is mostly played as a doubles game, although singles is becoming more and more popular.  The basic rules are the same.

THE SERVE

• Serves must be underhand. Contact with the ball must be below the waist.
• There is a provisional rule this year that you can drop the ball and hit off the bounce, but you must just drop it, you cannot bounce it.
• You must serve from behind the baseline, and within the sideline and middle line of the side you are serving from.
• The server must say the score completely prior to making contact with the ball. The score is called in 3 numbers – Server score, receiver score, the server #1 or #2.
• The serve is made diagonally cross court and must land completely past the NVZ line and within the box.
• Only one serve attempt is permitted to achieve a legal serve.

SERVICE SEQUENCE

• Both players on the serving team have the opportunity to serve and score points until they commit a fault, with the exception of the first server of the game. On the first service of the game, only one server gets to serve. This server is called server #2 even though they are the first server. When their service is complete, it is a side out.
• The first serve of each side out, is made from the right/even court.
• If a point is scored, the server moves to the left/odd court and initiates the next serve.
• As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is committed, and the first server loses the serve.
• After the first server loses the serve, their partner then serves from the side of the court they are on. (except for the first serving sequence of the game**)
• The second server continues serving in the alternating fashion until their team commits a fault and loses the serve to opposing team – a side out.
• Once the serve goes to the opposition (side out), the first serve is from the right/even court. First server serves until there is a fault, alternating sides of the court for each serve, then the second server does the same.  Both players on that team have the opportunity to serve and score points until each server commits a fault.
• When playing singles, the server serves from the right/even side when his/her score is even and from the left/odd side when his/her score is odd.

**At the beginning of each new game, only one partner on the team that serves first, gets the opportunity to serve.  Once there is a fault, it is a side out.  This is only on the first service of the game.  From that point on, both players get the opportunity to serve.

SCORING

• The first team to score 11 points, with a 2-point lead wins the game. (Some tournaments will have 15-point games)
• Matches are usually played 2 out of 3 games, or one game to 15.
• Points are only scored by the serving team.
• When the serving team’s score is even (0,2,4,6,8,10), the player who started the game serving, will be the right/even court when serving or receiving; when the score is odd (1,3,5,7,9), that player will be in the left/odd court, when serving or receiving.

TWO-BOUNCE RULE

• When the ball is served, it must bounce once prior to being returned (one bounce). Once the ball is returned, the serving team must let the ball bounce once (two bounce), prior to returning.  Once each team has returned the ball after the bounce, it is no longer required to bounce, and the teams can hit their choice of volleys and ground strokes. The two-bounce rule applies after every serve.

NO VOLLEY ZONE (NVZ)/ KITCHEN (the court area that spans 7 feet from the net)

• Volleying is prohibited within the NVZ (the line is considered in the NVZ)
• You may enter the NVZ anytime except when hitting a volley, or if your momentum from hitting a volley takes you in. Anything you are wearing or carrying is included.
• It is a fault if, after hitting a volley, momentum carries you or anything you are wearing/carrying into the NVZ (line included). Even if the ball is dead, before you step in, it is still a fault.

LINE CALLS

• A ball that lands on any line, is considered in the box which is surrounds. The NVZ line is considered in the NVZ.

FAULTS

• A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
• A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team.

A fault by the serving team results in loss of serve for server #1 and a side out for server #2.

Serve: The first shot that begins each point seeking sequence.  You must stand behind the baseline, between the sideline and centerline extended.  The serve must be struck underhand and below the waist. A team may only score when they are serving.

Dink: A ball that is softly hit, low to the net, from the no volley zone on one side of the net and bounces into the no volley zone on the opponent’s side of the net. This shot if done well, is not attackable.

Ground Stroke: Also called a drive.  A ball hit off of the bounce into the opponent’s backcourt. (past the NVZ line)

Volley: A ball hit in the air before it bounces.

Drop Shot: A soft shot, hit off the bounce, from deep in the court, that is intended to land in the NVZ.  This shot is used to give the player at the baseline, time to get to the NVZ, where the majority of the game should be played.

Lob: Hitting the ball in a high arc towards the back of the opposing player’s court.  This shot is usually hit over the opponent’s heads, landing near the baseline.

Overhead: Hitting a lobbed ball towards the opponent’s feet.  This is usually a very powerful hit.

Fault: Any action the stops play because of a rule violation.

Side Out: This is the time, after a fault has occurred for server #2 (in doubles), when the serve changes to the opposing team. In singles, this occurs after the server faults.

The following is an abbreviated form of the rules to give a quick overview of how the game is played. If there is a conflict between this summary and the official rules, the official rules prevail.

Basic Rules

• Pickleball is played either as doubles (two players per team) or singles; doubles is most common
• The same size playing area and rules are used for both singles and doubles

The Serve

• The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc when the ball is struck.
• Paddle contact with the ball must not be made above the waist level.
• The head of the paddle must not be above the highest part of the wrist at contact.
• A ‘drop serve’ is also permitted in which case none of the elements above apply.
• At the time the ball is struck, the server’s feet may not touch the court or outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or centerline and at least one foot must be behind the baseline on the playing surface or the ground behind the baseline.
• The serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court, behind the NVZ line.
• Only one serve attempt is allowed per server.

Serving Sequence

• Both players on the serving doubles team have the opportunity to serve and score points until they commit a fault *(except for the first service sequence of each new game).
• The first serve of each side-out is made from the right/even court.
• If a point is scored, the server switches sides and the server initiates the next serve from the left/odd court.
• As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is committed, and the first server loses the serve.
• When the first server loses the serve the partner then serves from their correct side of the court (except for the first service sequence of the game*).
• The second server continues serving until his team commits a fault and loses the serve to the opposing team.
• Once the service goes to the opposition (at side out), the first serve is from the right/even court and both players on that team have the opportunity to serve and score points until their team commits two faults.
• In singles the server serves from the right/even court when his or her score is even and from the left/odd when the score is odd.

*At the beginning of each new game only one partner on the serving team has the opportunity to serve before faulting, after which the service passes to the receiving team (side out).

Scoring

• Points are scored only by the serving team.
• Games are normally played to 11 points, win by 2.
• Tournament games may be to 15 or 21, win by 2.
• When the serving team’s score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) the player who was the first server in the game for that team will be in the right/even court when serving or receiving; when odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) that player will be in the left/odd court when serving or receiving.

Two-Bounce Rule (one bounce per side on each serve)

• When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces.
• After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke).
• The two-bounce rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage and extends rallies.

Non-Volley Zone

• The non-volley zone is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net.
• Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone.
• It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps on the non-volley zone, including the line and/or when the player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the non-volley zone including the associated lines.
• It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone, even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.
• A player may legally be in the non-volley zone any time other than when volleying a ball.
• The non-volley zone is commonly referred to as “the kitchen.”

Line Calls

• A ball contacting any part of any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in.”
• A serve contacting the non-volley zone line is short and a fault.

Faults

• A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
• A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team.
• A fault by the serving team results in the server’s loss of serve or side out.

Determining Serving Team

Any fair method can be used to determine which player or team has first choice of side, service, or receive. (Example: Write a 1 or 2 on the back of the score sheet.)  Most local courts have a preset side that always serves first.