Adventure into pickleball and you’ll find a sport that’s silly to say but serious to love: the two-bounce rule shapes every rally, the kitchen (non-volley zone) can wreck your momentum if you volley there, and mastering the dink makes your game quietly unstoppable while the underhand serve keeps things delightfully accessible.
Key Takeaways:
- Pickleball is played on a 20x44 ft court with solid paddles and a perforated plastic ball; doubles is most common.
- Serves must be underhand with contact below the waist and paddle below the wrist, struck from behind the baseline and into the diagonal service court; a drop serve is allowed and you get one serve attempt.
- The two-bounce rule requires the serve and the return to bounce once on each side before any volleying is allowed.
- The kitchen (7-foot non-volley zone) forbids volleying while standing in or touching the line; you may enter to play bounced balls but cannot have momentum carry you into the zone after a volley.
- Only the serving team can score; games go to 11 (win by 2); doubles score is announced as "your score–their score–server number" and both partners serve except at the game start.
The Basics: What is Pickleball?
What You’ll See on the Court
Picture two teams—usually doubles—scrambling across a 20-by-44-foot rectangle with a 34-inch net and a 7-foot band on each side called the kitchen; that 7-foot non-volley zone is where most arguments (and comedy) happen. You’ll notice paddles roughly the size of a small frying pan—beginners often buy composite models in the $30–60 range—and two types of balls: lighter, large-holed indoor balls and heavier, small-holed outdoor ones that resist wind. Serve technique stands out too: underhand is the norm, but the newer drop-serve option makes life easier for novices because you can hit after a bounce with fewer restrictions.
How the Game Actually Plays
Rallies start slow—after the serve the ball must bounce once on each side—which pulls everyone to the kitchen line where dink duels reign; if you push too hard, the soft game will eat you alive. Expect recreational matches to run about 15–30 minutes, games played to 11 points (win by 2), and simple but costly faults like volleying while on or touching the kitchen line—that single misstep loses the rally. You’ll win more by placement and patience than by smashing; learn one reliable dink and you’ll terrify opponents faster than an overpowered serve.
Gear Up: The Equipment You’ll Need
Paddle
Pick a paddle by weight and grip size first: most paddles sit between 7.0–9.5 oz (≈198–269 g), and as a beginner you’ll get the best mix of control and pop in the 7.5–8.3 oz (≈213–235 g) range. Polymer-core composite paddles are forgiving and quiet (great for parks and beginners), Nomex or aluminum cores play faster and feel stiffer—so if your wrist or elbow nags after a session, you likely picked one that’s too heavy or too rigid. Aim for a grip circumference around 4 to 4 1/4 inches unless you’ve tested otherwise; a grip that’s too large or too small will wreck your wrist control faster than a missed dink.
Balls, Shoes & Extras
Go for balls matched to where you’ll play: indoor balls are lighter with larger holes and jump differently than outdoor balls, and a popular outdoor choice is the Dura Fast 40 (durable, predictable bounce). Buy a 6–12 pack to stop playing with flattened demo balls. Court shoes with strong lateral support and a non-marking sole are a must—avoid running shoes; they lack side-to-side stability and increase your risk of ankle and knee twists. Throw in an overgrip or two, a paddle cover, and a water bottle—those little extras cost $10–$30 but save you a lot of sweaty regret.
Court One-on-One: Understanding the Pickleball Court Layout
Singles Court Basics
The singles court uses the same 20 feet by 44 feet dimensions as doubles, with a 7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net and the net sitting at about 34 inches in the center (36 inches at the posts). You still have right and left service boxes; the serve must land diagonally in the opposite box and clear the non-volley (kitchen) line or it’s a fault. Because the playing area is compact, you won’t be sprinting like a tennis player—use quick lateral steps and court positioning to cover the whole court effectively.
Positioning and Serving in Singles
Serve from behind the baseline with at least one foot grounded, and aim deep to push your opponent back—standing 2–3 feet behind the baseline on returns often gives you time to recover. In singles the server starts from the right when your score is even and from the left when it’s odd; after the serve the two-bounce rule still applies, and you can only volley once both sides have let it bounce. Watch the kitchen: stepping on or touching the line while volleying is an immediate fault, so don’t lean in—instead, use dink and placement to force errors and win points.
Serve It Up: Mastering the Serving Rules
Serving Technique and Placement
Use an underhand stroke with an upward arc so the paddle contacts the ball below your waist and the paddle head is below your wrist. Keep at least one foot behind the baseline, aim diagonally to the opposite service box, and try to land the ball beyond the 7-foot non-volley zone—land the serve about 2–4 feet inside the opponent’s baseline to push them back and buy yourself court position. A practical drill: practice 20 serves with the goal of getting 12+ in-bounds to build consistency before you start placing for direction.
Common Service Faults and the Drop Serve
Faults include serving overhand or above the waist, stepping on/over the baseline, landing the serve in the kitchen, or hitting the net (there are no let serves). You get one serve attempt; if you fault, the serve either passes to your partner or the other team depending on the serving order. The newer drop serve lets you drop the ball, let it bounce, then hit—no paddle-position restriction—so beginners often raise their first-serve percentage dramatically by practicing a controlled drop serve from about shoulder height and aiming deep.
