Like all other games, pickleball has its own rules and regulations for the game. The game is quite similar to tennis and badminton. It can be played with single or double players depending upon the game you are playing. The court and the rules remain the same but there are many other things a player must know before getting into the pickleball game. How these pickleball rules are different from other games and what is their impact on the pickleball game, you will all know about the rules of pickleball in this article.
Pickleball is a famous outdoor game played in USA and Canada. The game is played in singles or doubles with help of a pickleball paddle. Players also need pickleball balls, Net, Shoes, Shirts, Gloves, Pickleball machines, and backpacks for better and easy gameplay.
Pickleball Rules:-
Pickleball has different rules on the basis of court, score, size, and many others. Now we move towards the pickleball rules and see what we should do and what we don’t should do during the games. Following are the rules of pickleball:
- Court rules and dimensions
- Players position rules
- Serving rules
- Double bounce rules
- No-volley rules
- Second bounce rules
- Out of bounds rules
- Net rules
- Scoring rules
- Rules for single and double game
- Serving Sequence Rules
- Second Bounce Rule
Knowing the details of these rules will give you a better understanding of the game.
Basic Rules of Pickleball:-
There are some basic rules which we all should know about pickleball.
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- The game can either be a single game consisting of two players or it can be a double game consisting of four players.
- The rules for the game and the size of the game court remain the same for both of the single and double games.
1-Court Rules and Dimensions:-
In this, we discuss the rules of the court, like which size is suitable for the game. What consequences would occur if the size is not according to the rules? Here are the rules for the Pickleball court dimension.
- The size of the court should be checked before the game start and it should be perfect according to the rules. The size of the court is 44 feet in length and 20 feet in width. The height of the net should be 36 inches.
- The court has non-volley and volley zones. The size of the non-volley zone is 22 feet from both sides of the net.
- The Court of the pickleball is basically divided into four chambers two of them are on the right side and the other two are on the left side. These zones are called the serving zones.
2-Players Position Rules:-
If you don’t know the player position rules, you are missing the important rules. That is how we serve the ball, so we can get points.
- In a new game, only one partner out of two has the opportunity to hit the ball until he makes a fault.
- When the server hits the ball his arm is in a diagonal position.
- The team which serves the ball is only able to score points.
- Both the team’s first serving should be from the right side of the court.
- The opposite team will win a point and the ball is passed to the second partner.
- In the case of a single game if the score of the player is in even points then serving is from the right side and if the score of the player is in odd points then serving is from the left side.
3-Serving Rules:-
Now the rules are about serving or hitting the ball. Following are the rules of serving:
- During serving the players must be in the volley zone. Their feet must be on the ground and behind the line of the non-volley zone. Also, check the Best Pickleball Paddles.
- The serving must be underhand and with the right hand.
- The height of the paddle should not be above your wrist when you are going to hit the ball.
- If the serving person hits the net by ball and then he touches the opposite team member then the serving team gets a point.
4-Double Bounce Rule:-
The double bounce rule is one of the most important rules.
- According to this rule, the serving team bounces the ball and then the opposite team must hit the bounce before the ball returns, and then again the serving team hit the bounce. In this way, two bounces occur and the rule is called the double bounce rule. Also, read the What is a Rally in Pickleball?
- In-game the double bounce rule help to increase the chances to get points.
- The opposite team can start to play in volley only when one bounce was hit in the game.
- If the bounce is not still hit by a team and they start to play in volley then the fault occurs and they lose their points.
5-No Volley Rules:-
As we know that the no-volley is also called the kitchen of the pickleball. It is the zone of no serving. Otherwise, you lose your points. So it is very necessary to know the rules of the no-volley zone. Let’s see what the rules of no-volley are:
- No-volley zone is a non-serving zone so when you are playing in volley you can’t go into the no-volley zone of the court.
- If you enter into the no-volley zone while playing then you make a fault and can lose your points.
