For NewBees
The rules. Made simple.
Everything you need to feel confident on court from day one — without the legalese. Your host will always help, but this is a handy reference to keep in your back pocket. 🐝
How to Score
Games are played to 11 points, and you must win by 2. Only the serving team can score a point — if the receiving team wins the rally, they simply win the serve.
In doubles, the score is called as three numbers before each serve:
Server score – Receiver score – Server number
e.g. "4 – 2 – 1" = serving team has 4, receiving team has 2, and this is Server 1.
A few extras worth knowing:
Each team has two players who each get a turn to serve before the serve passes over.
First serve exception: The very first serve of the game starts as "0 – 0 – 2" — only one player serves at the start to keep things fair.
Don't stress about calling the score early on — just listen for your host and it'll click within a few sessions.
Serving Regulations
Pickleball serves are underarm only. No tennis-style overhead serves here.
✅ The serve must be:
Underarm — paddle moving upward at contact
Below the waist — contact point below your navel
Paddle head below the wrist at contact
Forehand OR backhand — both are legal
Served diagonally to the opposite service box
Past the Kitchen — must clear the non-volley zone
❌ A serve fault is:
Serving overarm or with a downward swing
Ball landing in the Kitchen or on the Kitchen line
Ball landing outside the service box
Ball not clearing the net
Serving from in front of the baseline
One attempt only — unlike tennis, there is no second serve. Fault on the serve and you lose it.
Tip for beginners: Try the drop serve — you can drop the ball, let it bounce, then hit it. This is perfectly legal and can make the serve easier, especially to start with!
What's the Kitchen?
The Kitchen is the informal name for the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) — the rectangular area on each side of the net, extending 7 feet back from the net.
The golden rule: You cannot volley the ball (hit it before it bounces) while standing in the Kitchen or touching the Kitchen line.
✅ You CAN in the Kitchen:
Step in after the ball bounces and play it
Stand in the Kitchen as long as you like
Return a ball that bounced in the Kitchen
❌ You CANNOT in the Kitchen:
Volley while standing in or on the line
Step in on your follow-through after a volley
Jump from the Kitchen to volley outside it
Why does it exist? Without the Kitchen, tall players could stand at the net and smash every ball. The Kitchen forces players to let the ball bounce before attacking from close range — keeping rallies longer and the game accessible for everyone.
Other Basic Rules
The Two-Bounce Rule
After the serve, the ball must bounce once on each side before either team can volley:
Receiving team must let the serve bounce
Serving team must let the return bounce
After two bounces, volleys are allowed
This gives both teams time to get into position and stops serve-and-volley dominance.
Faults — Losing the Rally
Ball hit out of bounds
Ball doesn't clear the net
Volleying from the Kitchen
Ball bounces twice on your side
Serve lands in Kitchen or misses service box
Hitting the ball before your partner on a doubles return
Lines & Out of Bounds
All lines are IN — if it touches the line, it's good
Exception: The Kitchen line is OUT on the serve only
When in doubt: Call it in. Only call out if you are certain.
Most social play runs on the honour system — fairness and good spirit are expected from everyone.
A Few More Good-to-Knows
Let serves: If the serve clips the net but lands in, it's replayed. One of the few do-overs!
Distraction: You can't deliberately distract your opponent with noise or movement.
Reaching over: You can't reach over the net to play the ball (unless the ball has crossed back to your side).
Ball in play: If the ball hits the net post and lands in, it is in play.
🐝
Everyone was a NewBee once.
Don't worry about knowing every rule before you step on court. Your session host is there to help, and your fellow players will always be supportive. Just show up and have fun.
Questions? Ask your host before the session begins.