Official Pickleball Rules Explained
Pickleball Lab breaks down the official rules of pickleball in plain, easy-to-follow language. We've organized them into two rule sets: USAP, the standard for everyday play and for play in Japan, and UPA-A, which governs the pro tours (PPA/MLP).
Note: This is an unofficial summary by Pickleball Lab. For the latest and authoritative rules, please refer to the official sources (usapickleball.org / upaa.unitedpickleball.com).
Last updated: June 9, 2026
Start Here — 5 Pickleball Rules to Know
The finer points are covered in the detailed guides below, but these are the five rules to know before you step onto the court.
1. Serve underhand and crosscourt
The serve must be hit underhand. From behind the baseline, you get one attempt to land it in the service court diagonally across from you (crosscourt). You can't serve overhead like in tennis, and you don't get a second serve.
2. The two-bounce rule — no volleys on the first two shots
The serve must bounce once in the receiving court before it's returned, and the return must bounce once on the serving side before it's hit. Only after these two shots can players hit the ball out of the air (volley). Think of the order as: serve → return → two bounces done → rally.
3. No volleying in the kitchen (non-volley zone)
The 2.1 m (7 ft) area on each side of the net is the non-volley zone (NVZ), better known as “the kitchen.” You can't volley while you're standing in it. The lines count as part of the zone, and it's also a fault if your momentum carries you into it after you hit a volley. Stepping in to play a ball that has already bounced is perfectly fine.
For detailed definitions of these terms, see our Pickleball Glossary.
4. Only the serving team can score
If the receiving team wins a rally, they don't get a point (this is called side-out scoring). Only the serving team can score. Games are typically played to 11, win by 2, and some tournaments play games to 15.
5. Common faults
Hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds, volleying before the two-bounce rule has been satisfied, volleying in the kitchen, and foot-faulting on the serve are all faults.
For more detailed rules, see the USAP and UPA-A guides below.
USAP Official Rules Explained
The de facto standard rules, from recreational play and amateur tournaments all the way up to the U.S. National Championships. This is the benchmark used in Japan. Covers serving, the kitchen, scoring, faults, and more, topic by topic.
UPA-A Rules Explained
The rule set introduced in 2026 to govern the PPA Tour and MLP. This guide focuses on the key differences from USAP, such as scoring and the challenge system.
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Prefer to learn from an article? Check out The Complete Guide to Pickleball Rules (for Beginners).