Pickleball Serving Rules: A Comprehensive Guide to Serving in Pickleball

Serving is a crucial aspect of pickleball, and the rules governing it have undergone significant changes over the years. In this blog post, we will provide a comprehensive guide to the Pickleball service rules, including the correct server and receiver positions, the service motion, the 10-second rule, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned pickleball player or a beginner, this guide will help you understand the nuances of serving in pickleball and improve your game. Read on to learn more about these changes and how they will impact the game of pickleball

Serving rules

1. A pickleball serve must always be made with either an underhand or backhand motion.
2. The point where the pickleball paddle makes contact with the ball must be below your waist.
3. The paddle head must be below the highest part of your wrist at contact. The entire paddle must be below your hand rather than above it as you hit your serve.
4. A pickleball serve must land in the diagonally opposite service area and must clear the non-volley zone.
5. Only one serve attempt is allowed, except in the event of a “let”
6. Your feet must be correctly placed. At least one foot must be touching the playing surface behind the baseline when you contact the ball. Also, your feet must be inside the imaginary extension of the sideline and the centerline, bordering the service box.\
7. Players must keep both feet behind the back line when serving.
8. Only one serve attempt is allowed per server. At the start of each new game, the first serving team is allowed only one fault before giving up the ball to the opponents.
9. DOUBLE-BOUNCE RULE : Each team must play its first shot off the bounce. The receiving team must let the serve bounce, and the serving team must let the return of the serve bounce before praying it. After the two bounces have occurred, the ball can be either volleyed or played off the bounce.

Types of serve in Pickleball:

Volley serve: 

Traditional pickle ball serve. you strike the ball before it hits the ground. Most commonly used by players.

More speed

More power

Drop serve:  

introduced provisionally in 2022. you simply drop the ball (from any height) and strike it after it bounces on the ground. Less rules to follow. The server may drop the ball from any height, from an open palm, and contact the ball after it bounces in any way they choose. This eliminates the above-mentioned rules 1, 2, and 3. The ball can bounce more than once, with no restrictions on whether it bounces within the court boundaries, as long as your feet are in the legal position. You cannot toss or propel the ball upward or downward. You simply drop it.

More spin

Easy for beginners

Great for backhand serve

Serving Sequence Rules :

1. Before the serve, the score is always called. only the server should announce the score loudly ( first rule of etiquette ) so that the opposing team can hear clearly. This also lets them know that player is ready to serve.
2. The player on the right side of the court always serves first in the game or upon a side out in doubles. (In singles, the service side is dependent on the score)

Playing Rules:

1. The serve must be hit underhand and each team must play the first shot off the bounce.
2. After the ball has bounced once on each side, both teams can either volley the ball in the air or play it off the bounce.
3. To volley a ball means to hit it in the air without letting the ball bounce.
4. No Volleying is permitted within the 7-foot non-volley zone, preventing players from executing smashes from a position within this 7-foot zone on both sides of the net.
5. Both players on the serving team are allowed to serve and a team scores points only when serving. A game is played to 11 points and winning team must win by two points or play continues until one team wins by 2. In tournament play, games can be played to 15 or 21.
6. Only the serving team can win a point. The receiving team must get the “side down” and get the serve back before earning points. You earn a point when the other team commits a fault.
7. Points are lost by hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the net, stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying the ball, or by volleying the ball before the ball have bounced on each side of the net.

Scoring rules:

1. Scoring in pickleball is done with a system of three numbers: the serving team’s score, followed by the opponent’s score, followed by either 1 or 2, indicating the first or second server after the side out. E.g  So, a typical pickleball score might read 6-3-2. The score is 6-3, with the serving team’s second server. (The player that is standing in the right-hand service area of the serving side always starts. That player is server number 1 for this sequence only. The next time they get the serve, their partner may be in the right court to start and they become server number 1.)
2. If the receiving team faults, then a point is scored by the serving team.
3. When the serving team makes it first fault, players will stay in the same court and the second partner will then serve.
4. When the serving team wins a point, its players will switch courts and the same player will continue to serve.
5. When the serving team makes it second fault, it will stay in the same court and turn the ball over to the other team.
6. Players switch courts only after scoring. A ball landing on any line is considered good.

References:

1. USA Pickleball : https://usapickleball.org/
2. Global Pickleball federation Rulebook 2024 : https://globalpickleballfederation.org/pickleball-rulebook/