USA Pickleball rules, summarized

Who the rulebook covers

Rulebook: Front matter; Parts I-IV

• USA Pickleball describes itself as the national governing body for pickleball in the US, and writes and interprets the rules. Front matter, p. ii
• Parts I and II apply to all play, recreational and tournament alike. Part III adds and changes rules for sanctioned tournaments. Part IV covers players with disabilities. Front matter, p. ii
• Non-sanctioned tournaments may use the rules as guidelines and adapt them to their players, though USA Pickleball recommends following the book. Front matter, pp. ii-iii

Court and equipment

Rulebook: Section 3

• The court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long for singles and doubles, measured to the outside edges of the lines. 3.A.1, 3.A.2
• The minimum playing area around it is 30 by 60 feet; 34 by 64 feet is recommended for new courts and tournaments. 3.A.3
• The non-volley zone runs 7 feet from the net on each side. Its lines are part of it, and it covers the ground only, not the air above it. 3.A.4.c
• The net is 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center, each within a quarter inch. The posts stand 22 feet apart. 3.B.2, 3.B.6, 3.B.7
• Balls must be an approved design in one uniform color. Any approved ball can be used indoors or outdoors. 3.C.1-3.C.3
• A paddle's length plus width can't exceed 24 inches, and its length can't exceed 17 inches. There's no limit on thickness or weight. 3.D.2, 3.D.3
• The hitting surface can't have rough texture, sandpaper, rubber, moving parts, a reflective finish, or anything added to create extra spin. 3.D.5
• Players may alter a paddle only in listed ways, such as edge guard or weighted tape, the maker's own weights, grips or faces, grip wrap, and limited decals or markings. 3.D.6, 3.D.7
• For sanctioned play the paddle must be on the USA Pickleball Approved Paddle List. 3.D.1, 18.A

The serve

Rulebook: Sections 6 and 7

• The whole score must be called before the serve, and the serve must come within 10 seconds of the call. Serving during the call is a fault. 6.C, 6.C.1, 6.D, 6.D.1
• When you hit the serve, at least one foot must be on the ground in the correct serving area behind the baseline. Neither foot may touch the court (the baseline is part of it) or the ground outside the extended sideline and centerline. 7.A.1-7.A.3, 3.A.4.f
• Release the ball with one hand or the paddle only, in view of the receiver. You can't add spin while releasing it, but you may let it roll off the paddle, and spin from the paddle at contact is allowed. 7.B.1-7.B.3
• If the receiver can't see the release, or sees spin added during it, the receiver may call a replay before returning the serve. 7.B.2.a, 7.B.3.a
• Volley serve: the paddle must be moving in a clear upward arc, the top of the paddle head must clearly not be above the wrist, and the ball must clearly be no higher than the waist at contact. Forehand or backhand are both fine. 7.C.1-7.C.5
• Drop serve: drop the ball from a natural height without propelling it, and hit it after it bounces. It may bounce any number of times, anywhere. The drop serve has its own rules; the volley-serve motion limits are not among them. 7.D.1-7.D.6
• Serve diagonally. The ball must clear the non-volley zone, including its line, and land in the correct service court. Touching the net on the way is fine. 7.E, 8.C
• It's a fault on the server if the serve lands out, lands in the non-volley zone, hits a permanent object, or hits the server or partner. If it hits the receiver or the receiver's partner before landing, the fault is on the receiving side. 7.E.1-7.E.5
• In officiated tournaments the referee calls service-motion faults, and may call a replay when unsure whether a serve was legal. 20.E.1, 20.E.2

Service sequence and scoring

Rulebook: Sections 4, 5, 6, 14 and 15

• In standard scoring a point is scored only by the serving side winning a rally. A typical game is to 11, win by 2. Section 1; 4.A
• Singles: serve from the right when your score is even (including zero) and from the left when it's odd. Keep serving, switching sides after each point, until you lose a rally; then it's a side out. 5.A.1-5.A.3
• Doubles: both partners serve before a side out, except at the start of each game, when only the starting server serves. 5.B, 5.B.2
• After a side out, the player on the right (by the team's score) serves first. 5.B.2
• Your team's starting server belongs on the right when your score is even and on the left when it's odd, serving or receiving. 5.B.3
• The score is called as two numbers in singles and three in doubles (serving team, receiving team, server number). Doubles games start at 0-0-2. 6.B.1, 6.B.2
• Before the serve, you may ask your opponent who should serve or receive, where players belong, or what the score is, and they must tell you. 5.C, 6.E.1
• Wrong score called: stop before the return of serve and the rally is replayed. Stopping play over a correct score, or after the return, is a fault. If the rally finishes, it stands and the score is fixed before the next serve. 6.F.1-6.F.4
• Rally scoring is a provisional option for singles and doubles. Whoever wins the rally scores, the score is called as two numbers, and each doubles team gets one server per turn. 14.A, 14.A.2, 14.A.3, 14.A.5
• Tournaments may use rally scoring except in double-elimination doubles events, 2026 Golden Ticket events and the 2026 National Championships. 15.C.2
• Tournament formats include best of three or five games to 11, one game to 15 or 21, and one game to 11 for round robins of six or more teams. All are win by 2, except that team play may use win by 1. 15.C, 15.C.1

