All About Pickleball

What is Pickleball?

Basic story of pickbleball.

Basic Rules

• Hit the ball over the net, within the lines, all lines count as in. Score points only on your serve. Play to 11.
• Serve under hand, cross court, both teammates serve, then the other team serves.  The serve must bounce, the return must bounce, then normal play.
• Stay out of the Non-Volley Zone when hitting a ball that has not bounced.
• Be nice! Be honest! Call lines on your side of the net. If you didn’t see the ball land, call it in.

More Detailed Rules

Scoring

• A team may only score on their serve.  On every side out, both team members serve. 
• The score must be called by the server at the beginning of every point. Always call the serving team score first, followed by the receiving team’s score. The last number called is either a “1” or a “2”, indicating whether the server is the 1^st or 2^nd server of the side out. Example: 6-9-2 or 7-3-1
• A typical game is played to 11 points, win by 2. A tournament game may be played to 15 or 21, win by 2.

Serving

• Players serve cross court.
• The player in the right hand court is the first server of a side out. If a point is scored, the serving team’s players switch sides of the court and the 1^st server again serves the ball.  Upon loss of a rally, the serving team’s other player serves from the court he or she is currently in.
• The server must stay in within the sidelines of the court when serving, and cannot touch the baseline before the ball is served.
• All serves are underhand, with the paddle moving in an upward motion, the paddle below the wrist and below the waist when contact is made with the ball.
• The serve must land beyond the Non-Volley Zone.  If it hits the NVZ line, it is “in” the NVZ and a serving fault.
• The served ball must bounce before the receiver can hit the ball.  The returned ball must also bounce before the serving team may hit the ball.  This is called the “two bounce rule”. From that point one, any team may choose to let the ball bounce or volley the ball without a bounce.

Non-Volley Zone Rules

• To volley a ball means to hit it in the air without letting it bounce. All volleying must be done with both of the player’s feet behind the non-volley zone. 
• The NVZ is the area between the net and the 7ft line.  It is a 2 dimensional area. You may reach over it and not be in the NVZ. Only actual contact with the floor or line is a fault, but only when volleying. It is legal to stand in the NVZ before and after hitting a ball that has bounced.
• If a player’s momentum causes them to step on or over the NV line after hitting a volley they have committed a fault and lose the point, even if the play has continued or the point is finished.
• A player may jump across the NV line after hitting a volley if they don’t touch any part of the NVZ including the lines while doing so. 
• The NVZ is also nick-named “The Kitchen.”  Don’t ask why. I don’t know. But I can explain why it is called Pickleball.

General Faults

• Serving the ball into an incorrect area. 
• Hitting the ball out of bounds. 
• Volleying the ball before it has bounced once on each side. 
• Hitting the ball into the net or hitting the net with your paddle or body. 
• Not calling the score before the serve.
• Being the wrong server, receiver or serving or receiving from the wrong side of the court.

Pickleball Etiquette

• Be friendly, be honest.
• Call lines on your side of the net.  If you didn’t see it clearly, ask your partner.  If neither saw it clearly, ask the other team. If no one saw it, it is considered in. When in doubt, yield to the other team.
• If you call the ball in and your partner calls the ball out, it is considered in.
• Wait to serve until the receiving team is ready. Always call the score before serving.
• At the end of each game, players gather to thank and congratulate each other and tap paddles.
• Don’t try to hit the other players with the ball, especially on hard slams.  If you hit a player, which happens sometimes, apologize. If you get hit, don’t take it personally. Wear your bruises with pride.
• Never throw the paddle or kick the ball in frustration.  Don’t hit the ball after a point is over.