USA Pickleball spells out essential rules, gear, and play basics

USA Pickleball provides a clear, authoritative rundown of the fundamentals every player and organizer needs to know, from court layout to faults and competitive formats. The resource is built for club newcomers, weekend doubles partners, and leaders running local events who need one place to confirm rules and approved gear.

The court is 20 feet by 44 feet and features a 7-foot non-volley zone known across the community as the kitchen. Nets sit slightly lower than tennis nets. Play uses a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball; singles and doubles are both standard formats. USA Pickleball details equipment guidelines including paddle and ball specifications and an approved-equipment resource to make purchasing and checking gear straightforward.

Serving and early-rally basics get focused attention. Serves are underhand and must land in the diagonal service box. The Two-Bounce Rule governs early exchanges: the serve and the return must each bounce once before volleys are allowed. Common faults listed include out-of-bounds balls, kitchen volley violations, and double-bounce infractions that nullify a point or possession.

Typical recreational scoring is to 11 points with a win-by-2 requirement, while tournament organizers sometimes use 15 or 21 point games depending on format and time constraints. USA Pickleball also lays out adaptive play options, including an Adaptive Standing Division for players who need modified competition formats while maintaining core rules.

Practical value is immediate for anyone running drills, hosting ladder nights, or setting up sanctioned events. Verify paddle and ball specs against the approved-equipment list before tournaments to prevent warm-up disqualifications. Apply the Two-Bounce Rule in practice drills to reduce kitchen disputes during matches. Use the outlined fault definitions to train line judges and volunteers so calls stay consistent across your club’s courts.

For organizers, the materials connect directly to sanctioned tournament procedures and membership resources, helping clubs align local rules with national standards and tap into official event calendars and governance. For new players, the breakdown of court geometry, serve mechanics, and standard scoring cuts the learning curve and speeds up safe, legal play.

The takeaway? Learn the kitchen limits, respect the Two-Bounce Rule, and double-check gear before match day. Our two cents? Treat USA Pickleball’s rules as your baseline playbook—practice with them, teach them to partners, and you’ll spend less time arguing calls and more time nailing dinks and drives.