Pickleball

So, what is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong using a paddle and plastic ball with holes. It is a game that is appropriate for players of all ages and skill levels. Rules for pickleball are simple, making it a great introductory sport. It can also be quite the challenging, fast-paced, and competitive game when people become more experienced at playing.

Playing Pickleball is Healthy

If you are looking for some great exercise for your mind and body, pickleball can’t be beat. Playing pickleball allows you to work on your balance, agility, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination without putting excessive strains on your body. Pickleball is a wonderful alternative for older players who used to play tennis, but have physical limitations such as hip, shoulder, knee, or other joint problems.

What are the rules of pickleball?

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Points are scored by the team that serves, and you play to 11 points. A team has to win by 2 points.

Rule #1: Each point begins with a serve
The pickleball game – and each point – starts with the serve. The player on the right side of the court, facing their opponents, starts the serve. You serve diagonally to your opponent, into the right or left service area: The serve must clear the "Kitchen" (including the line) to count.

Rule #2: Your serve must be underhand
A pickleball serve must be hit with an underhand stroke with contact below the waist. Your arm must move in an upward arc when you strike the ball. You can hit the ball out of the air (as most players do). Or you can drop the ball on the ground and hit.
The goal of the pickleball serve is to put the ball in play. This is quite different than a tennis serve, where the goal is to serve overhand aggressively to win the point.

Rule #3: Each point continues until a fault
After the serve, gameplay continues until a “fault” is committed. A fault ends a point.
In pickleball, there are basically 3 types of faults: 1. The serve does not clear the kitchen (including the line). 2. A shot is hit out of bounds - landing behind the baseline or outside the sideline. 3. A shot is hit into the net.

Rule #4: You can't volley in the kitchen
The 7 ft zone on each side marks the “non-volley zone,” or kitchen.
This means you can never hit a volley—which is a shot hit out of the air—while having any part of your body in the Kitchen. Or even on the Kitchen line. And you can’t let your momentum carry you into the kitchen after a volley either.

Rule #5: You can hit groundstrokes in the kitchen
If your opponent hits a short shot landing in the kitchen, what’s called a dink, you can enter and hit from the kitchen. Dinks are a defensive shot, and one of the most important parts of pickleball strategy. Often your best move after moving into the kitchen to field a dink is to dink right back to your opponent’s kitchen.

Rule #6: The ball must bounce on both sides before either team can volley
Before any player can hit a shot out of the air (a volley), the ball must bounce at least once on each side. This means if your partner is serving, and you start up at the kitchen, you’re in a dangerous position…
Why? Because the returning team can hit a shot right at you, and if you react with a volley, that’s a fault. You lose the point. This rule keeps the serving team back on the baseline to start. Without it, the serving team could easily rush the net and gain an unfair edge every time.

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Rule #7: You only win points on your serve
In Pickleball, you only win points on your serve, and you continue serving until you lose a point. After winning each point on your serve, you switch sides with your partner and serve to the other opponent.
What happens if you lose the point on your serve? We’ll cover that below in Rule #8:

Rule #8: Both partners serve in a turn In each turn, both players (in doubles) get the opportunity to serve. And in pickleball scoring, you’ll hear players announce three numbers, “Zero, zero… two.” What the heck is that third number? It tracks which of the two players on a team has the serve. Let’s say the game is tied at 3-3. If you start the serve (from the right side remember), you’ll announce “3-3-1,” so everyone knows you are the first player in rotation serving. If you lose the point, the ball doesn’t go to your opponents. It goes to your teammate who will announce “3-3-2.” Then if you’re partner loses their serve, the ball goes back to your opponents who will announce, again, “3-3-1.” And your team will now have win points on both opponent’s serves to get the ball back. one exception to this rule… The first player to serve in the game calls out “0-0-2.” This is so the starting team only gets one serve. If both players served to start, the serving team would gain an unfair advantage over the returning team.

Rule #9: First team to 11 points wins — but you must win by 2 Following all the rules above, the game continues until one team gets 11 points. The catch? You have to win by 2. So if a game’s tied 10-10, the next score doesn’t win. The game continues past 11-10. This rule can have games on for a long time. You can have ending scores of 12-10, 15-13, or even 21-19. But these are often the most fun games!

PICKLEBALL

COMING SOON

Pickleball

So, what is Pickleball?

What are the rules of pickleball?

Rule #1: Each point begins with a serve

Rule #2: Your serve must be underhand

Rule #3: Each point continues until a fault

Rule #4: You can't volley in the kitchen

Rule #5: You can hit groundstrokes in the kitchen

Rule #6: The ball must bounce on both sides before either team can volley

Rule #7: You only win points on your serve