Core Rules
The five rules you'll use every game.
Volley Serve (standard)
- Ball released and struck out of the air — no bounce
- Paddle must swing in an upward arc (underhand)
- Contact point must be below the navel
- Paddle head must be below the wrist at contact
- At least one foot behind the baseline at contact
- Ball may not be spun or manipulated on release
Drop Serve (alternative)
- Ball dropped from the hand or paddle and allowed to bounce before being struck
- Must fall by gravity — cannot be thrown or pushed downward
- Can be dropped from any natural height
- No restrictions on swing direction, contact height, or paddle angle after the bounce
- At least one foot behind the baseline at contact
Where the Serve Must Land
- Diagonally cross-court into the opponent's service box
- Must land past the NVZ and all NVZ lines — the ball can touch the net on the way over
- Centerline, baseline, and sideline of the service court are all in
- The NVZ line is the only line that counts as out on a serve
Server Foot Position
- At least one foot on the ground behind the baseline
- Neither foot may touch the baseline or court until after the ball is struck
- Feet must stay within the imaginary sideline and centerline extensions
Serve Faults
- Serve lands in the NVZ or on the NVZ line
- Serve lands outside the correct service court
- Serve hits the net and lands in the NVZ or out of bounds
- Foot touches the baseline or court before contact
- Ball struck above the navel or paddle head above wrist (volley serve only)
- Ball pushed downward instead of dropped by gravity (drop serve only)
- Ball spun or manipulated during the release
- Serve struck before the score is fully called
How Points Work
- Only the serving team can score. If the receiving team wins the rally, they earn the serve (called a "side out") but no point.
- Games go to 11, win by 2. Tournaments may use 15 or 21.
- Teams switch ends after each game. In a deciding game (game 3), switch when the first team reaches 6 points.
Three-Number Score
The third number tracks whether it's the team's first or second server. Every game starts at "0-0-2" — the first serving team only gets one server before a side out, to offset the advantage of serving first.
Serve Rotation
- Server 1 serves from the correct side (even score → right, odd → left)
- Win the rally → score a point, both partners switch sides, same server serves again
- Lose the rally → no point, nobody moves, Server 2 takes over from wherever they are
- Server 2 loses → side out — the other team now serves
Position Check
The player who started the game on the right should always be on the right when the team's score is even, and on the left when it's odd. The serving team only switches sides when they score. The receiving team never switches during a service rotation.
Two-Number Score
No server number needed — there's only one player per side. Lose the rally, lose the serve immediately.
Serve Rotation
- Even score → serve from right. Odd → serve from left.
- Win the rally → score, switch sides, serve again
- Lose the rally → side out immediately. No second server.
Step by Step
- Bounce 1: The serve must bounce in the service box before the receiver returns it.
- Bounce 2: The return must bounce before the serving team hits it.
- After that: Either team can volley or play the ball off the bounce. Normal play begins.
"Two bounces" means one bounce on each side — not the ball bouncing twice on your side. If the ball bounces twice on one side, that's a fault.
Common Mistakes
- Serving team charges the net and volleys the return before it bounces
- In doubles, the receiver's partner volleys the serve — only the diagonal receiver may play it
- Confusing "two-bounce" with "the ball can bounce twice on my side" — it can't
The Core Rule
You may not volley — hit the ball out of the air — while any part of you is touching the Non-Volley Zone or its lines. You also may not let your momentum carry you into the zone after a volley, even if the ball is already dead.
Legal
- Stand in the kitchen at any time (just don't volley from there)
- Hit a ball that has already bounced while in the kitchen
- Step into the kitchen before, during, or after a groundstroke
- Let your paddle extend over the NVZ line during a volley, as long as your body stays outside
Faults
- Volleying while any body part touches the NVZ or its lines
- Momentum carrying you into the NVZ after a volley
- Anything you're wearing or carrying (hat, paddle, sunglasses) touching the NVZ during or after a volley
- Your partner being pulled into the NVZ while physically connected to you during a volley
Momentum Rule
If your momentum from a volley carries you into the kitchen — stumbling, stepping, or falling — it's a fault, even after the ball is dead. If you jump to volley, you must land outside the kitchen. You need to re-establish both feet outside before volleying again.
