Sarnia Lambton Pickleball Club

Beginners Guideline

Introduction to Beginners Pickleball

An overview of rules and basic strategies for beginners.

Kitchen (also known as No Volley Zone)

1. Defined as the square area directly on each side of the net.
2. Serve cannot land in the Kitchen. Kitchen Line is considered part of the Kitchen.
3. Players cannot have any part of their body in the Kitchen when contacting the ball unless the ball has bounced, including momentum carrying you into the Kitchen.

Serve

1. Serve must be underhand. You can also do a drop serve.
2. Serve must land within the opposite diagonal court including the side lines and the back line.
3. Serve cannot land inside the Kitchen, including hitting the line.
4. Serve can hit off the net as long as it doesn’t land in the Kitchen.
5. Servers feet must be behind the back line when contacting the ball.
6. Servers feet must be between an imaginary line extending from the sideline and an imaginary line extending from the middle line when contacting the ball.
7. You cannot spin the ball to the paddle but you can spin the ball using the paddle.
8. The opposition team must let the ball bounce once prior to returning the serve and the serving team must also let the ball bounce once prior to returning (2 Bounce Rule). After that ball can be played in the air (Volley).
9. The team starting the game only gets 1 player to serve.
10. For the remainder of the game both players serve until they side out.
11. First serve of the game is usually from the north.
12. After a side out the first serve is from the right hand court diagonally to the opposite court.
13. Ball can only bounce once on your side of the court.
14. On your teams serve it is suggested that both players stay back near or behind the back line since you must let it bounce (2 Bounce Rule).
15. Serve and Stay since you must let the return bounce.
16. When receiving the serve it is suggested that the player receiving the serve stays back near or behind the back line since you must let it bounce. The other player is positioned at the kitchen line.
17. Return and Run - After your return of the serve get to the Kitchen Line as quickly as possible to start Dinking.

Score

1. The score is always defined as Your Score, Opponents Score, Server Number (1 or 2).
2. The very first serve starting the game is 0-0-2. You may hear 0-0-Start but that is now incorrect.
3. If you are losing 5 to 4 and are the first serve it is called 4-5-1
4. If you are winning 9 to 6 and are the second serve it is called 9-6-2
5. You only score points on your serve.
6. When you call out score you have 10 seconds to serve the ball.
7. Score goes to 11 and win by 2. Sometimes in tournaments score goes to 15 and win by 2.

Pickleball Etiquette

1. Share the courts. Play a game, come off, paddles in the queue.
2. The receiving team calls the lines on their side of the court.
3. Don’t challenge their call.
4. If neither receiving team players knows if the ball was out, the ball is considered in.
5. In good sportsmanship you may call a ball out on the opponents side of the court.
6. If you are not sure don’t call the ball out.
7. Call yourself if you know you committed a Kitchen fault (ie stepping in the kitchen).
8. Tap paddle handles at the net after game is over.

Basic Strategies.

1. The game is best played at the net (Kitchen Line).
2. Try to keep the opposing team deep at the back of the court.
3. Serve (1st shot) deep the majority of the time. Sometimes short to keep players honest.
4. Return (2nd shot) the serve deep with a higher arc to give time to get to the kitchen line.
5. After returning the serve (2nd shot) get up to the kitchen line to join your partner.
6. 3rd Shot Drop or occasionally a 3rd shot drive.
7. Player on their forehand (power hand) usually returns the middle line shots (Divorce Line).
8. Avoid pop ups.
9. Arc over the net.
10. Dinking until the opponents return too high, then finish the rally.
11. Back court lobs.
12. For Safety – Don’t back peddle to return back court lobs.
13. Spike at the laces.
14. Serve to backhand.
15. Spinning the ball.
16. Chicken wing the opponent.
17. Only in competitive games hit to weakest player.
18. Ernie, Bert, ATP.