Stacking is a strategy that can be used to keep you and your partner on the same side of the pickleball court throughout the game. In other words, you and your partner avoid switching sides of the court on every point won. Stacking is popular in the following circumstances:

1. When your partner plays with the opposite hand as you (think a righty and a lefty), you will want to stack so that both forehands are in the middle of the court;

2. When one player has a stronger forehand or backhand than the other, you will want to stack to keep the player with the stronger forehand or backhand toward the middle of the court;

3. When one player may be a little stronger than the other, you may want to stack to keep the player with the stronger skill set with the forehand toward the middle of the court; and

4. Where you and your partner have a stronger match up when you are across the net from a particular opponent.

The simplest form of stacking is when you and your partner are the serving team. Generally, you will start a game “unstacked.” In other words, you will start a game in your normal positions. However, once you and your partner win a point, per the rules of pickleball, you will be forced to switch sides. To avoid this switch, the first server will move to the odd/left-hand side of the court and his or her partner will stand to the left of the first server. Once the first server serves the pickleball, each player—the first server and the partner—will take a step to the right and assume the normal positions again. The same goes for the second server—if the second server must serve from the even/right-hand side of the court, then his or her partner will stand to the right of the second server. Once the second server serves the pickleball, each player—the second server and the partner—will take a step to the left and assume the normal positions again.

Stacking can be confusing, so it is important to pay attention to the score. Assuming that you started the game unstacked, a good rule of thumb is to remember that you and your partner should only stack when you have an odd number of points—1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc. If you have an even number of points—0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc.—you and your partner should be unstacked.

The more difficult form of stacking is when you and your partner are on the receiving team. Again, generally, you will start a game “unstacked” and in your normal positions. However, if you and your partner have one point, then you and your partner will be on opposite sides to the ones that you started in. Assuming your partner is the first server, you will be required to switch sides with your partner and take the return of serve from the even/right-hand side of the court. To avoid this switch, you and you partner have two options for stacking as the receiving team:

1. The first option is for you to receive the serve, like normal, and for your partner to stand at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line just out-of-bounds to the right of the pickleball court. Once you strike your return of serve, both you and your partner will shift on the court to the left. You will have to work a little harder to go across the court from the even/right-hand side baseline to the odd/left-hand side Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. The same goes if your partner is receiving the serve on the odd/left-hand side of the court—you would stand at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line just out-of-bounds to the left of the pickleball court. Once your partner strikes the return of serve, both you and your partner will shift on the court to the right and your partner would have to work a little harder to go across the court from the odd/left-hand side baseline to the even/right-hand side Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line.

2. The second option is for you to receive the serve, like normal, and for your partner to stand at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line on the odd/left-hand side, which is also like normal. However, upon your return of serve, you and your partner should switch sides. Again, like the first option, you will have to work a little harder to go across court from the even/right-hand side baseline to the odd/left-hand side Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line. The same goes if your partner is receiving the serve on the odd/left-hand side of the court—you would stand at the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line on the even/right-hand side, like normal. Once your partner strikes the return of serve, both you and your partner would switch sides and your partner would have to work a little harder to go across the court from the odd/left-hand side baseline to the even/right-hand side Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line.