Key takeaway: Three rules give pickleball its character: an underarm serve hit diagonally, the two-bounce rule (the ball bounces once on each side before any volley), and the kitchen – a 7ft no-volley zone flanking the net. Score to 11, win by 2, and in the traditional format only the serving side adds points.
Serving
Every serve is struck underarm, below the waist, from behind the baseline, and must travel diagonally into the opposite service box – clearing the kitchen on the way. You get one attempt; there are no second serves. Because nobody can blast an overhead serve, there are no cheap points and every rally gets played out properly.
The two-bounce rule
Once the serve is struck, the receivers must let it bounce – and the servers must then let the return bounce as well. Only after those two bounces can either side volley. This single rule is the reason pickleball rallies last: the serving pair can't charge the net and end the point on shot three.
The kitchen
Officially the non-volley zone, the kitchen extends 7 feet from the net on both sides. You're free to stand in it and free to play balls that have bounced there – but you can never volley while touching it, nor let a volley's momentum carry you in. This is what creates the "dink" game: patient, soft exchanges as both sides wait for a ball worth attacking.
How scoring works
First to 11, win by 2. Traditionally, points only go to the serving side, and doubles scores are announced as three numbers – server's score, receiver's score, then server number (1 or 2). It sounds baffling for precisely one session before it becomes second nature.
The complete list of faults
Hitting the net or out. Volleying before both bounces have happened. Volleying from the kitchen. Landing a serve in the kitchen. That really is the lot.
Gear for the soft game
With the rules down, think paddle: a carbon face makes dinks and drops far easier to control. AIXO's Ghost series (T700 carbon, ~£40) is a superb learning paddle, and their Game Grip Spray plus printed overgrips stop the handle wandering mid-rally.
FAQ
Am I allowed to volley the serve?
No – the two-bounce rule rules it out.
Is smashing legal?
Completely – just never from inside the kitchen, and never on the serve or the first return.
What about rally scoring?
Some venues play rally scoring to 15 or 21, where every rally scores – worth checking the house format before you start.
