What Is Pickleball? A Beginner's Guide to Playing

You can learn enough to join a beginner game without memorizing the whole rulebook. Start with what to bring, how a rally begins, and how to tell when the next serve changes hands.

What equipment do beginners need?

Bring a pickleball paddle, a ball suited to the court, and shoes made for the playing surface and sideways movement. Comfortable athletic clothing and water round out the basics. Many beginner programs lend paddles, so ask before buying everything for a first visit.

Indoor and outdoor balls can have different hole patterns and playing characteristics. Use the ball chosen by your host or group. If a league or tournament requires approved equipment, check the exact model and its rules before arriving.

How big is a pickleball court?

The same 20-by-44-foot court is used for singles and doubles. The net is 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center. Each half has a seven-foot kitchen beside the net; behind that zone, a centerline divides the right and left service courts.

A ball touching a boundary line is generally in. On a serve, the kitchen line is the important exception: a serve touching it is a fault. The court dimensions guide explains the layout.

How does a pickleball rally start?

The server stands behind the baseline and serves diagonally into the opposite service court, beyond the kitchen and its line. A legal volley serve strikes the ball before it bounces; a drop serve strikes it after a naturally released ball bounces. The serving guide covers the different mechanics.

The receiver must let the serve bounce before returning it. The serving side must then let that return bounce before hitting the third shot. After those two opening bounces, players can volley the ball out of the air or hit it after a bounce.

During the rest of the rally, return the ball before it bounces twice on your side. A ball hit out, left in the net, or played with another fault ends the rally.

Can you stand in the kitchen?

The kitchen limits volleys. You cannot volley while touching its surface or lines, and your momentum after a volley cannot carry you into it. You can enter it to play a bounced ball, then establish both feet outside before your next volley.

This distinction is easier to remember than “stay out of the kitchen.” A short bounced ball may draw you in; an airborne ball requires a legal volley position. The kitchen guide gives practical examples.

How is pickleball scored?

In traditional side-out scoring, only the serving side scores points. Games commonly go to 11, win by two. Doubles uses three numbers: serving team's score, receiving team's score, and server number. The opening call is 0-0-2 because the starting team gets only one server before its first side out. Singles uses two numbers.

Ask your group to explain the service sequence during a practice game. Call the score aloud, remember “serve bounce, return bounce,” and aim to keep the ball in play. Those habits give you a useful starting point; the official rules provide the details as new situations arise.