Pickleball · Pickleball Tips · Rules of Pickleball ·Mar 27, 2024

Rules of Pickleball: Serving, Scoring & The Kitchen

What Are the Rules for Pickleball?

Whether you’re stepping onto the pickleball court for the first time or gearing up for tournament play, understanding the fundamental rules makes the game smoother, faster, and more fun. From serving correctly to staying out of the kitchen during volleys, knowing how to follow (and avoid breaking!) core rules ensures you spend less time arguing line calls and more time winning rallies. CURREX® PICKLEBALLPRO™ was engineered to support faster transitions, quick pivots, and stable footing, so mastering the rules becomes even easier with movement you can depend on.

Doubles vs. Singles: How the Rules Differ

Most pickleball matches are played in doubles, with two players on each team. Singles follows nearly all the same rules with one key difference:

In singles, the server serves from the right side if their score is even, and from the left side when their score is odd. For players transitioning between singles and doubles, this small rule can make scoring easier to track.

Pickleball Serving Rules

Serving correctly sets the tone for the entire rally, establishing both the pace of play and your strategic position on the court. A well-executed serve gives you control from the very first shot, while a rushed or technically incorrect serve can lead to an easy fault and lost momentum. Whether you're new to the sport or fine-tuning your competitive edge, mastering the fundamentals of the pickleball serve ensures consistent, confident play every time you step behind the baseline. Here are the essentials every player should know.

The Basics of Serving in Pickleball

Announce the complete score before serving.
Serve from behind the baseline.
Both feet must remain behind the baseline and between the imaginary extensions of the sideline and centerline until after striking the ball.
The arm must move in an upward arc, creating an underhand serve.
The paddle must remain below waist level at contact.
Serves are made diagonally across the court.
The serve must land in the correct service box, not in the kitchen or on the kitchen line.
At the start of the game, the serving team gets only one server until a fault occurs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common serving mistakes include leaning too far forward and unintentionally creating a foot fault, hitting the ball with excessive force that sends it long, and contacting the ball above the waist, which results in an illegal serve. Understanding these errors helps players stay consistent and maintain control from the very first shot.

Serve Position Rules

Every new serve and every side out begins on the right side.
If the serving team wins a point, the server switches to the left side.
With each point earned, the server continues alternating sides until a fault.
In doubles, both players serve before a side out occurs, except at the start of the game.

Pro Tip: Using insoles with strong lateral support helps maintain balance as you switch between service positions quickly.

The Two-Bounce Rule

The two-bounce rule prevents players from dominating with aggressive net play immediately after the serve.

After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side.
The serving team must then let the return bounce once on their side.
After those two bounces, players may volley or continue ground strokes.

This rule keeps rallies fair and promotes more strategic play.

Pickleball Scoring Rules

Pickleball uses side-out scoring, meaning only the serving team can score points. This unique system sets pickleball apart from sports like tennis or rally-scoring leagues and can take newcomers a moment to get used to. Once you understand how points are earned, and how to correctly call the score, the flow of each game becomes much easier to follow. Here’s how scoring works in both singles and doubles.

How to Score

The serving team earns a point when the opponent fails to return the ball or commits a fault.
Games typically go to 11 points, and a team must win by 2 points.
Tournament games may extend to 15 or 21 points, still requiring a 2-point victory.

How to Call the Score

Singles: Call the server’s score first, then the receiver’s.
Doubles: Call three numbers:
- Server’s score
- Receiver’s score
- Server number (1 or 2)

Kitchen Rules: Understanding the Non-Volley Zone

The non-volley zone, better known as the kitchen, extends 7 feet from the net on both sides. You can enter the kitchen anytime, but there is one rule that matters most:

You cannot volley the ball while standing in the kitchen. A volley is any shot hit before the ball bounces.

A kitchen foot fault occurs when:

You step on or over the kitchen line while volleying.
Your momentum carries you into the kitchen after the volley.
Your paddle, hat, sweatband, or any gear drops into the kitchen during or after a volley.

Pro Tip: Proper balance reduces kitchen foot faults. Insoles with heel stabilization and forefoot grip, like CURREX PICKLEBALLPRO, keep players grounded during split-steps, pivots, and net play.

Line Call Basics

Line calls are essential for maintaining fair play in pickleball. During a serve, the ball is considered “in” if it touches any part of the sideline, baseline, or centerline, but it must not land on the kitchen line. During regular play, any shot that lands on a boundary line is also ruled “in,” while a ball that lands completely outside those lines is deemed out. Understanding these distinctions helps keep rallies clear, accurate, and dispute-free.

Faults & Side Outs

A fault results in loss of rally. Faults include:

Stepping on or into the kitchen during a volley
Foot faults during serve
Hitting the ball into the net
Hitting the ball out of bounds
Serving above the waist
Double hits or illegal carries
Time violations or improper conduct

In doubles, the first server (Server 1) faults, then Server 2 serves; after Server 2 faults, a side out occurs and serve goes to the other team.

Understanding pickleball rules not only improves your performance but also helps you keep matches enjoyable and fair. Just like knowing where to stand, when to volley, or how to serve legally, having the right foundation under your feet makes a difference. Whether you're perfecting your serve or rushing into the kitchen for a dink rally, CURREX helps you move with confidence, so you can focus on your game, not your footing.

Pickleball Rules FAQs:

Q: Can you ever volley in the kitchen?
A: No. You may enter the kitchen at any time, but you may not volley the ball while inside the non-volley zone or touching the kitchen line. If momentum carries you into the kitchen after a volley, it is still a fault.

Q: What is a foot fault in pickleball?
A: A foot fault occurs when a player steps into a restricted area at the wrong time—typically stepping on or over the baseline during a serve, or stepping on the kitchen line while volleying. Proper balance and footwork help prevent accidental faults.

Q: Who can score points in pickleball?
A: In traditional side-out scoring, only the serving team can score points. If the receiving team wins the rally, they gain the serve but not a point. Some recreational leagues use rally scoring, in which both teams can score.

Q: What is the two-bounce rule?
A: After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side, and once on the serving side, before players may begin volleying. This keeps the game fair and prevents aggressive net play right off the serve.

Q: When is the ball “in” or “out”?
A: On the serve, the ball is “in” if it lands on any part of the correct service box lines, except the kitchen line. During regular play, any ball that touches the boundary lines is considered “in.” The ball is “out” if it lands completely outside the lines.

Q: Where can I find the official pickleball rulebook?
A: The official rules are updated annually by USA Pickleball.