What is Pickleball all about? In short, Pickleball is a mix of table tennis, badminton, and tennis. The court resembles a tennis court but is about the size of a badminton court. The net is similar to a tennis net but slightly lower. You can play singles or doubles, but doubles is the most popular format, with two players on each side.
The Serve
Just like in tennis, a serve starts the game. However, in Pickleball, serves must be made underhand, and both the serve and return must bounce once before being hit in the air—this is called the two-bounce rule. The rally continues until a player or team commits a fault, such as:
- The ball hitting a player.
- The ball bouncing more than once.
- Hitting the ball into the net.
- Sending the ball out of bounds.
The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)
A unique rule in Pickleball is the non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen. This is a seven-foot area near the net where players cannot volley the ball (hit it in the air) while standing inside it. Players must also avoid stepping into the kitchen after a volley due to momentum.
Scoring in Pickleball
Only the serving team can score points. The server announces three numbers before serving:
- Their team's score.
- The opponent's score.
- The server number (only in doubles).
A popular strategy for scoring is the "dink", where players hit a soft shot that barely clears the net, forcing the opponent to hit upward, setting up an easy winning shot.
A game is played to 11 points, but a team must win by at least two points. While scoring might seem tricky at first, you’ll quickly get the hang of it—and even if you don’t, just keep playing and having fun!
