🏛️Official — USA Pickleball
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Racquet Sports
2–4 players
both
ball, racket
10 essential rules
Pickleball was invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three fathers — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — who sought to create a game the whole family could enjoy. Using a badminton court, a lowered net, handmade plywood paddles, and a perforated plastic ...
The ball is hit into the net or out of bounds.; A volley is hit from the NVZ or momentum carries the player into the NVZ after a volley.; The ball bounces twice on one side before being returned.
The pickleball court is a rectangle measuring 20 feet wide by 44 feet long (6.10 m × 13.41 m), the same dimensions for both singles and doubles play. The court is bisected by the net, resulting in two identical halves of 20 feet × 22 feet.
Baselines: The lines at the back of the court, parallel to the net, 22 feet from the net.; Sidelines: The lines running perpendicular to the net along the 44-foot length of the court.; Centerline: Divides the area behind the NVZ into the right and left service courts.
Playing surfaces must be free of cracks, debris, standing water, and other hazards. Outdoor courts are subject to weather conditions; play should be suspended during rain, thunderstorms, or when the court surface is wet.
USA Pickleball strongly recommends that all players wear protective eyewear during play. The pickleball ball is small, hard, and can travel at speeds exceeding 40 mph in competitive play.
Players should wear proper court shoes designed for lateral movement and traction on the playing surface. Running shoes, sandals, and open-toed footwear are inappropriate and increase the risk of ankle injuries, falls, and foot injuries.
Pickleball is played in two formats: Doubles: Two players per side. This is the most popular format and the standard for most recreational and competitive play. Partners share the court and alternate service positions.; Singles: One player per side. Singles pickleball uses the same court dimensio...
During outdoor play in hot conditions, tournament directors are encouraged to implement heat protocols. These may include extended rest periods between games, mandatory hydration breaks during games (at 6 points in a game to 11), shaded rest areas...
A hindrance is any action by a player that interferes with the opponent's ability to play the ball. If a referee determines that a hindrance has occurred, the rally is replayed (a "let" is called).
A player volleys the ball while touching the NVZ or the NVZ line.; A player's momentum after a volley carries them into the NVZ, including touching any NVZ line.; A player's paddle, hat, sunglasses, or any other item falls into the NVZ during or after a volley.
If the line call is doubtful, call it in
Because players self-officiate in most recreational and many tournament matches, the widely observed norm is that any ball you are not certain was out must be called in. Benefit of the doubt goes to the opponent, not to the player making the call.
This principle appears in USA Pickleball's etiquette guidance and is often the first norm taught to new players.
Don't sandbag — play at your honest rating
Deliberately playing tournaments in a skill bracket below your true ability (sandbagging) to accumulate wins or medals is one of the most condemned behaviors in organized pickleball. Players are expected to self-rate honestly and move up when they are consistently winning.
USA Pickleball implemented DUPR and other dynamic rating systems partly in response to endemic sandbagging complaints. The issue is especially acute at 3.5 and 4.0 recreational brackets.
Tap paddles at the net after every game
Win or lose, players are expected to meet at the net and tap paddles (or give a verbal acknowledgment) as a sign of respect and sportsmanship. Skipping this — especially after a loss — is considered poor form and widely noticed.
Borrowed in part from tennis net handshake tradition but has become deeply embedded in pickleball culture at all levels.
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Call your own kitchen (NVZ) foot faults honestly
Players are expected to self-report when they step into the non-volley zone before their volley lands. Calling an opponent's NVZ fault you cannot clearly see is frowned upon; calling your own — even when no one else noticed — is expected.
Referees only exist at higher tournament levels; the vast majority of pickleball is self-officiated, making personal honesty foundational to the game's integrity.
Do not target the face or head in recreational play
While legally targeting any part of an opponent's body is permitted, deliberately smashing at the face or head — especially against less experienced players — is widely seen as unsportsmanlike in recreational settings. Players who do so regularly develop reputations and may find themselves excluded from games.
Pro and competitive players do use body shots as legitimate strategy; the norm applies primarily to rec play where skill and reaction time disparities are large.