How to Serve in Pickleball: Volley and Drop Serve Rules

The two methods have different swing requirements. The rules about your feet and the ball's destination apply to both.

What is a legal volley serve?

For a volley serve, strike the ball before it bounces. At contact, the paddle must move in a clear upward arc, the ball must clearly be no higher than your waist, and the highest point of the paddle head must clearly be no higher than the highest part of your wrist joint.

Release the ball without adding spin with your hand. A smooth, comfortable motion is a useful starting point: choose a broad target in the correct service court and make the same swing several times before trying more pace.

How does the drop serve work?

Release the ball naturally and hit it after it bounces. Do not throw it upward or push it down to create the bounce, and do not add spin to the release.

The volley serve's upward-arc, waist-height, and paddle-head restrictions do not apply to a legal drop serve. That makes the drop serve an option for players who prefer to organize the swing around a bounced ball.

Try a consistent release and a comfortable contact point. The full release and bounce provisions are in the official rulebook.

Where can your feet be during a serve?

Keep your feet behind the baseline, on your chosen service side. At least one foot must be grounded when you contact the ball. Neither foot may touch the court on or inside the baseline, or the ground outside the imaginary extensions of the sideline and centerline.

Aim for a stance that leaves clear room around those boundaries. You can move into the court after contact, but remember that the return still has to bounce before your team hits its next shot.

Where must a pickleball serve land?

The serve must land in the opposite diagonal service court. Touching its sideline, centerline, or baseline counts as in. Touching the kitchen line is a fault.

You get one serve attempt. A serve that clips the net and otherwise lands legally remains in play under USA Pickleball rules. Check any event-specific format before competing.

Two more serving questions

Is a backhand serve legal in pickleball?

Yes. USA Pickleball allows forehand and backhand motions for volley serves and drop serves, provided the chosen serve meets its requirements.

Can a drop serve bounce more than once before I hit it?

Yes. USA Pickleball does not limit the number of bounces before you strike a legal drop serve. This is separate from the two-bounce rule after the serve.

How can beginners practice consistent serves?

Choose a generous target well inside the legal service court and hit ten serves. Count legal serves, short misses, long misses, and wide misses. Adjust one thing at a time, then repeat.

Ask a partner to watch your feet and contact position. Once the motion is dependable, work on a deeper target while leaving margin inside the lines. Call the score before each practice serve too; the scoring guide explains that part of the routine.