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Pickleball rules for beginners: the basics

Pickleball mixes bits of tennis, badminton and table tennis. You can learn enough to play a friendly game in one evening.

Updated 20 Oct 2026

The kit

  • Paddle: solid, with no strings, bigger than a table tennis bat and smaller than a tennis racket.
  • Ball: light plastic with holes. Outdoor balls are usually harder with smaller holes; indoor balls are softer with bigger holes.
  • Shoes: court or indoor sports shoes with a flat sole. Running shoes are built for moving forward, not side to side.

The court

A pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long, the same size as a badminton doubles court. The net is 36 inches high at the sides and 34 inches in the middle.

On each side, the 7 feet closest to the net is the non-volley zone, which everyone calls the kitchen.

The serve

  • Serve underhand, hitting the ball below your waist.
  • Serve diagonally, into the service box across from you.
  • The serve must clear the kitchen. A serve landing in the kitchen, or on its line, is a fault.

The two-bounce rule

After the serve, the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone can hit it in the air:

  1. The receiving side lets the serve bounce, then returns it.
  2. The serving side lets that return bounce, then plays it.
  3. After that, players can either volley (hit it in the air) or let it bounce.

The kitchen rule

You can't volley while you're standing in the kitchen or touching its line, and your momentum can't carry you into it after a volley. You can step into the kitchen to play a ball that has bounced there.

This one rule is what makes pickleball a game of soft, clever shots near the net, not just big hitting.

Scoring, the simple version

  • In the traditional format, only the serving side scores points.
  • Games are usually played to 11, and you must win by 2.
  • In doubles, both partners usually get a turn to serve before the serve passes to the other side.

Local clubs sometimes use other formats, so ask before your first game.

Your first game

Start with doubles: there's less court to cover. Keep your paddle up in front of you, move to the kitchen line once the two bounces are done, and aim soft shots low over the net.

Tezvia pickleball gear is coming after cricket. See what's planned, or browse more guides.