How to Play Pickleball: Serve, Score, and Dominate the Court

How to Play Pickleball: Serve, Score, and Dominate the Court

Written by Samir Parekh
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Published on December 18, 2024

Old and new sports become popular again all the time, with their own styles and trends. This year, lots of people asked, “How to play pickleball?” This made many old pickleball courts get fixed up, since it’s a very old game. This comeback has made the sport popular again with everyone, young and old, good players and beginners. This new interest has also led to better equipment and new ways to play, making pickleball even more popular again. So let us understand this game by understanding the rules, score, serves, and much more.

How to Play Pickleball?

Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court (20′ x 44′) with a 36″ net at the sidelines and 34″ in the center. A 7’ non-volley zone (“kitchen”) at each end prohibits volleying. Typically played in doubles (two players per team), these rules focus on doubles play.

Here are the seven main pickleball rules:

  • Serve: Each rally begins with a serve. The right-side player serves diagonally to the opponent. The serve can be underhand (forehand or backhand, below the waist, with an upward paddle arc) or a bounce serve, but must clear the kitchen.
  • Two-Bounce Rule: Before volleying, the ball must bounce once on each side. This prevents the serving team from immediately rushing the net.
  • Faults: Play continues until a fault occurs, ending the rally. Faults include serving outside the service area or into the kitchen, hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the net and landing on your side, and the ball bouncing twice on one side.
  • No Kitchen Volleys: You cannot volley while any part of your body is in the kitchen (or on the line), nor can momentum carry you into the kitchen after a volley. You can play a ball that bounces in the kitchen.
  • Scoring: You only score on your serve. After scoring, you and your partner switch sides. When your team loses a point, your partner serves. When your team loses both serves, the serve goes to the opposing team (“side out”).
  • Score Calling: Before serving, announce the score with three numbers (e.g., “0-0-2”): serving team’s score, receiving team’s score, and which server (1 or 2). At the start of a new game, the first server calls “0-0-2”.
  • Winning: The first team to 11 points wins, but must win by two. Games can continue past 11-10 until a two-point lead is achieved.

How to Serve in Pickleball?

  • Underhand Stroke: The serve must be underhand, contacting the ball below the waist. The arm must move in an upward arc, and the paddle head’s highest point must be below the wrist at contact.
  • Drop Serve Option: You can drop the ball and hit it after the bounce. The ball must fall naturally without added force.
  • Diagonal Placement: Serve diagonally across the net into the opposite service court, from behind the baseline and within the imaginary extensions of the sidelines and centerline.
  • Deep Center Target: Aim deep and toward the center of the opponent’s service court to keep them back.
  • Follow Through and Return: Follow through toward your target, then return to a ready position behind the baseline until after the third shot.

How to Fix Pickleball Serve Problems?

  • Underhand Contact: While drop serves (bouncing the ball before hitting) are legal, the traditional (and more common) serve is the underhand volley serve. Contact the ball below your belly button/waist, using a smooth, upward pendulum swing from the shoulder, not a flick of the wrist.
  • Foot Placement: At the moment of contact, at least one foot must be behind the baseline. Your feet cannot touch the baseline, its imaginary extensions beyond the sidelines, or the centerline’s extension. Have a partner check your footwork.
  • Stance: Maintain a closed stance (feet parallel to the baseline, non-dominant foot slightly forward) to prevent body rotation and improve consistency. Avoid locking your legs.
  • Aim: Don’t just aim to get the ball over the net. Choose a specific target (e.g., opponent’s backhand) and visualize the ball’s trajectory before serving. Aiming deep can be particularly effective.
  • Grip: The eastern (handshake) grip is recommended for beginners. The “V” formed by your thumb and forefinger should point to the right edge of the top bevel of the handle. Practice switching grips until it becomes natural.
  • Relax: Tension hinders fluidity. Maintain a relaxed posture and swing. A slightly wider stance can help.
  • Use Your Shoulders: Initiate the swing from your shoulder for power and consistency, not just your wrist or elbow.
  • Serve Deep: Deep serves make it harder for opponents to reach the kitchen and can limit their return options. Target the opponent’s backhand.
  • Engage Your Core and Legs: For more power, engage your core and legs. Use an athletic stance (feet wider than shoulder-width, knees inside feet, chest over feet, neutral back).
  • Wear Court Shoes: Wear supportive, lightweight court shoes for agility and comfort.

How to Keep Score in Pickleball

  • Winning: The first player or team to reach 11 points with a two-point lead wins. Only the serving side can score. A point is earned when the receiving side faults (errors).
  • Faults: Faults include forced errors (e.g., missing a hard return) and unforced errors (e.g., foot faults, volleying in the kitchen).
  • Tournament Scoring: Tournaments may use different scoring (e.g., games to 15 or 21, best 2 of 3).
  • Server Numbers (Doubles): The server number indicates which player on the serving team is serving. The right-side player is always server 1 at the start of a team’s service turn. After a fault by server 1, server 2 serves. After both servers fault, it’s a side out. The starting server position alternates each time a team regains the serve.
  • Calling the Score: The serving player must call the score aloud before serving. In doubles, the starting score is called as “0-0-Start” or “0-0-2”.
  • Court Positioning (Doubles): After scoring a point while serving, the serving team switches sides. The receiving team does not move. The first server always starts on the right side when their team’s score is even.
  • Side Out: When both servers on a team fault, it’s a side out, and the serve goes to the opposing team.
  • Singles (2 Numbers): The first number is the server’s score, and the second is the receiver’s score (e.g., 7-10).
  • Doubles (3 Numbers): The first number is the serving team’s score, the second is the receiving team’s score, and the third is the server number (1 or 2).

Pro Tip: Correct positioning is crucial to avoid faults. Starting on the correct side helps players keep track of the score and their server number.

Essential Pickleball Gear from SunnySports

Before diving into the rules and strategies, equipping yourself with the right gear can make a significant difference in your gameplay. Here are some top picks:

Paddles

Balls

Conclusion

The good news is, pickleball is surprisingly easy to pick up. It combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, but the basics are simple. The smaller court size means less running, making it less physically demanding, which is great for beginners. Plus, the lightweight paddle and wiffle ball make it easier to control the game, even if you’re new to racket sports. The social aspect of pickleball, especially when played in doubles, creates a fun and encouraging atmosphere for learning. It’s also adaptable to different skill levels and ages.

With these basics, you’ll be well on your way to understanding how to play pickleball. It’s a fun and engaging sport, and with a little practice, you’ll be joining your friends on the court in no time! You’ll be explaining how to play pickleball to others soon enough! Understanding how to play pickleball also means understanding the scoring, so make sure to pay attention to that. Now you know how to play pickleball and have the basics covered!

Samir Parekh

Samir is an adventure sports enthusiast and loves seeking new challenges. Apart from being a regular tennis player, he is an avid skier, a paragliding pilot and often takes off to hike and trek in the mountains. His latest escapade was cycling through the rough terrains of Leh Ladakh in the summer of 2024. In […]