How to Play Pickleball: Rules, Scoring & Kitchen
Pickleball is played by hitting a perforated plastic ball over a net with paddles, either as singles or doubles. The basic goal is simple: keep the ball in play until your opponent commits a fault.
The unusual parts are the rules that shape each rally: the serve goes crosscourt, the serve and return must both bounce, and you cannot volley while standing in the Non-Volley Zone—better known as the Kitchen.
If you understand those three ideas plus the scoring system, you know enough to start playing.
Pickleball rules at a glance
| Rule | Beginner version |
|---|---|
| Serve | Serve diagonally into the opposite service court from behind the baseline. |
| Two-bounce rule | The serve must bounce, then the return must bounce before either team can volley. |
| Kitchen | You cannot volley while touching the Non-Volley Zone or its line. |
| Scoring | In traditional scoring, only the serving team scores points. |
| Typical game | Usually played to 11, win by 2. |
| Lines | Most court lines are in; the Kitchen line is out on a serve. |
1. Start with the serve
Every rally starts with a serve from behind the baseline.
The ball must travel diagonally across the court and land in the opponent’s service area beyond the Kitchen.
USA Pickleball recognizes two basic serving methods: a volley serve, where the ball is struck before it bounces, and a drop serve, where the ball is dropped and struck after it bounces.
For a beginner, the most important goal is not serving as hard as possible. It is getting the serve deep and safely into play.
2. Remember the two-bounce rule
The two-bounce rule is one of the easiest pickleball rules to misunderstand when you first start.
- The receiving team must let the serve bounce before returning it.
- The serving team must then let that return bounce before hitting its next shot.
- After those two bounces, either team can hit the ball after a bounce or volley it out of the air, subject to the Kitchen rules.
This is why the serving team normally stays near the baseline immediately after serving. If you rush forward too early, the return can land behind you and you are still required to let it bounce.
3. Understand the Kitchen
The Kitchen is the nickname for pickleball’s Non-Volley Zone.
It extends 7 feet from the net on each side of the court, creating a 14-foot-wide zone around the net.
The most important rule is:
You cannot volley the ball while standing in or touching the Kitchen.
A volley simply means hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces.
You are allowed to enter the Kitchen. You can step into it, stand there and hit a ball after it has bounced.
The mistake beginners often make is thinking the Kitchen is completely off-limits. It isn’t. The restriction applies to volleying.
Your momentum also matters
You cannot legally volley from outside the Kitchen and then fall or step into the Non-Volley Zone because of your momentum.
So simply contacting the ball outside the Kitchen line is not enough. You must also remain in control outside the zone after the volley.
4. How scoring works in pickleball
In traditional pickleball scoring, only the serving team can score a point.
If the serving team wins the rally, it scores a point and continues serving. If the receiving team wins the rally, it prevents the serving team from scoring and moves the game toward a change of serve.
Most recreational games are played to 11 points, win by 2.
Doubles scoring: why are there three numbers?
Doubles pickleball traditionally uses a three-number score call.
For example:
6-4-2
The numbers mean:
- 6: the serving team’s score
- 4: the receiving team’s score
- 2: whether the current server is Server 1 or Server 2 for that service turn
Normally, both players on a doubles team get an opportunity to serve before the serve passes to the opponents.
There is one important exception: at the very beginning of the game, the first serving team gets only one server before the first side-out. This is why a traditional doubles game starts with the score call 0-0-2.
Where do you serve from?
The serving team’s score determines which side its server starts from.
A useful beginner rule is:
- Even score: the player who started on the right will be on the right when serving or receiving.
- Odd score: that player will be on the left.
When the serving team scores, the two teammates switch left-right positions and the same server serves again from the other side.
The receiving team does not switch positions simply because the serving team scored.
Singles scoring is simpler
Singles uses only two numbers because there is no Server 1 and Server 2.
The server serves from the right side when their score is even and from the left side when their score is odd.
What counts as a fault?
A fault ends the rally.
Common beginner faults include:
- Serving into the net or outside the correct service court.
- Letting the ball bounce twice before returning it.
- Hitting the ball into the net.
