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Pickleball Rules & Basics
Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It is played with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball on a court smaller than a tennis court. You can play singles or doubles, making it a fun and social sport for different ages and skill levels.
Pickleball starts with a serve hit diagonally into the opponent's service court. The serve and the return must each bounce before players can hit the ball out of the air. Players then rally until one side commits a fault. Most recreational games are played to 11 points, win by 2.
The five basics are: serve diagonally, let the serve bounce, let the return bounce, don't volley from the kitchen, and keep the ball within the court boundaries. In traditional scoring, only the serving side can score points.
Many beginners find pickleball easier to learn because the court is smaller, the serve is generally easier to perform, and doubles requires less court coverage. However, pickleball still takes practice to master placement, strategy, and quick exchanges near the net.
Singles is played one-on-one, while doubles has two players on each team. Both use the same court dimensions, but doubles involves partner coordination and a more detailed serving sequence. Singles typically requires more movement because each player covers the entire court.
Pickleball Scoring & Serving
In traditional pickleball scoring, only the serving team earns points. Most games are played to 11 points, and a team must win by at least 2. Doubles scoring uses three numbers: the serving team's score, the receiving team's score, and the server number. Some events use rally scoring instead.
In traditional doubles pickleball, the three-number score tells players the serving team's points, the receiving team's points, and which server is serving. For example, 5-3-2 means the serving team has 5 points, the opponents have 3, and Server 2 is serving.
In traditional doubles scoring, the first serving team gets only one server before the first side out. Starting at 0-0-2 accounts for this special rule. After that first side out, both partners on each team normally get a turn to serve before the serve passes to the opponents.
In doubles, the serving sequence depends on which team has the serve and whether Server 1 or Server 2 is serving. The serving team's players switch sides after winning a point. Keeping track of the server number and court positions helps everyone know whose turn comes next.
Stand behind the baseline and serve diagonally into the opposite service court. Players can use a legal volley serve or drop serve. For a volley serve, the paddle must move upward, and contact must follow the required waist and paddle-position rules. The serve must clear the kitchen and its boundary line.
The Kitchen & Common Faults
The kitchen is the non-volley zone extending 7 feet from the net on each side of the court. Players cannot volley the ball while touching this area, including its boundary line. The rule encourages players to use control, placement, and strategy near the net.
Yes. You can enter the kitchen at any time, including to hit a ball that has bounced. What you cannot do is volley the ball while touching the kitchen or allow your momentum from a volley to carry you into it.
Yes. You can hit a ball after it bounces while you are standing in the kitchen. The kitchen rule specifically restricts volleys, which are shots struck before the ball bounces.
The two-bounce rule requires the serve to bounce on the receiving team's side and the return to bounce on the serving team's side. After those two bounces, players may hit the ball either before or after it bounces, provided they follow the kitchen rules.
A ball touching a court boundary line is generally considered in. However, a serve that touches the kitchen line is a fault because the serve must clear the non-volley zone. Knowing this exception can prevent arguments during close calls.
Pickleball Skills & Strategy
A dink is a soft, controlled shot that travels over the net and lands in your opponent's kitchen. Players use dinks to keep the ball low, maintain control, and create opportunities for an opponent to make a mistake.
The third shot drop is a soft shot hit by the serving team after the serve and return. Its goal is to land the ball in the opponents' kitchen, making an aggressive return more difficult and helping the serving team move toward the net.
Start by practicing consistent serves, returns, dinks, and court positioning. Focus on keeping the ball in play before trying powerful shots. Playing regularly, communicating with your partner, and learning from mistakes can help build confidence and consistency.
Pickleball Etiquette & Community
Good pickleball etiquette includes calling the score clearly, making fair line calls, respecting other players, and keeping disagreements friendly. Avoid distracting opponents during rallies, acknowledge good shots, and remember that recreational pickleball should be enjoyable for everyone.
Stop before the next serve and calmly review the last agreed score, serving order, and court positions. Work together to reconstruct what happened. Calling the score before every serve and using a consistent scorekeeping method can help reduce confusion.
Stay calm, communicate respectfully, and focus on the kind of game you want to play. If someone repeatedly argues about calls or makes others uncomfortable, set clear boundaries or choose a different game. Competitive play and good sportsmanship can go together.
Pickleball Equipment & Courts
A standard pickleball court measures 20 feet wide by 44 feet long for both singles and doubles. The kitchen extends 7 feet from the net on each side. The net is 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center.
Yes. A tennis court can be adapted for pickleball using temporary nets and properly marked pickleball boundaries. Because pickleball courts are smaller, some facilities can accommodate multiple pickleball courts within a tennis court area.
Outdoor pickleballs are generally made to handle wind and rougher court surfaces, while indoor balls are designed for controlled indoor conditions. They can differ in hole size, hole count, and playing feel. Choose a ball suited to your court and playing environment.
ProScore FAQs
A pickleball scorekeeper helps players keep track of the score during a match. Some scorekeepers are apps, while others are physical or wearable devices designed to keep score accessible during play.
ProScore uses two buttons: a Score (+) button and a Serve button. Press the Score button after each point and the Serve button whenever the server changes. ProScore keeps the score and serving information available on your wrist while you play.
Once your order ships, you'll receive a tracking number via email. You can use this to track your package.
ProScore uses a CR2032 coin-cell battery. Battery life depends on how frequently you play and how the device is used. Since ProScore is designed for tracking scores during pickleball games, actual battery life will vary based on usage.
Nope! ProScore doesn't sync with your phone, and that's intentional.
At GamePointGo, we believe pickleball is a time to unplug, enjoy the game, and connect with the people on the court. ProScore helps you keep track of the score without needing an app or reaching for your phone.
Less screen time. More court time.
GamePointGo is a company focused on making pickleball more approachable and enjoyable through thoughtful products and helpful content. Founded by pickleball player and entrepreneur Maureen Whann, GamePointGo was created around a simple goal: make scorekeeping easier so players can spend more time enjoying the game.
GamePointGo founder Maureen Whann struggled with keeping score while playing pickleball and discovered that many other players had the same problem. With a background in software development and UX design, she began approaching pickleball scorekeeping as a design problem. That idea eventually became ProScore, a simple tool created to help players spend less time worrying about the score and more time enjoying the game.
Getting started with ProScore is simple. Put on the wristband, press the Score (+) button after each point, and press the Serve button whenever the server changes. You can also visit our Get Started with ProScore page for setup information, how-to videos, and additional help.
For ProScore support, email us at support@gamepointgo.com. You can also use the contact form on our website for questions about your order, ProScore, or anything else. We aim to respond to contact-form inquiries within 1–2 business days.