Official Pickleball Rules and Regulations

Court Dimensions

Pickleball Vectors by Vecteezy

• A pickleball court is 20 feet wide (6.1m) and 44 feet long (13.41m), the same size as a doubles badminton court.
• The net is 36 inches (0.91m) high at the sidelines and 34 inches (0.86m) high at the center.
• The non-volley zone (also called "the kitchen") extends 7 feet (2.13m) from the net on each side.
• The service courts are 10 feet deep by 10 feet wide.
• The baseline is the back line of the court, while the sideline marks the outer edge.

Equipment

• Paddle: Made of lightweight composite materials, wood, or polymer. Paddles must meet USAPA specifications.
• Ball: A perforated plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball, typically 2.87-2.97 inches in diameter.
• Apparel: Athletic clothing and court shoes are recommended for proper movement and comfort.

Basic Serving Regulations

• Serves must be made underhand, with the paddle below the waist.
• The server must keep one foot behind the baseline during the serve.
• The serve is made diagonally crosscourt to the opponent's service court.
• Only one serve attempt is allowed, except if the ball touches the net and lands in the proper service court (this is called a "let" and the serve is retaken).
• The serve must clear the non-volley zone and land in the opposite diagonal service court.

The Two-Bounce Rule

After the serve:

• The receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning it.
• The serving team must also let the return bounce once before hitting it.
• After these two bounces, the ball can be either volleyed (hit before it bounces) or played off the bounce.

This "two-bounce rule" ensures rallies last longer and reduces the advantage of serving.

Basic Scoring

• Games are typically played to 11 points, and a team must win by 2 points.
• Points can only be scored by the serving team.
• When the serving team wins a rally, they score a point and continue serving.
• When the receiving team wins a rally, they gain the serve but do not score a point.

Announcing the Score

In doubles, the score is called as three numbers:

1. The serving team's score
2. The receiving team's score
3. The server number (1 or 2), indicating which player on the team is serving

Example: "5-3-2" means the serving team has 5 points, the receiving team has 3 points, and the second server on the team is serving.

Doubles Serving Sequence

• At the start of the game, only the first player on the starting team serves. If they lose the rally, the serve passes to the other team.
• After the first service change, both players on each team serve before the serve passes to the other team (except at the start of the game).
• Players on the same team alternate serves each time their team gets the serve back.
• The player on the right side (even court) serves first when their team gets the serve.

Non-Volley Zone Rules

• The non-volley zone extends 7 feet from the net on both sides.
• Players cannot volley the ball (hit it out of the air without letting it bounce) while standing in the non-volley zone.
• It is a fault if a player volleys the ball and then their momentum carries them into the non-volley zone.
• A player may enter the non-volley zone at any time except when volleying the ball.
• A player may stand in the non-volley zone and hit the ball after it bounces.

Common Kitchen Violations

• Stepping on or over the non-volley zone line while volleying
• Having momentum carry you into the non-volley zone after volleying
• Touching anything in the non-volley zone (including the line) with your paddle or clothing during a volley
• Hitting a volley while your partner is touching the non-volley zone

Common Faults

A fault results in a dead ball and either a point awarded or service lost. Common faults include:

• Hitting the ball out of bounds
• Not clearing the net with the ball
• Volleying the ball in the non-volley zone (kitchen violation)
• Volleying the ball before it has bounced once on each side after the serve (two-bounce rule violation)
• Touching the net with your paddle, body, or clothing during play
• Stepping over the baseline on a serve before contact with the ball
• Hitting the ceiling, fixtures, or other permanent objects

Dead Balls

A dead ball is declared when:

• A fault occurs
• A hinder or interference happens
• A player calls a timeout
• An official calls a timeout
• A ball from another court enters the playing area

Starting Positions

• At the start of the game, the serving team's first server stands on the right/even side of the court.
• Players on the receiving team can stand wherever they want on their side of the court.
• After each point, players switch sides within their team based on the score.

Player Positioning Rules

• When a team's score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10...), the starting server or "first server" serves from the right/even court.
• When a team's score is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9...), the starting server serves from the left/odd court.
• Players rotate positions when their score changes from odd to even or even to odd.
• There is no required rotation for the receiving team.

Court Etiquette

• Call out the score clearly before serving.
• Make line calls honestly on your side of the court.
• Don't argue with opponents' line calls.
• Wait until a point is over on adjacent courts before retrieving a ball.
• If there's any doubt about whether a ball is in or out, the call should be "in".
• Compliment good shots, regardless of who made them.

Open Play Etiquette

• Follow the local rotation system for courts during open play.
• Be aware of skill levels and try to play with those of similar ability.
• Be ready to mix with different partners when playing in a social setting.
• When waiting for a court, be respectful and patient.
• Keep games moving - avoid excessive delays between points.