How To Play Pickleball: The Ultimate Guide

Pickleball. You’ve probably heard of the sport before. Whether your friends talk about it or see you people playing it at the gym or park, or you catch a match live on TV. The paddle & ball sport is growing exponentially, with communities across the globe. 

Pickleball, being relatively easy to pick up and play, still has its set of rules, guidelines, and tactics that players must know before they get out there on the court. With that being said, here is the Ultimate Guide of How To Play Pickleball:

Basics

First off, if you don’t know what pickleball is, think of it as somewhere in the middle of ping pong and tennis. That being, it’s much larger scale in terms of ping pong but the court isn’t as large as a tennis court. The dimensions of a pickleball court are generally 20 x 44 feet.

Players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a plastic ball, making for a consistent, smooth shot. In terms of shoes, many companies sell pickleball shoes, but casual players and beginners tend to wear tennis shoes which will work too.

In all three sports, the basic premise is for the players to rally the ball from each side of the court until one player gets a point, ending the rally and starting a new one. Where these sports differ is how these points are gained, which I will explain to you in depth below.

The Game and its Rules

I. Scoring

A rally starts off with an underhand serve behind the baseline (in the back of each side of the court) and the ball must go over the non-volley zone (also referred to as the kitchen) which is the area on both sides of the court that covers the seven feet bordering the net (as shown below).

In terms of scoring, you must be on the serving team to score a point. In doubles, each player gets a chance to serve before a side out, which will give the serve to the opposing team. Think of it like this:

• When the serving team scores a point, they gain a point on their score while also maintaining their serve. In doubles, the player who served during that point will continue to serve.
• When the receiving team scores a point, the serve will go to the opponent in singles, while it will go to the serving player's teammate in doubles.

In pickleball, games are traditionally won at 11 points, with a requirement of a two-point lead to win. This means if the score is 10-10, you will have to play until someone wins by two points.

II. Volleying, The Kitchen Rule, & The Double Bounce Rule

The art of Volleying, “The Kitchen Rule”, and The Double Bounce Rule is necessary to learn for beginners. Volleying is the act of hitting the ball in the air (to the other side) without it bouncing back on your side of the court. So, if your opponent hits the ball to your side, you have the option to let it bounce once and hit it, or (if more convenient) volley it to their side. 

Going back to the non-volley zone or the “kitchen”, this is the only place where volleying doesn’t apply. A common tactic in pickleball is staying close to the non-volley zone and making sure that your shots land inside of it so that your opponent can’t hit a powerful volley instantly. This is often referred to as a “dink”, which you will see many pickleball players utilize in their game.

The Kitchen Rule and the Double Bounce Rule ultimately go hand in hand. It’s very simple. All the Double Bounce Rule really means is that the ball must bounce once on each side before both players can begin volleying to each other. The Kitchen Rule (which we pretty much already explained) is the rule that players are allowed to volley anywhere on the court other than the non-volley zone (kitchen).

III. Faults

There are several ways a player can commit a fault while playing pickleball. A fault is a mistake or play that leads to the loss of the rally, giving the point to the other player. Let’s jump right into it:

• Hitting the ball out of bounds – Just like in most sports, if your shot lands out of bounds, it’s your opponent’s point and their serve.
• Hitting the ball into the net – If your shot is short and doesn’t make it over the net, it is a fault and your opponent’s point.
• Stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying the ball (The Kitchen Rule) – Focus on staying out of the non-volley zone when attempting to hit the ball, the ref or other players will you call you out on it, and the other team will get the point.
• Hitting the ball before it bounces on both sides (Double Bounce Rule) – To keep the game fair, the ball must hit the ground on both sides once before volleying can take place. 

IV. Singles vs. Doubles

Pickleball can be played in both singles (1v1) and doubles (2v2). The rules for both are similar, but there are different tactics needed in both. For example, in singles, being quicker and more agile will allow you to cover more ground, giving you an advantage over a slower, more methodical player. Let’s dive deep and compare the two ways you can play the game:

Singles:

• Like I said before, singles requires much more fitness and stamina than a doubles game would. The ability to maneuver around the court with quick cuts is one of the most important attributes to have in singles.
• Singles also calls for a more aggressive style of play, making for the use of more cross-court shots and power over placement. Varying your shots (placement, pace, spin) is also a beneficial tactic in singles, creating a sort of unpredictability that will deceive your opponent.
• While some singles points can feature long rallies filled with more methodical, baseline play, the pace of the game is much faster than it is on doubles.

Doubles:

• Doubles in pickleball puts more emphasis on strategic, methodical, and coordinated play than singles. You and your teammate being on the same page is the key to success when it comes to doubles.
• Lobbing, dinking, and good placement are all things you’ll see a lot more in doubles. Rallies go on for much longer, with teams usually dinking at the kitchen line to establish control, looking for opportunities to go for a more powerful, attacking shot that will win them the point.
• Along with shot selection, deception in doubles can also come in the form of players switching positions during the point. For example, opponents will get used to your typical positioning and style of play, allowing you and your teammate to switch it up and hit the ball in a spot where your opponents may not be ready to defend.

Overall, singles and doubles are both a ton of fun to play, just know the dynamic and tactical play between them when switching from one to the other. 

V. Tips & Practice for Beginners

Practice the Basic Strokes

• Practicing your backhand, forehand, serves and developing a consistent shot in all three is crucial to your success as a pickleball player.

Familiarize Yourself with the Court

• Being aware of the boundaries, non-volley-zone, and overall court positioning is important in not only learning the rules, but also building that muscle memory as you maneuver the court.

Practice Dinking & Volleys

• Getting yourself familiar with common shots you will see in games like soft dinks at the kitchen line and fast volleys will improve your reaction time.

Play with Beginners & Have Fun!

• When you first start out, it’s good to play with people your own skill level to ensure that everyone is having a good time while also improving their game.

Conclusion

The beauty of the game of pickleball is that it’s inclusive to people of all ages. Even if you’ve never played a sport before, pickleball is a game that you can pick up and play fairly easily.  Now with your new, enhanced pickleball knowledge, you should be ready to get out onto the courts and tear it up!