Pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in America and it’s arriving in the UK at speed.
Courts are opening across the country, clubs are adding sessions almost monthly, and anyone who tries it tends to be surprised by how quickly they’re actually playing rather than just learning.
The reason is simple.
There are only 7 simple rules that govern every point, the court is smaller than a tennis court, and the game rewards patience over power.
This intro to pickleball covers everything you need to know about the court, the equipment, the rules of pickleball, scoring, and the basic shots to get you through your first session.
What is pickleball?
Pickleball is a racket sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, played on a compact court with a solid paddle and a plastic ball with holes.
It can be played as pickleball singles (two players) or pickleball doubles (four players). Most people play doubles, where the social dynamic of the game comes through most strongly.
The sport was invented in 1965 in the United States and is governed there by USA Pickleball. In the UK, the LTA oversees the sport.
Pickleball has become one of the most accessible sports to try as an adult. The simple rules mean a beginner can compete in a proper game within their first hour on court.
What you need to play pickleball
The basic equipment you need to play pickleball is a paddle and a ball.
A pickleball paddle is solid-faced with no strings, shorter and lighter than a tennis racket, and made from composite materials including carbon fibre or fibreglass.
The ball is a hard plastic ball with circular holes. Indoor balls have fewer but larger holes; outdoor balls have more smaller holes to cope with wind.
You’ll need specific pickleball balls for the surface you’re playing on.
The court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, with a net sitting at 36 inches at the sides and 34 inches at the centre. It’s roughly the size of a badminton court.
At The Court, we have paddles available to borrow so there is no need to get your own equipment to get started.
The pickleball court
The pickleball court is divided into two service boxes on each side (separated by a centreline) and the non-volley zone running 7 feet from the net on both sides.
The baseline runs at the far end of each half. Servers must stand behind the baseline to serve.
The non-volley zone, also called the pickleball kitchen, is the most important area on court.
No player can volley while standing in the kitchen.
You can step inside it to play a ball that has already bounced, but you must clear the kitchen before attempting a volley.
The kitchen line is where most pickleball games are decided.
The basic pickleball rules for beginners
Every pickleball game begins with a serve.
The serve must be underhand, struck below waist height, and delivered diagonally from behind the baseline into the opponent’s service box on the far side of the net.
You can also use a drop serve, letting the ball bounce before striking it on the rise. A serve that clips the net and lands correctly is replayed.
The serve must clear the kitchen and land in the correct service area. A serve landing in the kitchen or on the kitchen line is a fault and the serve rotates.
The two-bounce rule
Once the serve is in, the two-bounce rule takes effect.
The receiving team must let the ball bounce before hitting it back. Then the serving team must also let the ball bounce on their side before volleying.
The ball must bounce once on each side at the start of every rally before either team can hit it out of the air. After those first two bounces, volleying is allowed outside the kitchen.
This rule is what stops serve-and-volley dominance.
Both teams must let the ball bounce first, which opens the rally and gives everyone a chance to play.
The kitchen rule
You can never hit a volley while standing in the kitchen.
If any part of your body is in the non-volley zone when you volley the ball, you lose the point.
Momentum rules also apply.
If your momentum carries you into the kitchen after a volley, you still lose the point even if you were outside the zone when you struck the ball.
You can enter the kitchen to play a bounced ball, and you can stand there for as long as you like. You just must let the ball bounce first before doing so.
Pickleball scoring
Pickleball uses side-out scoring.
Only the serving team can score points. If the receiving team wins the rally, the serve rotates to them but no point is scored.
Games go to 11 points and you must win by at least 2 points. Some tournament formats go to 15 or 21.
In pickleball doubles, the score is called out as three numbers: the serving team’s score, the receiving team’s score, and the server number (1 or 2).
So “4-2-1” means the serving team leads 4-2 and the first server is serving. You continue serving until you lose the rally, at which point the serve goes to your teammate.
At the start of the game, only one serve per rotation goes to the first team to prevent an early advantage.
After that, both partners get to serve before the ball rotates to the other side.
The player on the right-hand side of the court serves when their team’s score is even. The left-side player serves when the score is odd. Positioning is based on their score at the time they last won the serve.
Pickleball singles and doubles
Pickleball doubles uses four players, two on each side, and is the most common format.
In doubles, one player typically holds the kitchen line while the other covers the back half of the court.
Pickleball singles uses two players on the same court.
Each player covers the full width, making it more physically demanding but faster-paced. Serving in singles works the same way, except each team gets one serve per rotation rather than two.
Open play sessions are the best places to play pickleball as a beginner.
You show up, get paired with other players based on skill, and rotate through games across the session. Most clubs, including The Court, run open play for all levels.
Basic pickleball shots for beginners
You don’t need a full repertoire to enjoy your first pickleball game. Four shots cover most situations you’ll face.
The groundstroke (forehand and backhand) is your baseline drive.
When the ball bounces on your side, swing with control and aim for placement rather than power.
The volley is hitting the ball out of the air at the net, outside the kitchen. Moving forward and holding the kitchen line is the goal in doubles, and a confident volley keeps the other pair under pressure.
The lob sends the ball high and deep to push opponents off the kitchen line.
When your opponents are close to the net and an opponent hits a short shot you can’t attack, a lob resets the point.
The dink is the signature shot of pickleball. It’s a soft, low shot played from close to the net, like a drop shot in tennis.
When both pairs are at the kitchen line, a well-placed dink lands just over the net and dies in the kitchen, forcing your opponent to hit upward.
The best pickleball players win most of their points through dink exchanges rather than power shots.
Tips to start playing pickleball
The most important thing to understand is that power usually hurts more than it helps.
Hard flat shots sit up for opponents to drive back. Soft, low balls that die in the kitchen are far harder to deal with.
Work your way forward in doubles.
The team that controls the kitchen line wins more points, so every rally should aim at moving from the baseline to the net rather than staying back.
The best way to learn is simply to play.
Pickleball drills help with footwork and dinking, but real game situations develop instincts faster than any drill.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 5 rules of pickleball?
The five rules beginners need first: the serve must be underhand and diagonal; the two-bounce rule applies at the start of every rally; you can never volley in the kitchen; only the serving team scores points; and games go to 11, winning by 2.
What is a dink in pickleball?
A dink is a soft, controlled shot played close to the kitchen line that lands in or just beyond the non-volley zone.
It’s used to keep the ball low and force your opponent to hit upward. Learning to dink well is central to playing competitive pickleball at any level.
What is the two-bounce rule in pickleball?
After the serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce before hitting it. Then the serving team must also let the ball bounce on their side before volleying.
The ball has to bounce once on each side before either team can hit it out of the air. After those two bounces, volleying is permitted outside the kitchen.
Why can’t you volley in the kitchen?
The kitchen rule prevents players from standing at the net and smashing every ball. It forces patient, tactical play close to the net.
You can enter the kitchen to play a bounced ball, but you must let the ball bounce first and clear the zone before volleying again.
Come and play at The Court
Interest in experiencing the thrill of pickleball for yourself? Come and check out our beautiful court facility at The Court in Glasgow.
We have two professional-standard pickleball courts in the south side of Glasgow, with equipment to borrow and open play sessions running regularly.
No experience needed, and if you don’t have anyone to play with, we can help you find a partner!
Book through Playtomic and come and see what all the fuss is about.
