Pickleball Rules & Scoring: What are the rules of pickleball?

If you're new to pickleball, you’ll be pleased to know it doesn’t take long to get the hang of it. Especially if you have a basic grasp of tennis.

At its core, pickleball is played on a court smaller than tennis (think badminton size), with a net slightly lower than in tennis. Players use a solid paddle and a lightweight, holey plastic ball, which behaves differently to the fuzzy tennis ball you might be used to.

In terms of pickleball rules, they are essentially same as tennis apart from these two things:

Interesting, right?

That’s a big difference from tennis, where both sides can win a point off any rally.

Pickleball games are usually played to 11 points, but you have to win by at least 2. So if it’s 10–10, you’ll need to edge ahead to 12–10 to win.

Another unique rule is the “double bounce” rule.

When the ball is served, it must bounce once on each side before any volleying is allowed. And then there’s the “kitchen”, or non-volley zone, a 7-foot area on either side of the net where volleys (hitting the ball before it bounces) are off-limits.

This keeps the game strategic and stops players from crowding the net and smashing every ball.

Serving in pickleball isn’t about power, it's about precision.

Unlike tennis, where players launch the ball at high speeds, pickleball serves are underhand and must be hit below waist height. That’s right.  No overarm aces here.

The aim is to land the serve diagonally into the opponent’s service box, just like in tennis or badminton.
You get one chance to serve.

If a serve is faulted, the serving team loses their serve. This means the opposing team gets to serve on their next turn, and there is no point scored for the fault. The server who faulted will then be replaced by their partner for the next serve attempt, unless it's the first serve of the game. 

A serve is considered a fault if it hits the net and doesn’t land in the correct service area, goes out of bounds, or lands in the “kitchen” (the non-volley zone) or on its line.

There’s also a concept called a “drop serve” which is allowed in recreational play, where you let the ball drop and bounce before hitting your serve. This is especially helpful for beginners.

Doubles is the most common way to play pickleball (and arguably the most fun). Whether you're playing competitively or for laughs, the doubles format encourages teamwork, strategy, and quick reactions.

Each team has two players, and the serving team starts on the right-hand side of the court. The first server serves diagonally, just like in singles.

But here’s where it gets a bit more unique: both players on the serving team get a turn to serve before it switches over to the opponents. That’s known as the “two-fault” rule (except at the very start of the game, when only one player serves).

After each point won, the server switches sides with their partner and serves again—this keeps your opponent on their toes. The receiving team never switches sides until they win the rally and gain the right to serve.

Communication is key in doubles. Decide early who’s covering which shots and always call “mine” or “yours” to avoid paddle clashes mid-point. Doubles matches also put a premium on positioning—try to stay level with your partner rather than crowding the net.

With a bit of practice, you’ll be gliding across the court, paddles poised, reading each other's moves like seasoned pros.

Singles pickleball is a little faster and more physically demanding than doubles: there’s no one to cover the court with you, so expect to be on the move. The rules are mostly the same, but with a few small differences.

In singles, each player has only one serve attempt. You serve from the right-hand side if your score is even, and from the left if it’s odd.

You still need to serve diagonally, and the double-bounce rule applies, meaning the ball must bounce once on each side before volleys are allowed. The court dimensions stay the same, but you’ll be covering a lot more ground on your own. 

Positioning becomes crucial. Get caught out of place and you’ll struggle to reach the ball. That’s why many players stick to the middle of the court to stay balanced.

Scoring is quicker in singles too. Every serve is yours to win or lose, and momentum can swing fast. It’s an intense, rewarding version of the game that’s perfect if you want to improve your fitness, footwork, and reaction speed.

Think of it like a singles tennis match—more running, more control, and more personal victories with every point you win.

The difference between pickleball and padel is a question we see a lot. 

Pickleball and padel might look similar at a glance (both are played with paddles on smaller courts). But the gameplay, scoring and even the equipment are quite different.

Let’s start with the court: Padel is always played in doubles and takes place on an enclosed court with glass walls, which are actually used as part of the game, kind of similar to squash.

Pickleball is played on an open court with no walls, meaning rallies rely more on quick movement and positioning than rebounds.

Scoring also differs. In padel, the scoring is identical to tennis (15, 30, 40, game), while pickleball uses a rally-based scoring system to 11, with only the serving team allowed to score.

Then there’s the gear. Pickleball paddles are solid and come in wood or composite materials, and the ball is a plastic one with holes—like a lightweight wiffle ball. Padel rackets are solid with holes and are designed for control, while the balls are pressurised, similar to tennis balls.

The serving style varies too. Pickleball uses underhand serves, while padel starts with an underhand bounce serve but allows more aggressive play straight after.

In short, both are fun, social racket sports, but they each bring their own flavour to the court. Why not try both and see which one fits your style?