The two-bounce rule

Rulebook: 10.A, 10.B

• The receiver must let the serve bounce, and the serving side must let the return bounce, before hitting it. 10.A, 10.A.1, 10.A.2
• Every ball must be returned before it bounces a second time. 10.B, 10.B.1
• Wheelchair players may let the ball bounce twice, and so may eligible adaptive standing players in adaptive standing or hybrid events. The second bounce can be anywhere on the playing surface. 25.A.9, 25.B.3

The non-volley zone (kitchen)

Rulebook: Section 11

• Every volley must start outside the non-volley zone. You may be in the zone at any other time. 11.A
• It's a fault if, while volleying, you or anything touching you (including your partner) touches the zone. 11.A.1
• It's also a fault if your momentum from a volley carries you into contact with the zone, or with anything touching it, even after the ball is dead. 11.A.2
• After touching the zone, both feet must be back on the ground outside it before you volley. 11.A.3
• Anything you wear or carry that lands in the zone because you volleyed counts as you touching it. 10.J, 11.A.1

Line calls

Rulebook: Sections 8 and 19

• Players call the lines on their own end; in doubles either partner may call. 8.A
• A ball on a line is in, except that a serve on the non-volley zone line is out. 8.B, 8.C
• Call a ball out only if you clearly saw space between the ball and the line. Doubtful calls go the opponent's way, and a ball not promptly called out is in. 8.D, 8.E
• Call out promptly by voice, hand signal or both. If you return the ball, the call must come before your opponent hits it or the ball is dead. 8.F, 8.F.3
• Telling your partner a ball may go out while it's still in the air is communication, not a line call. 8.F.4
• If partners disagree on a call, the ball is in. 8.H
• You may ask your opponent's opinion until the next serve. A clear answer from them stands, and after asking you can only change the call in their favor. 8.I
• Spectators must not be consulted on any call. 8.J
• With a referee, the referee calls foot faults, short serves and kitchen faults. With line judges, players call only the centerline on their end. 19.A.1, 19.C.2
• On appeal the referee may overrule a line call. Overruling a player's out call is a fault against that player's side. 19.F, 19.F.1

Faults, hinders and replays

Rulebook: Sections 9, 10, 12 and 13; Appendix A

• A fault ends the rally, and the side that committed it loses the rally. Section 2: Fault; 9.B
• Without a referee, players call their own faults. They may call only kitchen faults and service foot faults on an opponent; if the teams disagree, the rally is replayed. Any other fault can be mentioned, but the accused player decides. 9.B.2-9.B.4
• Stopping a rally is a fault, unless it's to call a hinder, correctly point out a wrong server or position, or ask for a score correction before the return of serve. 9.A.1
• Any player may call a hinder, such as a stray ball from another court, and the rally is replayed. 9.C.1, 9.C.2
• Common faults: hitting out, into the net, under it, or between the net and post; being hit by the ball (except on the paddle, or the paddle hand below the wrist); hitting a permanent object with your shot before it lands. 10.C.1-10.C.4, 13.D, 13.E
• More faults: a double hit that isn't one continuous stroke, both partners hitting the ball, catching or carrying it, or using more than one paddle. 10.D.1, 10.D.2, 12.A, 12.C
• Touching the net or its supports, or the opponent's court, while the ball is live is a fault. So is hitting the ball before it has crossed to your side. 13.F, 13.G, 13.H
• You may not cross the plane of the net before hitting the ball. You may follow through over it after hitting, and if a ball bounces back to the other side on its own, you may go after it once it has crossed back. 13.I, 13.I.1, 13.I.2
• Hitting the ball around the net post is legal. 13.C
• A rally is replayed when a returned ball gets caught in the net, hits net draped on the ground, or hits a portable net's crossbar inside the court. 13.A.1, 13.B.2
• If the ball breaks or cracks, finish the rally. It's replayed only if all players agree the damage affected it; a soft ball doesn't earn a replay. 10.G, 10.G.1, 10.G.2

