Pickleball Rules Explained in 5 Minutes (for Total Beginners)

Pickleball is easy to learn, but a few rules trip up every new player. Here's the short version.

The court

Same size as a badminton court: 20' × 44'. The 7-foot zone on each side of the net is the non-volley zone — everyone calls it "the kitchen."

Serving

Serve underhand, below the waist, diagonally cross-court. The serve must clear the kitchen and land in the opposite service box. You get one attempt (no second serves like tennis).

The two-bounce rule

After the serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning it — and the serving team must let that return bounce too. After those two bounces, either team may volley (hit it in the air).

The kitchen rule

You can't volley while standing in the kitchen or touching its line. You can stand in the kitchen to hit a ball that has bounced. Momentum counts: if you volley and then fall into the kitchen, it's a fault.

Scoring

Only the serving team can score. Games go to 11, win by 2. In doubles, the score is called as three numbers: your score, their score, and which server you are (1 or 2). Say "0-0-2" to start.

Faults

Ball out of bounds, into the net, volleyed in the kitchen, or hit before the required bounce. A fault ends the rally.

That's it. Grab a paddle, find a court on your local courts app, and go play — most players learn the rest in one afternoon.