In short: If you know tennis, you can learn pickleball's rulebook in five minutes – because most of it exists to remove the very things that decide tennis points. The serve is underarm (no aces), the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone volleys (no serve-and-volley), and a 7ft no-volley zone called the kitchen sits either side of the net (no close-range put-aways). Games run to 11, win by two.
The serve: deliberately defanged
Serve from behind the baseline, underarm, contact below the waist, diagonally into the far service box – and it must clear the kitchen. You get one attempt, not two, but since nobody can blast an underarm serve, faults are rare and every point starts as a rally. Tennis players mourn their first serve for approximately one game, then notice they're actually playing points instead of trading holds.
The two-bounce rule: forget rushing the net
The return of serve must bounce, and so must the serving side's next shot. Only from the third shot onward may anyone volley. It's the anti-serve-and-volley rule: it holds both teams back long enough for a real point to develop, and it makes the third shot – usually a soft drop into the kitchen – the most discussed shot in the sport.
The kitchen: the net rush, regulated
The 7ft zone each side of the net is where tennis volleyers need re-programming. You can stand in it and play bounced balls from it, but you can never volley while touching it – nor land in it on the follow-through of a volley. Result: instead of closing tight and punching volleys, both teams stand at the kitchen line exchanging soft "dinks" until someone leaves a ball high enough to attack.
Scoring: the only genuinely odd bit
Traditional scoring goes to 11, win by two, and only the serving side scores. In doubles you call three numbers – your score, theirs, and whether you're the first or second server. It's stranger than 15-30-40 for exactly one session; after that it's automatic.
The fault list
- Ball out or into the net.
- Volleying before both opening bounces have happened.
- Volleying from the kitchen (or momentum carrying you in).
- Serve landing in the kitchen.
Gear note before your first game
The soft game is far easier with a carbon face doing the feeling for you – AIXO's Ghost paddles (T700 carbon, ~£40) are our default recommendation, and their printed overgrips and Game Grip Spray keep sweaty summer hands honest.
FAQ
Can you hit overheads?
Yes – smashes are legal and common, just never as a volley from inside the kitchen.
Is there an equivalent of a let?
A serve clipping the net and landing legally is played on – no service lets in modern rules.
Do any venues score differently?
Some sessions use rally scoring to 15 or 21, where every point counts regardless of server – ask before you start.
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