How to play pickleball
The rules tell you what's legal; this tells you how the game actually flows — how a point plays out, where to stand, and the soft game that wins at the net.
To play pickleball, two or four players use paddles to hit a plastic ball back and forth over a net on a 20-by-44-foot court. One side serves underhand and diagonally; after the ball bounces once on each side, the rally is open and both teams try to win the point by making the other side miss. Only the serving side scores, and games run to 11, win by 2. The winning pattern for beginners is simple: get to the net safely, then play soft, controlled shots rather than trying to blast winners.
The object of the game
The goal is to win rallies by hitting the ball so your opponents can't return it legally — they hit it out, into the net, or can't reach it — while you keep your own shots in. Because only the serving side can score, most of the game is about patiently building an advantage until you either force an error or open up an easy put-away. It rewards placement and consistency over raw power, which is exactly why it's so beginner-friendly. (For the full rule set, see pickleball rules explained.)
The court setup
A pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long — the same footprint as a doubles badminton court. The net stands 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center. On each side of the net is the non-volley zone (the "kitchen"), a 7-foot strip where you can't hit the ball out of the air. Behind the kitchen, each half is split into a right and left service court by a center line. The same court is used for both singles and doubles.
How a point plays out
Here's a typical rally, step by step:
- The serve. The server, standing behind the baseline, hits the ball underhand into the diagonally opposite service court.
- The return. The receiver lets the serve bounce once (required by the two-bounce rule), then returns it — usually deep, to buy time to move forward.
- The third shot.The serving side must also let the return bounce. Their best play is often a soft "third-shot drop" that lands in the opponents' kitchen, giving them time to advance to the net.
- The net battle.With the ball having bounced on each side, volleys are now legal. Both teams try to reach the kitchen line and trade soft "dinks" until someone pops a ball up too high and gets it put away.
Positioning in doubles
Doubles is the most common way to play, and good positioning matters more than a big swing. Two habits will make you a better partner immediately:
- Move to the kitchen line together. The team that controls the non-volley line usually wins the point. Advance as a pair — if one of you is up and the other is back, opponents will hit into the gap between you.
- Cover your side, and shrink the middle.Each player guards their half, but balls up the middle are best taken by whoever has the forehand there. A little communication ("mine!" / "yours!") prevents the classic double let-it-go.
The soft game vs the hard game
Pickleball has two speeds, and knowing when to use each is the heart of strategy:
- The soft game is the patient one: dinks(soft shots that arc just over the net and land in the kitchen) and drops that keep the ball low so opponents can't attack it. This is how you safely reach the net and wait for a mistake. Beginners win far more points by keeping the ball low and in than by hitting hard.
- The hard gameis the aggressive one: drives and overhead put-aways, used when the ball sits up high enough to attack. The trap most beginners fall into is playing the hard game all the time — swinging for winners on balls that aren't there, and handing the other team easy points.
The winning beginner mindset: play soft to get to the net and stay in the rally, and only swing hard when the ball is clearly above net height and begging to be put away.
Common beginner mistakes
- Standing at the baseline all game. Points are won at the kitchen line — get up there.
- Trying to smash everything. Overhitting low balls sends them into the net or long. Soften up.
- Forgetting the two-bounce rule and volleying the return or serve out of the air.
- Volleying with a foot in the kitchen — a very common, easy-to-avoid fault.
- Not moving up as a team, leaving a gap opponents can exploit.
- Playing in running shoes. Pickleball is lateral; running shoes roll ankles. See our shoe picks.
That's enough to walk onto a court and hold your own. When you're ready to buy your own gear, our what-you-need checklist lays out everything from a paddle to shoes to balls, with picks for each.
Frequently asked
Is pickleball easy to learn for beginners?
Yes — it's one of the easiest racket sports to pick up. The court is small, the underhand serve is simple, and the plastic ball travels slowly, so most people can rally within their first session. The strategy takes longer to master, but you can enjoy a real game almost immediately.
Where should I stand in pickleball doubles?
Your aim is to get both players up to the kitchen (non-volley) line and stay there as a pair. Start behind the baseline for the serve and return, then move forward together as the ball allows. The team that controls the net line wins most points, so advancing together is the single most valuable habit.
What is a dink in pickleball?
A dink is a soft shot hit from near the kitchen line that arcs gently over the net and lands in your opponents' non-volley zone. Because it stays low, they can't attack it — they have to let it bounce and dink it back. Long dink rallies are how points are patiently set up at the net.
What is the third-shot drop?
It's a soft shot the serving team hits on their third shot of the rally, dropping the ball into the opponents' kitchen. Because the serving team starts at the baseline, a good drop keeps the ball low and buys them time to move up to the net safely instead of getting attacked.
How long does a game of pickleball take?
A single game to 11 typically takes about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how many rallies go long. Casual play is usually a series of quick games, so a full session on court might run an hour or two with rotating partners.