Bounce to the Beat: The Two-Bounce Rule Explained
How the sequence actually plays out
You serve and the ball lands on their side — that's bounce one. Their return must clear the net and land on your side — bounce two — before anyone is allowed to volley. Volleying the opponent's return on the fly (before that second bounce) is a fault; if your team was serving you lose the point, if you were returning you simply hand the serve back. After those two bounces the game opens up: either partner can step up and take the ball in the air, but you still have to respect the kitchen—no volleys while standing on or touching that 7-foot non‑volley zone.
Picture a common beginner scenario: you step up to the kitchen to pounce on a soft serve return and swing before the ball bounces on your side — friendly game, immediate fault. Better play is to let the two bounces happen, then move up to just behind the kitchen line (about 7 feet from the net) and work the dink exchanges that win points. The two-bounce rule is what forces those longer rallies and strategic plays; treat it like the metronome of the court and your timing will improve fast.
Kitchen Confidential: Navigating the Non-Volley Zone
What's Allowed and What Gets You Penalized
That 7-foot non-volley zone on both sides of the net means you cannot hit a volley while standing on or touching the kitchen line. If any part of your foot or paddle touches the line during or after a volley, it's an immediate fault; momentum carrying you into the kitchen after a volley is also a fault, so avoid lunging finishers that send you over the line. You may step into the kitchen to play balls that have bounced, stand there while the ball is on the other side, or pass through between points—just don't expect to smash from inside the zone.
Position yourself just behind the kitchen line after the two-bounce sequence to control dinks and force errors. Practice soft shots that land ~2–3 feet past the net to pull opponents forward; dinking wins rallies more often than brute force because a mistimed charge that brushes the kitchen line hands the point to your opponent. For a handy rules refresher, check How Do You Play Pickleball? A Guide to Rules and Scoring.
To wrap up
Conclusively, you’ve got the basics: how to serve (underhand or drop serve), the two-bounce rule that drags you up to the kitchen, the non-volley kitchen restrictions, the quirky scoring, and the etiquette that keeps play friendly — all the bits that turn chaos into a game you can actually enjoy. With a paddle, a plastic ball, and a willingness to laugh at your own mis-hits, you’ll be in the flow faster than your neighbor’s tournament brags suggest.
You’ll fumble serves and forget scores, but that’s the fun part: patience, soft dinks, and getting to the kitchen line will turn clumsy rallies into satisfying points. Play a few games, chat with partners, and before long your “accidental” winners will feel like strategy rather than luck.
FAQ
Q: What is pickleball and how is it played?
A: Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a 20' x 44' court with a 34" net using solid paddles and a perforated plastic ball. It can be singles or doubles (doubles is most common). Players hit the ball over the net to win rallies by landing shots in bounds or forcing faults. Play mixes elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis and emphasizes placement and quick net play.
Q: What equipment and court markings do I need to know?
A: Essential gear: a paddle (composite or graphite for beginners), indoor/outdoor plastic ball, and court shoes with lateral support. Key court lines: baselines (back), sidelines, centerline dividing left/right service courts, and the 7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net called the kitchen. The kitchen line, service areas, and net height (34" at center) define legal play zones.
Q: How do I serve legally and what is the drop serve option?
A: Serves must be underhand with contact below the server’s waist and the highest part of the paddle below the wrist at contact. At least one foot must be behind the baseline and the serve must go diagonally into the opposite service court, clearing the kitchen. A serve that lands in the kitchen, outside the service box, or is hit overhand is a fault; there are no let serves—if the ball hits the net and does not land properly it’s a fault. You normally get one serve attempt; the drop serve option lets you drop the ball and hit it after a bounce, with no paddle-position restrictions.
Q: What is the two-bounce rule and how does it affect play?
A: After the serve both teams must let the ball bounce once on their side before volleying. Sequence: serve → receiving team lets it bounce and returns → serving team lets that return bounce → after those two bounces, volleys are allowed. This forces more groundstrokes early in the rally and reduces immediate serve-and-volley domination, encouraging longer exchanges and net play.
Q: What are the kitchen (non-volley zone) rules and common violations?
A: The kitchen is a 7-foot area on each side of the net where you cannot volley while standing in or touching the kitchen line. You may enter to play a ball that has bounced, stand there while the ball is on the opponent’s side, and pass through between points. Violations include volleying while any part of your body or paddle touches the kitchen or its line, and allowing momentum from a volley to carry you into the kitchen; those are faults.
Q: How does scoring work in doubles and when does service change?
A: Scores are announced as [your score]-[their score]-[server number]. Only the serving team can score. Games are usually to 11 points, win by 2. Both partners serve in turn (except the very first service of the match when the first serving team has only one server, often shown as 0-0-2). When the serving team loses a rally, service passes to that partner (or, if both partners have served and lost, it’s a side out and the opposing team serves).
Q: What are common faults and basic tips for beginners?
A: Common faults: serving overhand or above the waist, foot faults on serve, serve into the kitchen, ball out of bounds, ball not clearing the net, volleying in the kitchen, double hits, ball bouncing twice, and touching the net. Beginner tips: after the two-bounce rule move up to the kitchen line, practice soft dink shots, return serves deep, communicate with your partner (call “mine”/“yours”), watch the middle of the court, and use good court shoes. Good etiquette: call your own lines, be polite about lucky shots, avoid blasting opponents at close range in casual play, and keep play light and friendly.