ORLANDO, Fla. – These days, it’s rare to find someone who has not heard of Pickleball. It’s been dubbed America’s fastest growing sport. According to USA Pickleball, the governing body for the sport, Pickleball grew to 8.9 million players in 2023.
Pickleball is played on a badminton-size court, and players use a whiffle-style ball and paddles. It can be played as singles or more commonly, as doubles.
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The rule-book is extensive, but here are some of the basics based on doubles play:
THE KITCHEN
Formally known as the non-volley zone, the kitchen is the 7-foot zone on each side of the net. You can not volley a ball (hit a shot out of the air) while standing in the kitchen zone or on the kitchen line. The only time you can hit a ball while standing in the kitchen, is if it bounces in the kitchen area first.
SCORING
Games are typically played to 11 points, and only the serving team can score. Each time a point is scored, the server switches sides with their partner.
Before each serve, the score has to be announced by the serving team using three numbers. The first number is your score. The second number is your opponent’s score and the third number represents which player is serving. It is always either 1 or 2. For example:
Serving Team Score: 5
Receiving Team Score: 7
Current Server: 1
THE SERVE
When it’s your turn to serve, just think the opposite of tennis. Instead of using an overhead leaping motion while serving, you have to use an underhand upward arcing motion. Your paddle has to connect with the ball while below your waist. Some other important things to remember:
- On a serve, you can either hit the ball underhand out of the air, or drop it on the ground and then hit it underhand
- The score must be announced before each serve
- The ball must clear the kitchen and land in the court diagonal to the server
- Each player on the team gets a chance to serve and the player on the right side always serves first
DOUBLE BOUNCE RULE
Before the game can be played freely, the ball must bounce twice, once on each side of the court. When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce once before returning it. The serving team must then let the ball bounce before returning.
FAULTS
After the double bounce, play continues until there is a fault. That is any action that stops play. A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team. A fault by the serving team results in either the change of server or a side out (opponent gets the ball). Some common faults include:
- Volleying a ball in the kitchen or on the kitchen line
- Hitting a ball out of bounds
- Hitting a ball into the net
These rules should get you through your first match up. For a look at the full official rulebook click here.
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