So you think badminton, table tennis, and lawn tennis are fun!

Then you should certainly try pickleball.

Pickleball combines the aspects of table tennis, lawn tennis, and badminton into one. If you’re looking for new and fun things to do this year, then playing pickleball should certainly be on your 2019 bucket list.

The pickleball court is similar to that of a tennis court, but with a few variations.

The court features a center line net that equally divides the two sides of the court. Immediately after the net, there’s the non-volley zone (also known as the “kitchen”) on each side. Behind the kitchen, there’s the serving area.

It can either be played in doubles or singles.

Here’s a complete guide on how to play pickleball.

Serving

Each game starts with a pickleball serve. Serves are made diagonally by the players on the right side of the court. The serve has to be hit underhand and should cross to the other side of the opponent. Players should have both feet behind the back line when serving.

During pickleball serving, the ball shouldn’t hit the net or land in the kitchen. If it hits the net but still lands on the correct serving court, the server has to redo the serve.

However, if it hits the net and lands on the kitchen, it’s a fault and the serve is given to the opponent.

To always have accurate serves, it’s recommended to have a light pickleball paddle because it offers you more control. This is what paddles pros use to stay ahead of the game.

Volleying

A volley refers to hitting the ball in the air without letting it touch the ground.

In pickleball, this only happens when the feet of a player are behind the kitchen. If you step over the kitchen line during your volley, it’ll be considered a fault.

Double Bounce Rule

This rule suggests that the ball has to bounce once on both sides of the net before any of the players can volley. This means the receiver should hit the ball after letting it bounce once and the server must do the same on the return ball.

Once this is done, the ball can be played off the bounce.

Scoring

Points are scored by the serving sides. The receivers can’t score. If the server scores a point, he/she will move from the right to the left side of the service area and serve diagonally.

The server will keep moving from left to right every time a point is scored. In doubles, the serving team members alternate sides.

When the server commits a fault, the serve goes to the opponent. However, in doubles, when the first server commits a fault, the serve is given to his/her teammate. When the teammate faults, the serve goes to the receiving team.

This continues until the game is over.

How to Play Pickleball: Final Word

The main idea behind pickleball is to hit the ball back and forth until either side makes a mistake. It’s that simple!

With this guide on how to play pickleball, it shouldn’t be so hard to try it out.

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