What Counts as "In the Kitchen"?
- Any body part: feet, knees, hands
- Anything you're wearing: hat, sunglasses, towel
- Anything you're carrying: paddle if dropped, spare ball from your pocket
- The kitchen line itself — the line is part of the NVZ
Ball is In
- Touches any part of a boundary line
- No visible daylight between the ball and line
- Any doubt at all → call it in
Ball is Out
- Lands entirely outside the line with clear space
- Hits a permanent fixture before bouncing in bounds
- On serves only: lands on the NVZ line
Who Makes the Call?
- Players call lines on their own side of the court
- Calls must be prompt — before the opponent hits the next shot or the ball goes dead
- If you call "out" then realize it was "in," you lose the rally
- Opponents can ask you to reconsider or appeal to a referee, but they can't overrule calls on your side
Disputed Calls
- Partners disagree → ball is in (benefit goes to the opponent)
- Can't determine in or out → ball is in
- Non-officiated play, teams can't agree → replay the rally
- Officiated play → referee makes the final call
Common Questions
Quick, definitive answers to things that come up mid-game.
Yes. You can stand in the kitchen whenever you want. The only restriction is volleying — you can't hit the ball out of the air while any part of you is touching the zone or its lines. If the ball bounces first, you can hit it from inside the kitchen with no issue.
No replay. There are no let serves in pickleball. If the serve clips the net and still lands in the correct service court (past the NVZ and its lines), the ball is live. If it clips the net and lands in the NVZ or out of bounds, it's a fault.
Fault on the person who got hit. If a ball in flight strikes any player before bouncing — body, clothing, anything they're carrying — it's a fault against that player, regardless of where they're standing. One exception: the ball hitting your hand below the wrist while holding the paddle counts as a paddle hit, and play continues.
The ball is in. When you and your partner can't agree on a call, the benefit goes to the opponent. Same principle applies to any uncertainty: if you're not sure, it's in.
Legal. You can hit the ball around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. If it lands in bounds on the opponent's side, it counts — even if the ball travels below net height. This is called an ATP (around-the-post) shot.
Allowed. The NVZ only applies to the ground surface inside the zone. Your paddle, arms, and anything else can extend over the kitchen line through the air during a volley. The only thing that matters is whether your body is physically touching the zone or its lines.
Even score → right side. Odd score → left side. In doubles, use your team's score. In singles, use your own score. If the score is 0, 2, 4, 6… serve from the right. If it's 1, 3, 5, 7… serve from the left. The receiver stands diagonally opposite.
Legal at any time. You can transfer the paddle from one hand to the other whenever you want. Two-handed shots are also fine. No restrictions on how you hold or handle the paddle.
Legal if unintentional. If the ball contacts the paddle twice during a single continuous swing and it wasn't deliberate, play continues. A deliberate double hit is a fault.
Stop play before the return of serve. Any player can halt the rally to correct the score, but only before the return of serve is struck. If the rally finishes first, the result stands and the score is corrected afterward.
Yes, between rallies. As of the 2025 rule changes, coaching from someone other than your partner is permitted when the ball is not in play. Coaching during a live rally is still a fault. In recreational play, there are no coaching restrictions.
Yes. The Erne is an advanced shot where you jump from outside the sideline, leap over or around the kitchen, and volley the ball near the net. It's legal as long as you don't touch the NVZ or its lines during or after the volley. You must land outside the kitchen.
Fault. If your momentum from a volley carries you into the kitchen — even after the ball is dead, even if you won the rally — it's a fault on you. You need to control your movement and stay out of the zone after any volley.
A legal doubles strategy. Both partners line up on the same side during the serve, then slide into their preferred positions once the ball is in play. Teams use it to keep a stronger forehand in the middle or to give a left-handed player the advantageous side. Nothing in the rules prohibits it.
