Pickleball is a game that can be played as singles or doubles, with the same rules and court size for both.
The serve must be made with an upward swing, below the waist, and diagonally crosscourt. Only one serve attempt is allowed per server. A drop serve is also allowed.
The serving team switches sides after each point (i.e. switch left service area to right service area), and both players get to serve until they fault. The first serve of each game is from the right/even court. The serving team scores points only when they win a rally.
The game is usually played to 11 points, win by 2. Some tournaments may have different game lengths.
The two-bounce rule requires that the ball must bounce once on each side before it can be volleyed. This prevents serve and volley tactics and makes rallies longer. See adjacent image.
The non-volley zone is a 2.13m (7') area on both sides of the net where volleying is not allowed. This prevents smashing from close range. Stepping or touching the non-volley zone while volleying is a fault.
A ball that touches any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is in. A serve that touches the non-volley zone line is short and a fault.
Make Your Own Court
If you want to create a pickleball court at home, it’s recommended that you have a space available that’s at least 9.20m wide and 18.50m long. This will allow for space to move outside the playing area.
Although it’s possible to play pickleball on grass, ideally you’ll have a concrete base or area available. Grass is fine in the summer months, but the bounce will be reduced in the colder months of the year, and you'll damage the turf if you play during or following wet weather.
You’ll also want to have:
Line marking equipment like chalk, tape or rubber line markers
A pickleball net
Measuring equipment like a tape measure
Playing on a tennis court is possible, but be aware that the tennis net height will be about 5cm higher than standard.
The best way to start laying out your court is to start with the pickleball net. Once the net is positioned correctly, it can serve as a point of reference when you are marking out the rest of the court.