Pickleball rules explained simply

Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a hard court 13.41 m long and 6.10 m wide, with a net a little lower than a tennis net. It can be played as singles or doubles on the same court, though doubles is far more common at Australian clubs. The rules below follow the order you meet them in a game.

Which rulebook does Australia use?

Pickleball Australia's rules page links to the 2026 Official GPF Rule Book, which is the USA Pickleball rulebook in a Global Pickleball Federation edition. It also publishes a short rules summary "with thanks to our friends from USA Pickleball". So clubs and sanctioned tournaments in Australia play the same rules as the US.

The 2026 book was reorganised, so rule numbers changed from 2025. Where this guide quotes a rule number, it is the 2026 number.

How does a game start?

Any fair method decides who serves first, such as a coin toss. In doubles, the score is called as "zero, zero, two" at the start of each game. The "two" means the first serving team only gets one server before the serve passes to the other side. After that first turn, both players on each team serve before a side out. The scoring guide explains this properly.

What are the serving rules?

The serve is the most rule-heavy part of the game:

• Stand behind the baseline with at least one foot on the ground, and neither foot touching the court or outside the extension of the sideline or centreline.
• Serve diagonally into the opposite service court. The ball must clear the kitchen, and a serve landing on the kitchen line is a fault.
• Volley serve: the paddle must be moving in a clear upward arc, the paddle head must be clearly below the top of your wrist, and contact must be clearly below your waist.
• Drop serve: drop the ball from a natural height without throwing it, let it bounce, then hit it. The volley serve motion rules do not apply to a drop serve.
• You get one attempt. There is no second serve.
• A serve that clips the net and still lands in the correct service court is in play.

The serving rules guide covers foot faults, spin and the 2026 changes in detail.

What is the two-bounce rule?

After the serve, the receiving side must let the ball bounce before returning it. Then the serving side must let that return bounce before hitting it. Once the ball has bounced once on each side, either team can volley (hit it out of the air) or play it off the bounce.

The rule stops the serving team from rushing the net and smashing the return, which is why pickleball rallies tend to be longer than tennis rallies. If you volley before the two bounces have happened, it is a fault.

What is the kitchen rule?

The non-volley zone is the area within 7 feet (2.13 m) of the net on both sides, and it includes its lines. You cannot volley while touching it, and if your momentum after a volley carries you into it, that is still a fault, even if the rally has already ended. You are allowed in the kitchen at any other time, for example to hit a ball that has bounced. See the full kitchen guide with a diagram.

What counts as a fault?

A fault ends the rally. Under the 2026 rulebook, the common ones are:

• hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net so it does not cross
• letting the ball bounce twice before returning it
• volleying before the two-bounce rule allows it
• volleying while touching the kitchen, or being carried into it by momentum
• a serve that lands in the kitchen, on the kitchen line, or outside the correct service court
• the ball hitting you or your clothing, other than your paddle or paddle hand below the wrist
• a double hit that is not one continuous stroke in one direction, or both partners hitting the same ball
• carrying or catching the ball on the paddle
• hitting the ball into a permanent object such as a light pole or roof before it lands

If the receiving side faults, the serving side wins a point. If the serving side faults, the server loses the serve.

How do line calls work?

A ball that touches any part of a line is in, with one exception: a serve that lands on the kitchen line is short, so it is a fault. You call the lines on your own end of the court. The rulebook asks players to give the opponent the benefit of the doubt: you should only call a ball out if you can clearly see a gap between the ball and the line. If you and your partner disagree, the ball is in. Spectators must not be consulted.

Can the ball hit the net or go around the post?

Yes on both counts. A ball that touches the net during a rally and goes over is still live. A served ball that touches the net is also fine if it lands in the correct service court. A ball can legally be returned around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. A served ball must not touch the net post or its supports.

Are singles rules different from doubles?

Singles uses the same court and almost the same rules. The difference is in serving: in singles you serve from the right side when your score is even and the left when it is odd, and you lose the serve as soon as you lose a rally. The score is called as two numbers rather than three. There is also a half-court variation called mini-singles (or skinny singles) that uses one side of the court.

What changed in the 2026 rules?

USA Pickleball's 2026 change document lists 29 entries, most of them editorial or tournament admin. The ones a social player will notice:

Where can I read the full rules?

The full 2026 rulebook is linked from Pickleball Australia's rules page, listed in the sources below. It runs to around 100 pages, so most players keep this summary handy and look up the book only when an argument breaks out on court.