- Hitting the ball out of bounds.
- Volleying while touching the Kitchen or Kitchen line.
- Stepping into the Kitchen because of your momentum after a volley.
- Volleying the return before completing the required two-bounce sequence.
Are lines in or out?
A ball touching a court boundary line is generally considered in.
The major exception beginners need to remember is the Kitchen line on the serve.
A serve must clear the Non-Volley Zone. If the serve lands on the Kitchen line, the serve is a fault.
Where should beginners stand in doubles?
The rules explain why the two teams usually begin a rally in different positions.
Serving team
Both players should usually begin near the baseline because the serving team must allow the return to bounce.
Running immediately to the Kitchen line after serving often leaves you trapped when the return lands deep.
Receiving team
The receiver starts behind the baseline so the serve can bounce.
The receiver’s partner can normally begin near the Kitchen line because that player does not need to receive the serve.
After making a good return, the receiver should generally move forward toward the Kitchen line and join their partner.
USA Pickleball’s beginner positioning guidance emphasizes that controlling the area around the Non-Volley Zone line is a major part of effective doubles play.
A full rally in six steps
For a completely new player, it may be easier to understand pickleball by following one rally:
- Player A serves diagonally from behind the baseline.
- Player B lets the serve bounce and returns it.
- Player A’s team lets the return bounce.
- The two-bounce requirement is now complete.
- Players may now volley or let the ball bounce, as long as they obey the Kitchen rule.
- The rally continues until someone commits a fault.
If the serving team wins the rally, it scores. If the receiving team wins, it does not score under traditional scoring, but the serve progresses toward the other team.
The five rules to learn before your first game
You do not need to memorize the entire official rulebook before playing recreational pickleball.
Start with these five:
- Serve crosscourt from behind the baseline.
- Let the serve bounce.
- Let the return bounce too.
- Do not volley from the Kitchen.
- In traditional scoring, only the serving team scores.
Once those become automatic, scoring positions, third shots, dinking and doubles strategy become much easier to understand.
Common beginner mistakes
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Running forward immediately after serving | Stay back long enough to let the return bounce. |
| Thinking you can never enter the Kitchen | Enter when needed to play a bounced ball; just do not volley there. |
| Trying to hit every serve hard | Prioritize getting the serve deep and in. |
| Standing several feet behind the Kitchen line during rallies | When it is safe to advance, work toward the Non-Volley Zone line. |
| Forgetting the score | Call the score clearly before every serve. |
What should you learn next?
Once you can keep score and play a legal rally, you do not need dozens of advanced shots.
A sensible progression is:
- Consistent serve
- Deep return
- Correct Kitchen-line positioning
- Dinking
- Third-shot drops and drives
- Resets and transition-zone movement
- Doubles strategy and partner movement
The Pickleball Wise will cover each of these as separate guides, so this page can serve as the starting point rather than trying to teach every part of the sport at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you step into the Kitchen in pickleball?
Yes. You may step into the Kitchen whenever you want. The restriction is that you cannot volley while touching the Non-Volley Zone or its boundary line, and your momentum after a volley cannot carry you into it.
Does the ball have to bounce in pickleball?
The serve must bounce before the receiving team hits it, and the return must bounce before the serving team hits its next shot. After those two required bounces, players can either volley or play the ball after a bounce.
Can the receiving team score?
Under traditional side-out scoring, no. Only the serving team earns points. Winning a rally while receiving instead advances the change-of-serve process.
Why does a doubles pickleball score have three numbers?
The first number is the serving team’s score, the second is the receiving team’s score, and the third identifies whether the current player is Server 1 or Server 2 for that service turn.
Is pickleball easier to learn than tennis?
The basic rally and rules can be learned quickly, but pickleball develops considerable tactical complexity as players improve. Soft shots, positioning, transition play, speed-ups and partner coordination become increasingly important at higher levels.
Sources & Further Reading
- USA Pickleball — How to Play Pickleball
- USA Pickleball — The Basics of Pickleball
- USA Pickleball — What Is the Kitchen in Pickleball?
- USA Pickleball — Positioning, Patience and Kitchen Line Strategy
