The Statutes of Pickleball

Technical regulations, safety protocols, and competitive standards established by the Pakistan Pickleball Federation.

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Get a high-level overview of the most critical rules before you hit the court.

Quick Summary

The Serve

Section 01

Motion: The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc when striking the ball.
Height: Paddle contact with the ball must not be made above the waist level.
Position: The head of the paddle must not be above the highest part of the wrist at contact.
Drop Serve: A 'drop serve' is also permitted; in this case, the height rules above do not apply.
Feet: Server's feet may not touch the court or the imaginary extensions of the sidelines/centerline.
Placement: Serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court.
Attempts: Only one serve attempt is allowed per server.

CLICK TO VIEW: SERVE DIAGRAM

Service Sequence

Section 02

View Sequence Rules

Both players on a doubles team have the opportunity to serve until they commit a fault.
The first serve of each side-out is made from the right-hand court.
If a point is scored, the server switches sides and initiates the next serve from the left-hand court.
When the first server loses the serve, the partner then serves from their correct side of the court.

Note: At the beginning of each new game, only one partner on the serving team has the opportunity to serve before faulting.

Scoring Systems

Section 03

Expand Scoring Details

Traditional Side-Out Scoring

Points are scored only by the serving team.
Games are normally played to 11 points, win by 2.
Tournament games may be to 15 or 21, win by 2.

Rally Scoring

A point is scored after every rally, regardless of which team is serving.

Two-Bounce Rule

Section 04

This rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage and extends rallies.

Receive: The receiving team must let the serve bounce before returning.
Return: The serving team must let the return bounce before playing it.
Play: After these two bounces, both teams may either volley or play ground strokes.

Non-Volley Zone (The Kitchen)

Critical Rule

Volleying is strictly prohibited within 7 feet of the net. This is the most common fault in competitive play.

Zone: Area within 7 feet on both sides of the net.
Momentum: It is a fault if a player's momentum carries them or their clothing into the zone after a volley.
Legality: A player may legally be in the zone any time other than when volleying a ball.

Faults & Logic

Section 06

View Common Faults

Line Calls

Ball contacting any line (except the NVZ line on a serve) is considered “in.”
A serve contacting the NVZ line is a fault.

General Faults

Ball hit into the net or out of bounds.
Volleying before the Two-Bounce requirement is met.
Ball bouncing twice before being struck.
Touching the net with paddle or clothing while the ball is in play.