How to Play Pickleball
With pickleball being the fastest growing sport in the USA, people from all parts of life are getting in on the action. Simple and easy to learn, pickleball can be picked up by beginners within a day. For all you pickleball enthusiasts, Jax Pickleball Store has compiled everything you need to know. Here’s how to play pickleball.
The Court
The first thing you need to know regarding pickleball is the court. Approximately one-third the size of a tennis court, a pickleball court has the dimensions of a badminton court, 20 ft by 44 ft. The two sides of the court are divided by a low net. When you look at the court, multiple lines are separating the court into different sections. There are two sidelines, two baselines, a centerline on both sides, and two non-volley lines that create the “kitchen.” The centerline is important because it creates two service courts on both sides. This helps players know where to stand when serving.
The Serve
To properly serve the ball, the server must have their feet behind the baseline and needs to strike the ball with an underhanded swing. Before serving, the server must say three numbers: the serving team’s score, the receiving team’s score, and whether they’re the first or second server. Players should aim for the service court diagonal to theirs and must clear the no-volley zone. Players only get one serve attempt. If playing doubles, both team members must serve at least once before it switches to the opposing team (except at the very beginning of the game when the starting team only gets one server). It’s important to note that the first server must always start from the right-hand court.
Active Play
Once the pickleball is served, the opposing team and the serving team must both let it bounce once before returning it. This is known as the double bounce rule. After the ball has been returned twice, teams can now hit the ball without waiting for it to bounce. For each session of active play, points are only scored by the serving side when the opposing team faults, such as hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds. They will continue to serve, switching service courts, until they fault. Afterward, the opposing team will become the serving team and play will resume.
The Volley and Kitchen
An important aspect of pickleball to understand is the volley. A volley is when a player hits the ball before it bounces. You are only allowed to volley when you’re outside of the non-volley zone, or the “kitchen.” The kitchen is an area stretching 7 ft on both sides of the net and is marked with a line on the court. Players can not volley when inside the kitchen, even if they accidentally step into it while volleying or are just on the line. Should this happen, a fault will occur. They can stand and play in the kitchen as long as they don’t volley.
Scoring
When it comes to scoring, teams play to 11 points in a regulation pickleball tournament and must win by two points. Should this not occur, the game continues until a team is two points ahead. It’s important to know that game variations can occur where teams play to a certain number, as well as remove the win by two provisions if running out of time. For tournament games, they can go to 15 or 21 points, with the win by two provisions included.
When playing pickleball for the first time, be sure to follow these rules and it’ll be a breeze. If you’d like a more hands-on approach to learning, sign up for Jax Pickleball Store’s introduction class. Hosted by owner Andy Zarka, a USA pickleball-certified instructor, all equipment is provided free of charge. All you have to bring is comfortable clothes, water, athletic shoes, and friends!
