Pickleball Rules
Pickleball rules — serving, the kitchen (non-volley zone), double-bounce rule, scoring to 11, and faults per USA Pickleball official rules.
Players
Doubles (also singles)
Game
To 11, win by 2 (side-out scoring)
Court
44 × 20 ft; 7 ft kitchen
Serve
Underhand, below waist, diagonal
Field & Equipment 1
Equipment
USAP-listed paddles; 26 holes indoor / 40 outdoor balls
Equipment
USAP-listed paddles; 26 holes indoor / 40 outdoor balls
Sanctioned play requires paddles from the USAP approved list. Outdoor balls have 40 smaller holes; indoor balls 26 larger ones.
Game Format 2
Doubles Serve Rotation
Both partners serve before side-out (except first turn)
Doubles Serve Rotation
Both partners serve before side-out (except first turn)
Each partner serves until their side faults, then the second server goes; the game’s opening turn gets only one server ("start at 0-0-2"). Score is called server-score, receiver-score, server number.
Timeouts
2 per game (60 sec)
Timeouts
2 per game (60 sec)
Each side gets two 60-second timeouts per game plus a two-minute break between games.
Gameplay 6
Two-Bounce Rule
Serve AND return must bounce before volleys begin
Two-Bounce Rule
Serve AND return must bounce before volleys begin
The receiving team must let the serve bounce, and the serving team must let the return bounce. After those two bounces, volleys are allowed (outside the kitchen).
USAP Rule 7.A
Faults
Into net, out, kitchen volley, wrong bounce order
Faults
Into net, out, kitchen volley, wrong bounce order
Common faults: serve/shot into the net or out of bounds, volleying in the kitchen, violating the two-bounce rule, touching the net, or a ball hitting a player.
Non-Volley Zone (Kitchen)
No volleys while touching the 7-ft zone
Non-Volley Zone (Kitchen)
No volleys while touching the 7-ft zone
You may not volley while any part of you (or your momentum) touches the non-volley zone or its lines. You may stand in the kitchen to play balls that have bounced.
USAP Rule 9
Line Calls
Balls on the line are in (except kitchen line on serve)
Line Calls
Balls on the line are in (except kitchen line on serve)
Every line is good — except the kitchen line on the serve, which is a fault. Players call their own side; doubt means "in".
USAP Rule 6
Court Positioning
Only the correct receiver may return serve
Court Positioning
Only the correct receiver may return serve
The diagonal receiver must return the serve; a partner striking it is a fault. After the return, any positioning is legal — stacking is allowed.
The Serve
Underhand below the waist, behind baseline, diagonal
The Serve
Underhand below the waist, behind baseline, diagonal
Serves are struck underhand with contact below the waist (or a legal drop serve), from behind the baseline, landing in the diagonal service court beyond the kitchen. One attempt per point.
USAP Rule 4
Scoring 1
Scoring
To 11, win by 2; only the serving team scores
Scoring
To 11, win by 2; only the serving team scores
Traditional side-out scoring: only the serving side scores points. Games go to 11 (win by two); tournaments may play to 15 or 21. Rally scoring is an emerging league option.
USAP Rule 12
Your league may vary
These are the recreational baselines. Leagues on UnderDraft publish their own rule sets — players see exactly which variations apply before every game, and referees enforce them from the sideline.
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