Pickleball is a paddle sport played with a plastic ball on a court a little smaller than a doubles badminton court. Points are won by making the other side miss, hit into the net or hit out. PickleGame follows the 2026 USA Pickleball rules, so everything on this page works the same way in the game.
The court
A pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long. The net is 36 inches high at the posts and 34 inches at the center. On each side, the 7 feet closest to the net is the non-volley zone, which most players call the kitchen. Behind it, a center line splits each side into two service courts.
The serve
- Serve underhand, or drop the ball and hit it after it bounces.
- Serve diagonally, into the service court across from you.
- The serve has to clear the kitchen, including its line, and land in that service court.
- You get one try. A missed serve ends your turn to serve.
The two-bounce rule
After the serve, the ball has to bounce once on each side before anyone can hit it out of the air. The receiving side lets the serve bounce, and the serving side lets the return bounce. After those two bounces, either side can volley. This rule is why the third shot matters so much: the serving side starts at the back and has to work its way forward.
The kitchen rule
You can't volley while standing in the kitchen or touching its line. The rule also covers momentum: if you volley and your momentum carries you into the kitchen, it's a fault, even after the ball is dead. You can step into the kitchen at any time to play a ball that has bounced. In PickleGame, a kitchen volley is called as a fault straight away, and the footwork system helps you stop short of the line.
Rally scoring and side-out scoring
With side-out scoring, the traditional system, only the serving side can win a point. If the receiving side wins the rally, they win the serve instead. Games usually go to 11, and you have to win by 2.
With rally scoring, every rally gives a point to whoever wins it, no matter who served. Games are faster and easier to follow. PickleGame uses rally scoring in ranked play and Quick Match. Career and Exhibition also let you play with side-out scoring.
The shots
Dink
A soft shot from at or near the kitchen line that drops into the other side's kitchen. Because it lands low and short, your opponent can't attack it. Dinks are how most points between good players start.
Third-shot drop
A soft, arcing shot from the back of the court that lands in the kitchen. It gives the serving side time to move up to the kitchen line after the two-bounce rule has kept them back.
Drive
A hard, flat shot from the back of the court, aimed low over the net. It puts pressure on the other side when they are still moving forward.
Speed-up
A sudden fast shot during a dink rally, aimed at your opponent's body or paddle side. It works best on a ball that has risen above the net. Speed up a low ball and it usually goes into the net or sits up for a counter.
Reset
A soft block of a hard shot that drops it back into the kitchen. A good reset takes the pace off a fast exchange and returns the rally to dinking.
Lob
A high shot over a player at the kitchen line toward the baseline. It's a risky shot: a short lob gets put away, but a good one wins the point or pushes the other side back.
Footwork
- Ready position: knees bent, paddle up in front of you, weight on the balls of your feet.
- Split-step: a small hop that lands as your opponent hits, so you can push off in any direction.
- Shuffle: side steps along the kitchen line, keeping your body facing the net.
- Crossover: one foot crosses the other to cover a wide ball quickly.
- Lunge: a long last step to reach a ball at the edge of your range.
In PickleGame your athlete does these on their own based on where you move, and stays planted when making contact, so a shot you set up well comes out the way you meant it.
Five habits that win more points
- Get to the kitchen line as soon as you safely can. The side that holds the line usually wins the point.
- Dink crosscourt. The ball travels over the lowest part of the net and has more room to land.
- Be patient. Wait for a ball above the net before you speed it up.
- Reset when you're in trouble instead of hitting harder.
- Split-step every time your opponent hits.
Try it on court
PickleGame is coming to iPhone and Android. Join early access and we'll email you when it's ready.