Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court (6.1 ร 13.4 m) with a lowered net (86 cm at the centre). Two or four players use solid paddles to hit a perforated ball.
| Format | Win at | Must win by |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 11 points | 2 |
| Extended | 15 or 21 points | 2 |
| Tournament (final) | 15 points | 2 |
The Non-Volley Zone (NVZ), nicknamed "the kitchen", is the 2.1 m area on each side of the net.
After the serve, each side must let the ball bounce once before hitting it:
A fault ends the rally. Common faults include:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dink | Soft shot arced into the opponent's kitchen |
| Drive | Hard, flat groundstroke |
| Drop shot | Shot that drops softly into the kitchen from mid-court |
| Erne | Volley hit while jumping around the kitchen post |
| Kitchen | Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) close to the net |
| Lob | High arcing shot over an opponent at the net |
| Poach | Crossing to hit a ball aimed at your partner |
| Side-out | Losing the serve to the opposing team |
| Stacking | Doubles formation where both players stay on the same side |
| Third shot drop | Serving team's third shot โ a soft drop into the kitchen to reset the rally |