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Beginner
Pickleball Rules & Scoring, Explained
Everything you need for your first game — the kitchen, scoring, serving, and faults, explained clearly.
Scoring
How Scoring Works
11
Points to win (win by 2)
Serve
Only serving team can score
3 #s
Score called Server-Receiver-Server#
In doubles, the score is always called as three numbers. For example, “4-2-1” means the serving team has 4 points, the receiving team has 2, and it’s server number 1’s turn.
At the start of each game, the first serving team only gets one server (to avoid an unfair advantage). The score starts as “0-0-2” — both teams at 0, and it’s already server 2’s turn.
The Kitchen
The Non-Volley Zone
The kitchen is the 7-foot zone on each side of the net. The most important rule in pickleball:
You cannot volley (hit the ball from the air) while standing in the kitchen or with your foot on the kitchen line.
You CAN enter the kitchen to play a ball that’s already bounced — you just can’t volley from inside it. Even if a volley’s momentum carries you into the kitchen afterward, that’s a fault. This single rule creates the strategic “dinking” game at the kitchen line.
Faults
Common Faults
Serving Faults
✗ Serving overhand or above waist height
✗ Ball lands in the kitchen on serve
✗ Ball lands out of the diagonal service box
✗ Serving before the score is called
✗ Ball lands in the kitchen on serve
✗ Ball lands out of the diagonal service box
✗ Serving before the score is called
During-Rally Faults
✗ Hitting the ball out of bounds
✗ Ball hits the net
✗ Volleying from inside the kitchen
✗ Ball bounces twice on your side before you hit it
✗ Body or paddle touches the net
✗ Ball hits the net
✗ Volleying from inside the kitchen
✗ Ball bounces twice on your side before you hit it
✗ Body or paddle touches the net