Master the fastest-growing sport in America with our comprehensive rules guide covering everything from basic gameplay to tournament regulations.
2 or 4 players
11 points (win by 2)
15-25 minutes
Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Players use solid paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over the net. The game can be played as singles or doubles.
Unlike tennis, the ball must bounce once on each side before volleys are allowed, and there's a 7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net called "the kitchen."
Games are played to 11 points and must be won by 2 points. In tournament play, games may be played to 15 or 21 points.
Only the serving team can score points. When the serving team commits a fault, they lose their serve (side out).
Score is called as three numbers: serving team's score, receiving team's score, and server number (1 or 2 in doubles).
Example: "5-3-2"
Serving team has 5, receiving team has 3, server #2 is serving
The non-volley zone extends 7 feet from the net on both sides. Players cannot volley (hit the ball in the air) while standing in this zone.