Pickleball
Pickleball is an exciting and social game that is ideal for newcomers. Understanding the rules and regulations is crucial for playing pickleball effectively. Selecting the right equipment, including paddles, balls, and shoes, plays an important role in enhancing your performance.
Basic Rules
- The serve must be executed underhand, and both teams are required to play their initial shot after the ball bounces.
- Once the ball has bounced once on each side, players can either volley the ball in the air or play it off the bounce.
- To volley means to hit the ball before it touches the ground.
- Volleying is prohibited within the 7-foot non-volley zone, which prevents players from smashing the ball from within this area on either side of the net.
- Both players on the serving team are allowed to serve, and points can only be scored when serving. A game is played to 11 points, and a team must win by at least 2 points.
- Points are lost by hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the net, stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying, or by volleying the ball before it has bounced on each side of the net.
Specific Rules
- Players must keep both feet behind the back line when serving. The serve is underhand.
- The paddle must remain below the waist during the serve. The server must hit the ball in the air without letting it bounce. The serve must be diagonal and must pass the non-volley zone.
- Only one attempt is allowed for the serve, except in the case of a "let".
- At the start of each game, the first serving team is allowed only one fault before handing the ball to the opponents.
- Points are lost by hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the net, stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying, or by volleying the ball before it has bounced on both sides of the net.
Double Bounce Rule
- Each team is required to play its first shot after the ball bounces. The receiving team must let the serve bounce, and the serving team must let the return bounce before playing it.
- After both bounces occur, the ball can either be volleyed or played off the bounce.
Double Play
- If the receiving team commits a fault, the serving team scores a point.
- When the serving team commits its first fault, players remain on the same court, and the second player will serve.
- If the serving team wins a point, players will switch courts, but the same player continues serving.
- If the serving team commits a second fault, the ball is turned over to the opposing team while staying on the same court.
- Players switch courts only after scoring. A ball landing on any line is considered in.
- AIPA follows the official rules set by the IFP.
Click here to download ➡ Zygo Sports Official Rule Book PDF
