How to play Pickleball

Fri Jan 9th | < 1 minute read

Pickleball is a fun, social sport played on a small court with paddles and a lightweight plastic ball. Played as singles or doubles, it emphasises communication, teamwork, and long rallies. The sport has simple rules and scoring, features the non-volley zone (kitchen), and is designed for maximum enjoyment, accessibility, and friendly competition.

Introduction guide to Pickleball

1. Game: played with paddles and a plastic ball on a small court, either singles or doubles.
2. Scoring: Games are played to 11 points, win by 2. Only the serving team scores.
3. Serve: Serves are underarm (bounce or no bounce), hit diagonally, and must clear the kitchen. One serve attempt only.
4. Kitchen: The kitchen is the area near the net where players cannot volley the ball. You may enter only after the ball bounces.
5. Shots: Common shots include serves, returns, dinks, volleys, lobs, and smashes.
6. Positioning: After the ball bounces on each side, players move toward the net and play near the kitchen line.
7. Winning points: Points are won by forcing errors, hitting the ball out of reach, or causing rule violations.

Top tips

• Focus on control, not power
• Be patient, errors win more points than winners
• Use dinks to slow the game and force mistakes
• Keep your paddle up and ready at the net
• Communicate with your partner in doubles