Pickleball serving rules for beginners
Unsure about some of the serving rules in pickleball? Our guide will help you to understand what you can and can’t do when serving.
You’ve got your HEAD pickleball paddle and you’re excited about getting out on court and playing but how well do you know the rules about serving? If you’re going to have a good time on the pickleball court, there are a few rules you need to know. After all, whether you’re playing singles or doubles, you can only score a point when serving.
A volley serve or a drop serve?
You’ve got a choice. You could either start a point with a volley serve – which is when you hit the ball before it bounces – or the drop serve when, as the name suggests, you drop the ball, let it bounce and then strike it. As a beginner or intermediate player, you might prefer to use a drop serve as you might find you have more control and you’re more likely to get the ball in. You might also discover that a drop serve makes it easier to add some spin to the ball. But the more traditional volley serve could be a good option as you gain confidence and if you’re looking to hit the ball with more power.
What are the serving rules in pickleball for a volley serve?
When you make contact with the ball – and you can use either a forehand or a backhand motion - your paddle must be moving in an upward arc. You must hit the ball below waist height. For your serve to be legal, you must also ensure the paddle head is below the highest part of your wrist when you make contact. To avoid foot faults, when you hit the ball, you must be behind the baseline with at least one foot touching the ground and you can’t be beyond the side line or the center line.
What are the serving rules for a drop serve?
The rules are more relaxed for a drop serve than they are for a volley serve. If you drop the ball before hitting it, you don’t have to be moving your paddle in an upward arc when you strike the ball. You also don’t have to hit the ball below waist height or keep the paddle head below the highest part of your wrist when you make contact. You do have to be behind the baseline when dropping the ball. There are no restrictions about where the ball can bounce and you can also let it bounce more than once before hitting it. But you’re only allowed to drop the ball – it’s against the rules to throw it before striking it.
How many serves does each server get?
You only get one attempt at each serve (unlike in tennis, where you get two serves).
Which team serves first?
Flip a coin or spin your paddle and guess which way up it will land – whoever gets that right can choose to serve first.
Does each player in a team serve in pickleball doubles?
Yes, both players in a team serve. The only exception is at the start of the game when only one player on the team that serves first gets to serve. After that, both players on a team will take turns to serve. The player standing on the right side of the court will serve first. If the serving team wins a point, that same player will serve again but from the left of the court (so the players will switch sides) and will then continue switching sides if they win more points. If the serving team makes a fault, the second server in the team will serve. Just as with the first server, the second server will switch sides after winning a point and continue serving. But if the team make a fault, it will be the other team’s turn to serve; that’s known as a ‘side out’.
Where should you serve in pickleball?
You must hit the ball into the service area which is diagonal to your side of the court. If the ball lands in the kitchen or even on the kitchen line, it’s out, but if it lands on the baseline, centre line or the side line that’s in.
Where should you position yourself for a serve?
If you’re serving, you’ll want to be just behind the baseline. Remember you’ll need to have at least one foot on the ground behind the baseline when hitting the ball. If you’re the server’s partner, you’re free to stand where you like, though make sure you don’t get in the way. As the receiver, you’ll probably want to be just behind the baseline as that will give you the best possible chance of getting your return back into play, while the receiver’s partner will tend to stand around the kitchen line.
What are the serving strategies?
The first few times you play pickleball, you’ll just be trying to get the ball in. But as you improve, you can start to mix it up – keep the receiver guessing by using a variety of different serves and avoiding becoming predictable. You can vary the pace and the depth of the ball along with the angles and spins. One strong strategy is to hit the ball deep into the service area as by doing that you will be pushing the receiver back into the court, and they’ll find it trickier to move forward into a dominant position. That will also give you more time to get forward yourself.
Are there lets in pickleball?
No. If a serve hits the net and lands in the service box, there’s no need to stop play and for the server to go again; you can just play on.
Should you call out the score before serving?
Yes. You should call the score loudly enough so your opponents can hear. If you’re playing doubles, you give the serving team’s score followed by the receiving team’s score and then the number one or two to indicate whether it’s the first or second server in the team who’s serving. If you’re playing singles, you give your score and your opponent’s score (there’s no need to say one or two after that as there’s just one of you).
What are the pickleball serving faults?
As well as making sure you follow the rules with a volley serve or a drop serve, you must also ensure, if you’re playing doubles, that the correct player is serving. You’re not allowed to add any spin to the ball with your hand, though of course you can do so with your paddle, adding topspin, slice and side spins.
What are the pickleball receiving faults?
Make sure you don’t hit or touch the serve before it bounces as if you do so you’ll lose the point. If you’re the receiver’s partner, don’t get in the way and hit or touch the ball as that will also be a fault. Once the server has started their service motion, you mustn’t call out asking for a timeout or to check the score as that can distract the server.
What is a ‘Nasty Nelson’?
This is a sneaky move when the server deliberately targets the receiver’s partner, knowing that if they hit them, the server will win the point. If you’re the receiver’s partner, this is something to watch out for.
Time to serve up some fun
Now that you’ve been introduced to the serving rules for pickleball, it’s time to hit the court. The best way of understanding and remembering the rules is to get out there and play. As a beginner, having fun should always be the priority – if you’re not sure whether an opponent’s serve is legal, it’s probably best just to let it go and not say anything.
