What is the kitchen in pickleball?

The kitchen is the non-volley zone — a 7-foot area on each side of the net. You cannot hit the ball in the air (volley) while standing in the kitchen. You can step in to play a ball that has bounced, but you must exit before volleying again.

How do you serve in pickleball?

Serves must be hit underhand, with the paddle contact below the wrist. You serve diagonally cross-court, and the ball must clear the kitchen and land in the correct service box. Only one serve attempt is allowed per rally.

What is the double-bounce rule?

After the serve, both teams must let the ball bounce once before volleying. The serving team must let the return bounce, and the receiving team must let the serve bounce. After these two bounces, players can volley freely (outside the kitchen).

How do you score in pickleball?

In traditional side-out scoring, only the serving team can score points. Games go to 11, win by 2. In rally scoring (increasingly common), a point is awarded on every rally regardless of who served, and games typically go to 15 or 21.

How to Play Pickleball: Rules, Scoring & Tips for Beginners

Learn how to play pickleball from scratch. We cover the court layout, scoring rules, serving, the kitchen (non-volley zone), and essential beginner tips.

What Is Pickleball?

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States — and for good reason. It combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong into a fast-paced, social, and beginner-friendly game. Played on a court about one-third the size of a tennis court, pickleball is easy to learn but endlessly rewarding to master.

Whether you are a complete newcomer or someone who played tennis or racquetball in the past, you can be rallying confidently within your first session. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to get started.

Equipment You Will Need

One of the best things about pickleball is that the gear is affordable and minimal. Here is what you need to get on the court:

The Paddle

A pickleball paddle is solid (no strings) and typically made from composite, graphite, or polymer materials. It is larger than a ping-pong paddle but smaller than a tennis racket. For newer players, a mid-weight composite paddle offers a great balance of control and power. Check out our best pickleball paddles for beginners guide to find the right fit for your game, or dive deeper into our pickleball paddle buyer's guide if you want to compare materials and price points.

The Ball

Pickleballs are lightweight, perforated plastic balls — similar to a wiffle ball. They come in two main varieties: outdoor balls (harder, smaller holes, less affected by wind) and indoor balls (softer, larger holes, slower play). See our full breakdown in the best pickleball balls guide to pick the right one for your courts.

The Net

A regulation pickleball net is 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center — slightly lower than a tennis net. Most public pickleball courts have permanent nets already installed. If you are setting up in a driveway or gym, portable nets are widely available.

Need everything in one shot? Our pickleball starter kit guide lists the best bundles for new players.

Understanding the Court Layout

A standard pickleball court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long — the same dimensions for both singles and doubles. Here are the key zones to know:

Baseline: The line at each end of the court, where you stand to serve.
Service areas: Two boxes on each side (left and right) that determine where the serve must land.
Non-Volley Zone (The Kitchen): A 7-foot zone on each side of the net. You cannot volley (hit the ball in the air) while standing inside it.
Centerline: Divides the service boxes on each side of the court.

Understanding the kitchen is critical — it is one of the most misunderstood rules for new players, and we cover it in detail below.

How Scoring Works

Pickleball uses a unique scoring system, and there are two main formats you will encounter:

Traditional Side-Out Scoring

In traditional (side-out) scoring, only the serving team can score a point. If the receiving team wins the rally, they do not score — they simply earn the serve. Games are typically played to 11 points, and you must win by 2. In doubles, each player on a team gets to serve before the serve rotates to the other team.

The score is called as three numbers in doubles: server score – receiver score – server number (1 or 2). For example, "4-3-2" means the serving team has 4 points, the receiving team has 3, and it is the second server's turn.

Rally Scoring

Rally scoring is increasingly popular at recreational and club levels. In this format, a point is scored on every rally, regardless of who served. Games are typically played to 15 or 21. Rally scoring speeds up play and is more spectator-friendly, though traditional scoring is still the official standard in most tournaments.

Basic Rules of the Game

The Double-Bounce Rule: After the serve, each team must let the ball bounce once before volleying. The serving team must let the return bounce, and the receiving team must let the serve bounce. After those two bounces, volleys are allowed.
Fault: A fault occurs when the ball goes out of bounds, into the net, lands in the kitchen on a serve, or a player volleys from the kitchen. Faults result in a side-out (or a point for the opponent under rally scoring).
In bounds: A ball landing on any line is considered in, except on a serve — the kitchen line is out on a serve.

Serving Rules

Pickleball serves must follow specific rules to be legal:

The serve must be made underhand, with the paddle contact point below the wrist.
You must serve diagonally — cross-court into the opposite service box.
The ball must clear the non-volley zone (kitchen) and land in the correct service box.
Both feet must be behind the baseline at the time of the serve.
Only one serve attempt is allowed (no second serve, unlike tennis), except in the case of a let (when the serve clips the net and lands in the correct box).

In doubles, the game starts with only one server on the serving team (to give the receiving team an advantage at the start). After that, both players serve before the serve rotates.

The Kitchen: Non-Volley Zone Explained

The kitchen (non-volley zone) is the 7-foot area on both sides of the net. The rules here are simple but important:

You cannot volley (hit the ball before it bounces) while any part of your body is in the kitchen — including your momentum carrying you in after a shot.
You can step into the kitchen to play a ball that has bounced.
You must exit the kitchen before volleying again.

The kitchen rule prevents players from camping at the net and smashing every ball. It creates a unique strategic element — dinking (soft shots into the kitchen) is a critical skill in advanced play.

Beginner Tips to Get You Started

Master the dink: Soft, controlled shots into the kitchen are the foundation of smart pickleball. Resist the urge to smash everything.
Get to the kitchen line: After the serve and return, both teams should try to advance to the non-volley zone line. Controlling the net is a huge advantage.
Keep the ball low: High balls invite attacks. Aim to keep your shots low over the net, especially on dinks and returns.
Communicate with your partner: In doubles, call "mine" or "yours" on every ball to avoid confusion.
Watch the ball, not your opponent: It sounds basic, but new players frequently take their eyes off the ball. Track it all the way to the paddle.
Play more, drill less (at first): The best way to learn is to play games. You will pick up the rules and strategy naturally through repetition.