Pickleball Tournament Rules
Two Bounce Rule
The ball must bounce twice, once on each side of the court, before players can hit it in the air or on the “volley.” When the ball is served, it bounces in the receiver’s service court. The serving team must stay back and wait for the ball to bounce again on their side before they can move up and play the ball in the air.
Non Volley Zone
The Non-Volley Zone, aka the Kitchen, is a 7′ X 20 ′ rectangle on both sides of the net. Since pickleball was designed as a family game, this area requires a player to stay back from the net when hitting the ball in the air. This reduces the number of smashes and possible injuries to an opposing player. Being in the Non-Volley Zone is only a fault when you are volleying or hitting the ball in the air. You can step in after making a groundstroke, go into the NV zone to get a ball that bounces in there first, or stand in the NV zone all day if you want; you just cannot play the ball in the air. It is a fault if you step in even after the opponents miss or hit the ball.
Scoring
The game of pickleball is usually played to a score of 11, but we will use rally scoring to15, with points scored on each serve. Play continues until the winning team wins by 2points.
The first etiquette rule in pickleball is that the server, and only the server, should announce the score. The player standing in the right-hand service area of the serving side always starts. That player is server number 1 for this sequence only. The next time they get the serve, their partner may be in the right court to start, and they become server number 1.The sequence for announcing the score is as follows: the serving team score first, the opponents score second, and the serve number third. So, if the server announces 3, 4,1, then the serving team has 3 points, the opposing team has 4 points, and server number 1 is serving. To start the game, teams will rally for serve, playing the ball three times over the net before it is in play. The team serving first gets only one serve their first time. This rule helps prevent “blow” out games with one team getting many points to start. The server making the first serve should announce 0, 0, 2. The score is 0, 0, and because the team gets only one serve, the server is number 2. When the serve switches to the other side, that team gets two serves, and play continues that way until a score of 15 is reached. With rally scoring, points are scored on each serve; the team must win by 2points.The server must serve underhand, making contact with the ball below the waist. The top of the paddle face must be below the wrist, and the server must have both feet behind the service line at the time of contact with the ball. The ball must be served to the diagonally opposite court and be clearly in the service area. The ball cannot hit any part of the non-volley zone, including the non-volley line. A serve that hits the net but lands in the service area is legal, and play should continue. Before serving the ball, the server should make sure all players are ready. Take a minute to check to make sure your partner and the opposing team are ready.
Calling Lines
Like most racquet sports, pickleball relies on the players' integrity in calling shots in or out. The rule of etiquette suggests that players will call the lines as honestly and fairly as they can. Players should call the lines on their side of the net, and opponents will do the same on their side. Opponents should only make a call on the other side of the net if they are asked. If a team cannot decide on a line call, they may offer to do a replay.
Faults
A fault occurs on a serve when the ball hits short of the service court, including the non-volley line. It is a fault if the ball is served to the wrong court, long behind the back service line, or out of bounds. After the serve, a fault occurs if a player steps in the non-volley court or on the non-volley line while making a volley shot. Similarly, if the ball is hit into the net or other permanent object, such as the pole, that is a fault. A ball that hits outside the boundary lines of the court is considered out and a fault. If the ball hits a player, they have committed a fault. On the serve, if a ball is hit into the wrong court and the opposing player is hit or catches the ball, that is considered a fault on the receiving team. A player should not catch a ball heading out of bounds, which is also considered a fault. Always let the ball bounce first. An out ball should be indicated by yelling out or making a hand gesture, this should be done quickly. Failing to hit the ball before it bounces twice is a fault. However, it is legal if the ball bounces twice off your paddle while you are making a continuous forward motion. If the ball hits any part of your paddle hand, the hand below the wrist is considered part of the paddle and legal