The governing body for the rules of the sport of pickleball is the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA). The full set of rules can be found at: https://www.usapa.org/docs/ifp/USAPA-Rulebook.pdf

There are quite a few rules that make pickleball unique, and quite a few rules that come into question on rare plays in pickleball games. With that said, we wanted to highlight a few rules that are frequently the source of much discussion on the pickleball courts:

1. Momentum into the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen (Rules 9.B and 9.C) – You may not volley the pickleball while making contact with the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen. Contact with the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen includes allowing your momentum to carry you into the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen after you hit the pickleball outside of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen. Again, to be making contact in the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen, you must make contact with the ground surface area with any part of your body, paddle, or clothing. This includes both at the time you are making contact with the pickleball and after you make contact with the pickleball if your momentum carries you into the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen. In other words, it is a fault if your momentum carries you into the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen even if you make contact with the pickleball outside of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen.

2. Any Touch of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen (Rule 9.B) – You may not volley the pickleball while making contact with the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen. Contact with the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen includes dropping your paddle or hat into the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen, even after you make contact with the pickleball. For instance, it is a fault if you reach to volley the pickleball and then use your paddle as a point of balance in a manner that touches the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen, and the opposing team will win the point.

3. Re-Establish Your Feet (Rule 9.D) – If you make contact with the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen, you must re-establish both of your feet outside of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen before you make contact with the pickleball. In other words, if you are standing in the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen, jump into the air, and strike the pickleball before making contact with the ground, you have committed a fault because you did not re-establish your feet outside of the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen.

4. One Continuous Motion (Rule 11.A) – Generally speaking, you may only hit the pickleball once with your paddle. However, there is an exception to this rule if you hit the pickleball twice using one continuous motion in a single direction that is not intentionally a double hit of the pickleball.

5. Service Box (Rule 4.A.8) – As a reminder, a serve that hits the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen (including the Non-Volley Zone or Kitchen Line) is a fault. However, a serve that hits the sideline, the baseline, or the center line is considered in play.

6. Serve Hits Opponent (Rule 4.A.9) – If your serve hits your opponent—whether after clearing the net or after hitting the net—then you win the point. So, as the receiving team, especially the particular partner not receiving the serve, be aware of wide serves.

7. Over-and-Back Pickleball (Rule 11.I.1) – As a general rule, you must strike the pickleball on your side of the pickleball net. You may not make contact with the pickleball on your opponents’ side of the court. However, there is an exception to this rule. You may strike the pickleball on your opponents’ side of the net on an over-and-back pickleball. An over-and-back pickleball is a pickleball that bounces on your side of the court and then, due to wind or crazy spin, travels to your opponents’ side of the net on its own. If you face a tough over-and-back pickleball, you may reach over the net to hit the pickleball before the pickleball bounces on your opponents’ side. However, be careful not to touch the pickleball net, which will be a fault!

Key Takeaway:

1. For all of the rules of the sport of pickleball, including more rules like these that make pickleball unique, visit: https://www.usapa.org/docs/ifp/USAPA-Rulebook.pdf.