In pickleball, what are the 5 rules of pickleball: the first rule is to not mention pickleball. Here is a joke. You already know that people who play pickleball talk about it a lot. That’s probably how you became interested in it.
We’ll get to the real rules now that we have your attention. To summarize, the rules of pickleball are: the ball must remain inbounds, there must be one bounce per side, the serve must not land in the no-volley zone, and the game must end after 11 or 15 points. You can also read about the kitchen rules of pickleball.
As with any sport, there are nuances, some exceptions to the rules, and certain strategies of play you can use to take advantage of some of them. We’re here to discuss some of them today.
Let’s get started.
Pickleball is likely something you’ve heard of today, even if you hadn’t heard about it five years ago. Despite its long history (it was invented in 1965), this sport is only now gaining attention as a mainstream sport. Despite having few rules and requiring little equipment, it is easy to see why it has become so popular recently.
Like tennis, pickleball involves the use of a paddle (similar to a racket) as well as a bouncing ball and a net. Several sports are combined, including ping-pong, badminton, and tennis. Pickleball is a recreational game played with a paddle and a hole-filled plastic ball that is quite easy to pick up without any experience or athletic ability.
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Although, You have come to the right place if you’re looking to learn the basics of pickleball.
You will learn the nuances of the game and how to play it more quickly as well as become more competitive in the sport.
I will now break down the rules of play without further ado.
Rule 1: The ball must remain inbound
A ball must always stay in bounds to be in play in most sports that are played on a field or court. When playing pickleball, you must stay on either side of the white lines on the court.
The other team gets the ball if the ball goes out of bounds like in ping pong. The results of the game will suffer as a result.
In spite of this, pickleball requires the ball to bounce while it is served and returned, so if it bounces on your serve, you have a greater chance of returning your opponent’s serve “at net” (this is where most points are won).
Rule 2: Each side should bounce once
Pickleball is characterized by this rule, which separates it from other net sports. Funny enough, this rule is often forgotten.
You have to return the ball to the other team if you let it bounce twice on your side. It must only bounce once on your side when you serve or return to the other side. In the event, your serve bounces more than once (or goes out of bounds), your serve is over. Before returning the ball to the other side, let it bounce ONCE.
The ball can be returned after a single bounce by the server to the other side and then it can be returned after a single bounce by the receiver to the other side, completing the two-bounce rule.
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Rule 3: The baseline must be followed
When it comes to pickleball serving, there are a few regulations. In order for the serve to be successful (and the position of one foot behind the baseline), it must be done at the baseline.
The winner will be decided by a flip of the coin or a random selection of a number, but traditionally, a flip.
Additionally, the ball needs to be served under the waistline and held below the waist line and served diagonally to the opposing side. In the case of a violation of these rules, it will be regarded as a fault and the serve will be granted directly to the other player if you are playing as a single.
Rule 4: Serves cannot land in the no-volley zone
Within the lined box, the zone is within 7 feet of the net. On both ends of the court, is the no-volley zone. There is also a no-volley zone known as the kitchen line where players say, “stay out of the kitchen”.
In order to keep the serve, your ball must go beyond the no-volley zone when serving. Although you may drop the ball after serving the ball (called a “drop shot”).
In general, though, the deeper the serve, the better. If you would like to throw another volley, remember that it needs to bounce on both sides before you can drop it into the kitchen.
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Rule 5: At 11 or 15 points, the game ends
Pickleball is traditionally played to 11 points. The winning team must, however, beat the runner-up by at least two points, like in volleyball and tennis. The game will continue even if you’re at 11 and the other team gets 10. Thus, the game will end with a score of 12 if you’re at 11 and the other team gets 10.
Even though some games default to 15 points, the team must still win by at least two points to qualify. Both teams must agree on the ending score beforehand.
As soon as the first team scores 6 points, teams switch sides of the court. In the case of a 21-point game, the switch happens at 8 points.
Here are the five pickleball rules. You can now begin practicing. There are plenty of things you can do to get started…including slapping down a court on your front lawn if you really wanted to!
What Are The 5 Rules Of Pickleball? – Conclusion
Despite its simplicity, pickleball is deep in strategy and is easy to learn. Nevertheless, every beginner should know a few basic rules. Fortunately, this article contains all the information you need to play pickleball immediately.
The post was summarized as follows:
- There are 11-point, 15-point, or 21-point pickleball games.
- The game must end when the winning team wins by two points.
- Underhand serves must land outside the volley zone.
- Serving and returning must both bounce
- The ball must land in the kitchen for the player to step into it during volley play
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