Pickleball combines elements of tennis, ping-pong and badminton into one competitive game. You can play pickleball on a badminton court with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center of the court. The game also requires wooden paddles and a perforated plastic ball. You can play singles or doubles pickleball.
Step 1
Flip a coin to determine which player or team will serve first.
Step 2
Serve from the right side of the court on the first point. Serve the ball underhanded and below your waist, with both feet behind the baseline. The ball must travel crosscourt and land behind the front line on the opposite side of the court. You have only one opportunity to make a good serve. If you make a fault serve on the first point, it becomes the opposing team's turn to serve. After the first turnover of serve, either player on a doubles team can attempt to serve. Alternate between serving from the right and left sides of the court.
Step 3
Wait for your opponent to return the ball after it bounces behind the front line. You must then let the ball bounce on your side before you return it. Pickleball rules require that both sides hit the ball after a bounce before either side can volley.
Step 4
Continue playing the ball until one side hits the ball out of bounds or fails to hit it before it bounces twice. Both of these errors result in loss of point. Players can never volley the ball from the area of court between the net and the front line 7 feet behind the net. This error also results in loss of point.
Step 5
Count a point for yourself or your team if you win a point on your own serve.
Step 6
Continue playing until one side reaches 11 points to win. You must win by at least two points.
Tips and Warnings
- If you do not have a badminton court, you can play this game on any hard surface. You can adapt a tennis court, basketball court or even a driveway for the sport. The standard pickle-ball court measures 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, with non-volley zones extending for 7 feet on either side of the net. Use chalk to outline a court on any hard surface.
Things You'll Need
- Wood paddles
- Perforated ball
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