Pickleball is a popular sport that is played on a court with a paddle and a plastic ball. Here are some basic rules for pickleball:
- Court dimensions: A pickleball court is similar in size to a doubles badminton court, measuring 20 feet wide by 44 feet long.
- Serving: The serve must be made underhand and must be hit below the server's waist. The ball must land in the opponent's service court diagonally across the net.
- Double bounce rule: After the serve, each team must let the ball bounce once before hitting it. After that, the ball can be volleyed or hit in the air. This is known as the "double bounce rule."
- Non-volley zone: There is a non-volley zone or "kitchen" located on each side of the net. Players cannot hit a ball that is in the air while standing in the non-volley zone. They must wait for the ball to bounce first.
- Scoring: Points are only awarded to the serving team. Games are typically played to 11 points, and the winning team must win by two points.
- Faults: Faults can be called if the ball lands out of bounds, if the server hits the ball out of the correct order, or if a player steps into the non-volley zone and hits the ball in the air.
- Let serves: If the serve touches the net and lands in the proper service court, it is considered a let serve and is replayed.
These are just a few of the basic rules for pickleball. As you become more familiar with the game, you may encounter additional rules and variations.