Every Thing You Always Wanted to Know About Pickleball Games

Pickleball Equipment

• 1The Court
  The pickleball court is similar to a doubles badminton court. The actual size of the court is 20×44 feet for both doubles and singles.
• 2The Net
  The net is hung at 36 inches on the ends, and 34 inches in the middle.
• 3Pickleball Paddle
• 4Pickleball Ball

• 1The court shall be a rectangle 20 feet wide (6.10 m) and 44 feet long (13.41 m) for both singles and doubles matches. See Figure 2-1.
• 2A total playing area 30 feet wide (9.14 m) and 60 feet long (18.28 m) is the minimum size that is recommended. A total size of 34 feet by 64 feet is preferred.
• 3Court measurements shall be made to the outside of the lines. The lines should be 2 inches (5.1 cm) in width and the same color, clearly contrasting with the color of the court surface.

The lines and areas of the standard pickleball court are:

• 1Baselines. The lines parallel to the net at each end of the court are the baselines
• 2Sidelines. The lines perpendicular to the net on each side of the court are the sidelines.
• 3Non-Volley Lines. The lines on each side of the net between the sidelines that are parallel to the net are the non-volley lines. These lines are located 7 feet (2.13m) from the net.
• 4Non-Volley Zones. The zones on each side of the net between the non-volley lines and the net are the non-volley zones.
• 5Centerlines. The lines on each side of the net bisecting the non-volley lines and the baselines are the centerlines.
• 6Service Areas. The intersections of the non-volley zone line, the centerline and the baseline create two service areas, the left service area and the right service area.

Pickleball Net

Net Specifications:

• 1Material. The net may be made of any netted material
• 2Net Size. The net length shall be at least 20 feet (6.1 m) extending from one sideline to the other. The net width shall be at least 2 feet (.8 m).
• 3Mesh Size. The net mesh size must be sufficiently small to prevent a ball from passing through it.
• 4Height. The net shall be suspended over the center of the court and shall be 36 inches (.914 m) high at the sidelines and 34 inches (.86 m) high at the center of the court.
• 5Center Strap. A center strap may be placed at the center of the net to enable easy adjustment to the 34 in. (.86 cm) requirement at center.
• 6Net Edge. The top of the net should be edged with a 2 inch (5 cm) white binding over a cord or cable running through the binding. This binding must rest upon the cord or cable.
• 7Posts. Net posts should be placed outside the sidelines. Recommended height of the post is 36 inches (.914 m) and recommended placement is 12 inches (30.48cm) from the sideline.

Pickleball Rules

The first official rules of the game

• 1

  Serve position- You put one foot in, you keep one foot out, you keep one foot in and you serve the ball. An inconvenient tree in the Pritchard's yard made it necessary for one side to serve with one foot inside the court. To keep the game fair, both sides were allowed to have one foot across the baseline when serving. The tree is no longer part of every pickleball game, but this unique service rule is.

• 2

  Double-bounce rule-In the early days (literally like the first two days pickleball was played) the server had a huge advantage. The player receiving the serve would have to wait for the ball to bounce. The server, meanwhile, could be in position for a quick return off the volley. The three founding fathers added the double bounce rule to take this advantage away. Now, the receiving team and the server must both hit their first shots off the bounce. After that, the ball can be volleyed.

• 3

  No-volley Zone-To make pickleball a game of finesse and strategy rather than just raw power the first dads instituted a no-volley zone in the seven feet on either side of the net. Within this zone, the ball must bounce before it is hit.

Safety

• 1Do not work through someone else's court to recover pickle-ball.
• 2Do not swing paddle wildly.
• 3Do not swing your paddle if someone is in your way.
• 4Gently roll or throw (do not beaten) the ball back.
• 5Keep use the strap around the wrist paddle.