Pickleball is one of the fastest growing racquet sports in the world and is now popular in Indian cities too. It mixes elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, and is easy for beginners of all ages. Here are the basic rules.
Equipment and court
- A solid paddle, larger than a table tennis bat
- A light plastic ball with holes
- A court of 20 feet by 44 feet, the same size as a doubles badminton court
- A net about 36 inches high at the sides and 34 inches in the middle
The game can be played as singles or doubles, but doubles is the most common.
The kitchen
The area within 7 feet of the net on both sides is called the non volley zone, or the kitchen. You cannot volley, which means hitting the ball in the air without letting it bounce, while standing in the kitchen or touching its line. You can enter the kitchen to hit a ball that has bounced.
Serving
- The serve must be underhand, with the paddle hitting the ball below waist level.
- The server stands behind the baseline and serves diagonally across the court.
- The serve must land in the opposite diagonal service box, beyond the kitchen line.
- Only one serve attempt is allowed, unless the ball touches the net and lands correctly, depending on the current rules.
Also Read: Badminton Rules Explained: 21 Point Rally Scoring, Service Rules and Faults Every Player Should Know | Olympic Boxing Rules Explained: Rounds, the 10 Point Must System, Weight Classes and How Bouts Are Won
The two bounce rule
After the serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning it. Then the serving team must also let the return bounce once before hitting it. After these two bounces, players can volley or play off the bounce. This rule prevents serve and volley domination and makes rallies longer.
Faults
A fault ends the rally. Common faults are:
- Hitting the ball out of bounds
- Hitting into the net
- Volleying from the kitchen
- Breaking the two bounce rule
Scoring
In traditional scoring, only the serving side can win points. Games are usually played to 11 points, and you must win by 2. In doubles, both partners serve before the serve passes to the other team, except at the start of the game. The score is called as three numbers: server’s score, receiver’s score and server number.
Some tournaments now use rally scoring, where a point is scored on every rally.
Why it is popular
Pickleball is easy on the body, quick to learn and social, so it suits children, adults and senior citizens alike.
Bottom line
Learn the kitchen rule, the underhand serve and the two bounce rule, and you are ready to play pickleball.
Source / स्रोत: USA Pickleball official rulebook, International Pickleball Federation