Reference
Fault tables, equipment specs, edge cases, and supplementary rules.
| Fault | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Out of Bounds | Ball lands outside the court lines (lines are in) |
| Into the Net | Ball fails to clear the net |
| NVZ Volley | Volleying while touching the NVZ or its lines, or momentum carrying you in after a volley |
| Two-Bounce Violation | Volleying the serve or the return of serve before it bounces |
| Double Bounce | Ball bounces twice on one side before being returned |
| Serve Fault | Serve lands in NVZ or on its line, lands out, or violates serve motion rules |
| Ball Hits Player | Ball in flight hits a player's body, clothing, or anything they're carrying |
| Carry / Catch | Ball caught on the paddle face and slung rather than cleanly struck |
| Touching Net | Player, paddle, or clothing touches the net system while the ball is live |
| Crossing the Plane | Reaching over the net to hit the ball before it crosses to your side (follow-through after a legal hit is allowed) |
| Hitting the Net Post | Ball strikes the net post — dead ball, fault on the team that hit it |
| Hitting a Permanent Object | Ball hits the ceiling, wall, fence, or other permanent fixture |
| Distraction | Unusual physical actions that interfere with an opponent's ability to play the ball |
What Happens After a Fault
- Serving team faults (doubles): serve passes to the next server on their team, or it's a side out if Server 2 faulted
- Serving team faults (singles): side out — opponent serves
- Receiving team faults: serving team scores 1 point
- Paddle: Must be rigid, non-compressible, and meet USA Pickleball specifications. No rubber surfaces, drilled holes for spin generation, or rough texturing.
- Ball: Must be a regulation pickleball. Indoor and outdoor balls are both accepted; tournaments specify which type to use.
- Switching hands: Legal at any time during play
- Two-handed shots: Legal at any time
- Changing paddles mid-game: Legal, provided the replacement meets specifications
- Each team gets 2 timeouts per game (in 11-point games)
- Each timeout lasts 1 minute
- Any player on a team with remaining timeouts may call one between rallies — not during a live ball
- Unused timeouts do not carry over between games
- Referee-called timeouts for injury, equipment failure, or court hazards do not count against either team
The 2026 rulebook includes rally scoring as an approved tournament format. In rally scoring, a point is awarded on every rally to whichever team wins it — the receiving team can score without having the serve.
Most recreational and sanctioned play still uses traditional side-out scoring (where only the serving team can score). Check with your tournament director to confirm which format is in use before play begins.
- Ball hits the ceiling (indoor): Fault on the player who hit it
- Wrong server discovered mid-rally: Any player can stop play to raise the issue. If the claim is correct, the rally is replayed. If incorrect, the player who stopped play commits a fault. If the rally completes before anyone stops it, the result stands.
- Wrong score called: Any player can halt play to correct it, but only before the return of serve. If the rally completes first, the result stands and the score is corrected afterward.
- Player injured during a rally: The rally plays out to completion. The injured player's team can call a timeout afterward.
- Cracked or broken ball: Rally is replayed if all players agree the damage affected the outcome.
- Stray ball on court: Call "ball on!" immediately. The rally is replayed.
- Call the score out loud before every serve
- Make honest, prompt line calls — when in doubt, the ball is in
- Don't challenge opponents' line calls unless clearly incorrect; discuss politely and replay if needed
- Intentional distractions during an opponent's shot preparation are faults
- After the game, meet at the net for a paddle tap
- Talking to your partner during play is encouraged ("Mine!", "Yours!", "Bounce it!")
- Saying "out" before the ball bounces is partner communication, not a line call — it does not stop play
- Game is won at 11 points with a 2-point lead (or 15/21 in tournaments)
- Tied at 10-10? Keep playing until one team leads by 2. There is no point cap.
- Switch ends after every game
- In a deciding game (game 3), switch ends when the first team reaches 6 points
| Rule | Doubles | Singles |
|---|---|---|
| Court size | 20 × 44 ft | Same |
| Score format | Three numbers (4-7-2) | Two numbers (3-5) |
| Servers per side | Two (Server 1, then Server 2) | One |
| Game start | "0-0-2" (one server only) | "0-0" (standard serve) |
| Side out | After both servers lose a rally | After one lost rally |
| Even/odd sides | Based on team score | Based on server's score |
| Two-bounce rule | Same | Same |
| Kitchen rules | Same | Same |
Court Diagram
20 × 44 ft, same for singles and doubles. Each side: two 10 × 15 ft service boxes plus a 7-ft Non-Volley Zone.