- No-volley zone is such a critical zone that if you touch even the boundary of the zone or if any of your belongings touch the zone boundary, you make a fault and lose points.
- If your ball falls into the no-volley zone while hitting then it’s also considered a fault.
- However, it is totally legal that a player can stand in the no-volley zone before the game and after the game.
6-Second Bounce Rule:-
This rule has great importance, otherwise, a fault occurs. In this rule, the second bounce is very critical. According to this rule:
- The rule according to which the serving team can’t make a second bounce on the same side of the net until the ball crosses the net and go on another
- In this rule, if the ball fails to come back after the first hit then it will be a fault and you are going to lose the game.
- Only one bounce is allowed to hit in the opposite team’s area.
7-Out of Bounds Rules:-
It is necessary that the ball should befall or be hit by the players inside the boundary of the court. Because the size of the court and its boundaries are fixed for the game. The rules for boundaries are as follows:
- If the shot of the ball falls or hits on any surface inside the boundary, it is considered a service and you got a point. Otherwise, you make a fault if the ball is out of the boundary.
- Even if the ball only touches the line at the border it will consider a score.
- This rule specifies the area for the game to play, and outside this area, you can’t hit the ball.
- An expert player tries to make a shot inside the boundary, so he can make a score in-game.
8-Net Rules:-
Like badminton, tennis, and many other games there is a net in pickleball. The position, height, and length of the net are very much important and affect the game. Certain measures should be taken to have a perfect net:
- The height of the net should be 36 inches and it covers the whole width of the court so that game can easily be played.
- Players have to make a shot over the net so that the game is playing continuously.
- Net is actually equipment that indirectly improves the quality of the game.
- The area around the net up to 22 feet is the area of no serving. And you can’t hit the ball while standing in this zone.
9-Scoring Rules:-
We all play games to get scores so that we can win the game. But like every other game, pickleball also has scoring rules. These rules are of great importance while playing.
- In this game, the team which starts the game can only make scores by winning or this team can also make a score when the opposite team makes a fault.
- In pickleball, the score limit is only 11 points, but the winning team has to beat this score and get 13 points.
- You are only able to get scores when your shot is in the boundary of the volley zone of the court. You Can also check the Best Quiet Pickleball Paddles.
10-Rules for Single and Double Game:-
In pickleball, a single and double game occurs with two and four players respectively. A double game is more common as compared to a single game. Following are the rules:
- In a single game, only two players are allowed and both the players are standing on the opposite side of the net in alternate positions.
- The server hit a shot from the right side in the score is even and if the score is in odd quantity then he serves the ball from the left side of the court.
- In a double game, any of the partners can serve the ball. But the right side person fits the ball first.
- Partners change their positions after every bounce they make. You Can also check the Best Pickleball Machines.
Faults of Pickleball:-
In pickleball you will have to follow the rules, otherwise, you make faults. Faults in-game lead to losing the game. These are the faults in pickleball:
- If your ball falls into the no-volley zone, it will be a fault.
- If your ball hits the net of the court, it will be a fault.
- If the shot is out of the volley boundary, then you will make a fault.
- If you touch the boundary of the no-volley zone or even your accessories touch the boundary, it will consider a fault. You Can also check the History of Pickleball.
FAQs:
What are the top 10 rules of Pickleball?
Following are the rules of pickleball:
- Court rules and dimensions
- Players position rules
- Serving rules
- Double bounce rules
- No-volley rules
- Second bounce rules
- Out of bounds rules
- Net rules
- Scoring rules
- Rules for single and double game
What are the basic rules for pickleball?
The basic rules of pickleball are that there should be only one bounce per side, the ball must stay inbound, serve should be at baseline, serve can not land in no volley zone and the game will be ending at 11, 15, and 21 points and also ball can not bounce twice.
What is the 10 Second rule in pickleball?
10 Second rule of pickleball states that once the score is called ( either by the referee or by the server ) the server has only 10 seconds to serve the pickleball.
Can you bounce the ball before you serve in pickleball?
Yes