Pickleball rules at a glance: scoring and the serve
A plain-English walkthrough of the serve, the two-bounce rule, and traditional side-out scoring, so your first games run smoothly.
What to focus on
- Understand the court zones and non-volley zone
- Serve legally and start points calmly
- Keep the ball in play with simple forehands and backhands
- Learn doubles scoring and basic court etiquette
Core skills
Serve and return basicsReady positionTwo-bounce ruleMoving to the non-volley zone
Drills to run
- 10 serves to each box
- Cross-court rally to 20 balls
- Kitchen-line catch-and-dink drill
- Score-calling practice with a partner
Best paddle profile
Forgiving widebody or hybrid paddle with a large sweet spot, medium weight, and soft feel.
Recommended next reads
Serve and return basics: common mistakes and fixes
Simple ways to make your serve and return consistent and deep.
The kitchen (non-volley zone), fully explained
What the non-volley zone is, what counts as a fault, and why the kitchen shapes nearly every point in pickleball.