Pickleball Rules Explained: A Beginner’s Guide

Pickleball is played to 11 points (win by 2), and only the serving side can score. You serve underhand and diagonally, the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone volleys, and you may not volley while standing in the “kitchen” non-volley zone. Faults end the rally and pass the serve.

That is the whole game in a nutshell. The rest of this guide unpacks each rule so you can walk onto a court and play your first game with confidence, whether you are picking up a paddle at a community court or at an indoor venue like Super Arena in Clementi.

What is pickleball, briefly?

Pickleball blends tennis, badminton and table tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over a 0.86 m net on a court the size of a badminton court (13.41 m by 6.10 m). The pace is gentle enough for beginners but rewards strategy, which is why it has spread so quickly through Singapore’s ActiveSG halls, condo courts and dedicated indoor clubs.

How does scoring work in pickleball?

Scoring is the rule most beginners find confusing, so start here.

• Games are usually played to 11 points and you must win by 2. Tournament matches sometimes go to 15 or 21.
• Only the serving side can score a point. If the receiving side wins the rally, they do not score; they simply earn the chance to serve.
• When the serving side wins a rally, it scores a point and the same server keeps serving, switching sides after each point won.

Calling the score in doubles

In doubles you call three numbers: your team’s score, the opponents’ score, then the server number (1 or 2). So “4-2-1” means your team has 4, opponents have 2, and you are the first server.

Here is the part that trips people up: at the very start of a game, the first serving team gets only one server (called as server “2” by convention) before handing over. After that, both players on a team serve before the ball passes to the opponents. When your side loses a rally, the serve moves to your partner; when you both lose your serves, it is a side out and the other team serves.

In singles, you only call two numbers, your score and your opponent’s, because there is just one server per side.

How do you serve in pickleball?

The serve has strict rules, and getting them right keeps your points legal.

1. Serve underhand. Contact with the ball must be below your waist (navel level), and the paddle head must be below your wrist at contact.
2. Serve diagonally. The serve must travel cross-court into the opposite service box, clearing the non-volley zone.
3. Serve from behind the baseline. Keep at least one foot behind the line, and stay within the imaginary sideline and centre-line extensions.
4. One serve attempt. There are no second serves as in tennis. A serve that lands in is live; one that misses is a fault.

A “drop serve” is also allowed: you drop the ball and hit it after the bounce, which many beginners find easier and more consistent. Note that a serve clipping the net and landing in the correct box is now simply played on, with no let or replay under current rules.

What is the kitchen (non-volley zone)?

The kitchen is the 2.13 m zone on each side of the net. Its full name is the non-volley zone (NVZ), and it exists to stop players from standing at the net and smashing every ball.

The core rule: you may not volley the ball (hit it out of the air) while any part of you is touching the kitchen or its lines. Your momentum also counts. If you volley and then your follow-through carries you into the kitchen, it is still a fault, even if the ball is already dead.

You can stand in the kitchen any time you like; you just cannot volley from there. You may step in to play a ball that has bounced, then you must re-establish both feet outside the zone before volleying again. The kitchen forces the soft “dink” game that makes pickleball tactical rather than a pure power contest.

What is the two-bounce (double-bounce) rule?

After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiver’s side and then once on the server’s side before either team may volley. In practice:

1. The server serves.
2. The receiving team lets it bounce, then returns it.
3. The serving team lets that return bounce, then plays it.

Only after those two bounces can players hit the ball out of the air. This rule neutralises the serve-and-volley advantage and gives both sides a fair start to the rally.

What counts as a fault?

A fault ends the rally. Common faults for beginners to remember:

• Hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net.
• Volleying from the kitchen (or letting momentum carry you in).
• Failing to let the ball bounce when the two-bounce rule requires it.
• Serving into the net, into the wrong box, or from the wrong position.
• Hitting the ball before it crosses the net, or letting it bounce twice on your side.

On lines: in pickleball, a ball landing on any line is in, except the kitchen line on a serve, which is a fault.

Singles vs doubles: what changes?

Most rules are identical. The differences are mainly about serving and positioning.

Rule	Singles	Doubles
Players per side	1	2
Score called	2 numbers	3 numbers (incl. server #)
Servers per side	1	2 (except first turn of the game)
Where you serve from	Based on your score: even = right, odd = left	Based on team score, server switches sides on each point won
Court used	Full court	Full court
Kitchen rules	Same	Same

In singles, a handy shortcut: when your score is even, serve from the right; when it is odd, serve from the left. This keeps your serving position correct without extra thought.

Quick-start checklist for your first game

1. Decide the game target (11, win by 2) and who serves first.
2. Server stands behind the baseline and serves underhand, cross-court.
3. Let the ball bounce on the return, then again before the serving side plays it (two-bounce rule).
4. Rally on, but stay out of the kitchen when volleying.
5. Score only on your own serve; call all three numbers in doubles.

A note for Singapore players

Pickleball thrives indoors here, which suits our heat and frequent afternoon storms. ActiveSG and several community clubs offer beginner sessions, and dedicated indoor courts mean consistent lighting and no rain delays. Standard rules apply everywhere, so once you have learned the basics above, you can join any social game, “open play” rotation or local ladder without relearning anything. If you are unsure of a local house rule (some social sessions cap games at 9 or use rally scoring), just ask before you start.

Pickleball’s rules look fiddly on paper but click within a game or two on court. Learn the serve, respect the kitchen, remember the two bounces, and you will be rallying like a regular in no time.

Frequently asked questions

Why can only the serving team score in pickleball? It is part of the traditional “side-out” scoring system. The receiving team wins the right to serve rather than a point, which keeps games competitive and rewards holding serve. Some social sessions use rally scoring (a point on every rally) to speed things up, but standard rules award points only to the server.

Can I step into the kitchen in pickleball? Yes. You can stand or walk in the kitchen at any time. The only restriction is that you cannot volley (hit the ball out of the air) while touching the kitchen or its line, and your momentum cannot carry you in right after a volley.

What is the two-bounce rule? After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side and once on the serving side before anyone is allowed to volley. It prevents an unfair serve-and-volley advantage and gives both teams a fair start.

How many points do you need to win a game of pickleball? Most games go to 11 points and you must win by 2. Tournament play sometimes uses 15 or 21 points, but the win-by-2 margin almost always applies.

Is the serve overhand or underhand? Underhand only. You must contact the ball below your waist with the paddle head below your wrist, or use the allowed drop serve. Overhand serves are a fault.

What is the difference between singles and doubles scoring? In singles you call two numbers (your score, opponent’s score) and there is one server per side. In doubles you call three numbers, adding the server number (1 or 2), because both players on a team usually get to serve before the side out.