The most fun, quirky, and delightfully interactive guide to the fastest growing sport on Earth. Learn the rules, explore the mysterious "Kitchen", play the Dink Master mini-game, and step on court with total confidence!
Hit below your navel, upward stroke, diagonal into opponent box.
Serve must bounce, return must bounce. Then you can volley!
Feet must stay behind the line on volleys. Airspace above is 100% legal!
"Our Score - Their Score - Server 1 or 2" (e.g. 0-0-2 to start!)
Experience authentic dinking: Both players stand right at their kitchen lines. You can take the ball out of the air (⚡ Volley Dink) OR off the bounce (🥑 Bounce Dink). Tap "DINK!" or press SPACEBAR to keep the rally alive!
💡 Pro Tip: Reaching your paddle forward over the kitchen in mid-air is 100% legal! Just keep your feet behind the line!
Everything you need to understand what you're stepping into before touching a paddle.
Pickleball is the lovechild of Tennis, Ping-Pong, and Badminton. It's played on a badminton-sized court (44' x 20') with a lightweight perforated plastic ball and solid composite paddles.
Unlike tennis or golf which can take months to rally, anyone can play fun rallies on Day 1. It's low-impact on joints, immensely social, and strategy beats pure muscle every time.
No expensive country club gear required! To get started today, all you need is:
Click any zone on the court or use the buttons below to explore dimensions, rules, and test common Kitchen scenarios.
💡 Click or tap any zone on the diagram to see its rules and dimensions.
The 7-foot area extending from the net on both sides. A Kitchen Fault only occurs if you volley (hit the ball out of the air) while any part of your body or paddle touches the ground inside the kitchen or on its boundary line.
Click a real game situation to see whether the referee calls Legal or Fault:
Master these five fundamentals and you are 100% ready to play a regulation game.
Every serve must be hit underhand with paddle contact below your waistline. The serve must travel diagonally cross-court and land beyond the opponent's Kitchen line.
After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side, and once on the returning side (shots #1 and #2). After those two initial bounces, either team can volley the ball out of the air.
A Kitchen Fault ONLY occurs if your feet, body, or paddle touch the ground inside the 7-foot zone (or line) during a volley. If your feet are planted behind the kitchen line, you are 100% allowed to reach your paddle forward in the air over the kitchen and volley the ball!
In traditional pickleball, points are only scored by the team currently serving. If the receiving team wins a rally, no point is awarded; instead, they earn a Side Out (or move to Server #2).
Before every serve, the server must call out three numbers loud and clear: [Serving Team Score] - [Receiving Team Score] - [Server 1 or 2].
The biggest hurdle for beginners is keeping score and knowing who serves. Test it interactively below to see how points, side-outs, and court switches work in real time!
You don't need a 90mph tennis stroke. Here are the 5 fundamental shots that win beginner matches.
Your default home position between every shot. Keep your paddle held in front of your chest at a "10 or 11 o'clock" angle with a relaxed, loose grip.
Ready to block fast hands battles at the kitchen line.
The most iconic shot in pickleball. A soft, controlled upward push from the shoulder that drops the ball directly into the opponent's kitchen, making it impossible for them to attack out of the air.
Keep the ball low and force your opponent to hit upward.
When an opponent hits a ball high over the net, do NOT wind up with a huge tennis backswing! In pickleball's close quarters, big swings cause errors. Punch forward like a jab!
No backswing—just a short, firm jab out in front.
After your serve and their return, you are standing at the baseline while the opponents are already set up at the kitchen line. The 3rd shot drop arcs softly into their kitchen, giving you time to run up to the net!
Neutralizes the opponent's net advantage so you can battle on equal footing.
In pickleball, aces are rare. Your goal as a beginner is 100% in-court consistency and hitting deep toward the opponent's baseline to keep them pinned back.
A reliable deep serve beats a flashy risky serve every time.
Every player on the court has an archetype. Tap one below to see your superpower:
Tap buttons to trigger funny court audio & gain XP:
Pickleball is the friendliest community in sports. Here is how to show up, join a game, and be welcomed with open arms.
At public open play courts, people queue by placing their paddles in a rack or on a fence in stacks of 4. When a game finishes, the next 4 paddles in line take the court!
Say: "Hi! I'm pretty new to pickleball, excited to play doubles!" Players are notoriously welcoming and will happily call out scores and guide your positioning.
Win or lose, at the end of every 11-point match, all 4 players walk to the net and gently tap paddle edges or handles saying "Good game!" or "Great rally!"
You call balls on your side of the court. If you are not 100% certain a ball was out, the rule is: it's IN! Give your opponents the benefit of the doubt.
Test what you've learned through realistic match scenarios and earn your Certified Pickler badge!
You have mastered the golden rules, doubles scoring, and court safety basics.
You are officially ready to step onto any public or private court and have a blast.
Don't get overwhelmed by marketing hype. Here is what matters when picking your first gear.
Look for a balanced, mid-weight paddle between 7.8 oz and 8.2 oz with a comfortable grip circumference (4.0" to 4.25").
Durable, quiet, and offers the largest sweet spot for beginners.
Fiberglass gives more effortless "pop" & power; Carbon Fiber / Graphite gives supreme touch and control.
Outdoor and indoor pickleballs are very different! Make sure you bring the right ball to the right surface:
| Feature | Outdoor Balls ☀️ | Indoor Balls 🏠 |
|---|---|---|
| Hole Count | 40 small drilled holes | 26 larger molded holes |
| Plastic Weight | Heavier, harder plastic | Lighter, softer plastic |
| Wind Resistance | Cuts through outdoor wind | Drifts if used outdoors |
| Popular Brands | Franklin X-40, Dura Fast 40 | Onix Fuse, Gamma Photon |
Hear words like "Erne", "Dink", "Banger", or "Pickled" on the courts? Search terms below:
Keep this open on your phone during games for 5-second rule checks!
Always call: [Our Score] - [Their Score] - [Server 1 or 2].
Game always starts at 0 - 0 - 2.
1. Fault only occurs if you touch the ground inside the kitchen (or line) during a volley.
2. Airspace is legal: If your feet are behind the line, you can reach over the kitchen in mid-air and volley freely!
3. Bounced balls: If the ball bounces in the kitchen, you can step right in and hit it.
Serve must bounce once. Return must bounce once. Only on shot #3 can teams volley in the air.
Only switch left/right when your team scores a point on your serve. Never switch sides on a fault or receiving!