Time-outs and breaks

Rulebook: Section 21

• Each side gets two standard time-outs in a game to 11 or 15 and three in a game to 21, each up to one minute. 21.A, 21.A.5
• Call a time-out between rallies before the next serve, or between games, by voice or hand signal to your opponents and the referee. Calling one after the serve is a fault. 21.A.2, 21.A.2.a
• In single-game matches and deciding games, players change ends when the first side reaches 6 (games to 11), 8 (to 15) or 11 (to 21). The same player keeps serving. 21.B.1-21.B.4
• Each player may have one medical time-out per match, lasting up to 15 minutes. 21.C.3, 21.C.6
• Up to two minutes are allowed between games, and players change ends. Ten minutes are allowed between matches. 21.F.1, 21.F.2, 21.G
• Referees may also call time-outs for equipment problems, blood, or other circumstances. 21.D, 21.E

Officiating and tournament rules

Rulebook: Sections 15-24

• The Tournament Director runs the event but can't add rules that aren't in the book. Exceptions for court limitations or other local conditions need USA Pickleball's approval before the tournament. 16.A, 16.F
• Before the match the referee checks paddles and uses a fair method, such as a coin toss, to decide first choice of serve, receive or end. 17.C.1, 17.C.4
• A paddle not on the approved list must be swapped if found before the match (no penalty). Found during the match, it means a match forfeit; found afterward, the result stands. 18.A.1-18.A.3
• Report within 10 minutes of your match being called or lose a game (the match, if it is one game); in a multi-game match, 15 minutes late loses the match. 18.F.1, 18.F.2
• Coaching from anyone but your partner is allowed only during time-outs and between games. 20.G
• Players may appeal a ruling to the Head Referee or Tournament Director. If the ruling is upheld, the appealing side gets a technical warning and is charged a time-out (a technical foul if it has none left). 20.J, 20.J.2
• Conduct penalties run from verbal warnings to technical warnings and technical fouls. A technical foul takes a point off the offender's score, or adds one to the opponent's if the offender has zero. 22.B, 22.D, 22.E.1
• A technical warning plus a technical foul (or three technical warnings) costs a game; a second technical foul costs the match. 22.F.1, 22.I.7
• No headphones, earbuds or other audio devices during play, except hearing aids. 18.D
• In non-officiated tournament play, players run their own match and may call for a referee or the Tournament Director. An extra ball you carry must stay hidden; showing or dropping it during a rally is a fault. Section 24; 24.B, 24.C

Wheelchair, adaptive standing and hybrid play

Rulebook: Section 25

• A wheelchair counts as part of the player's body, and its large rear wheels are treated like a standing player's legs for positioning. 25.A.4
• When serving, both large rear wheels must be on the ground behind the baseline and inside the correct serving area. 25.A.8
• Adaptive standing players may use assistive devices, which count as part of the body but can't be used to hit the ball. 25.B.2
• Hybrid doubles pairs one wheelchair player with one standing player. 25.C.1

What changed in 2026

Source: USA Pickleball's 2026 Rulebook Change Document (the rulebook itself doesn't list its changes)

• The rulebook was rewritten in a new format with new section numbers. The change document maps each old rule to its new number. Acknowledgments; Change Document
• Rally scoring stays provisional, and the receiving side can now win the game on a rally it wins. The 2025 rule let the game-winning point be scored only while serving. 14.A.2, 15.C.2; Change Document #20
• Spin from the paddle at contact on the serve is allowed; spin added during the release still isn't. 7.B.2; Change Document #15
• The volley-serve limits now say each requirement must be met clearly. 7.C.1-7.C.3; Change Document #23
• When you don't return a ball, a prompt out call counts even if the ball is already dead. The old rule allowed the call any time before the next serve. 8.F.3; Change Document #16
• A shot that bounces in and then hits the net post wins the rally for the player who hit it. 10.C.5; Change Document #2
• A game can be won on a point awarded for a technical foul, even by the receiving side. 4.B, 22.E.1; Change Document #14
• Time-outs must be called by voice or hand signal; calling one after the serve is a fault. 21.A.2; Change Document #29
• New sections set out rules for wheelchair and adaptive standing play. 25.A, 25.B; Change Document #21, #25
• Round robins get a fifth tie-breaker: total points scored. 15.B.4.f; Change Document #5
• In doubles, if a player retires after a medical time-out, the partner may keep playing. 21.C.9; Change Document #17

These are the changes most players will notice. The change document lists every revision and the reason for it.