Pickleball Rules & Regulations PDF

**THE GAME** **PICKLEBALL IS A PADDLE SPORT PLAYED USING A SPECIAL PERFORATED BALL.** - It is played on a 20-foot-by-44-foot court with a tennis-type net. - The court is divided into right/even and left/odd service courts and non-volley zones. - The ball is served diagonally across the...

**THE GAME** **PICKLEBALL IS A PADDLE SPORT PLAYED USING A SPECIAL PERFORATED BALL.** - It is played on a 20-foot-by-44-foot court with a tennis-type net. - The court is divided into right/even and left/odd service courts and non-volley zones. - The ball is served diagonally across the net to the opponent's receiving court using an approved motion. - The ball is struck back and forth across the net until a player fails to return the ball in accordance with the rules. - Points are scored only by the serving side when the server or the server's team wins the rally, or the opposing side commits a fault. - The server continues to serve, alternating service courts, until the serving side loses the rally or commits a fault. - The first side scored 11 points and led by at least a 2-point margin. T**HE PLAYERS** - Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles. - Pickleball is a game that requires cooperation and courtesy. - A sense of fair play from giving the opponent the benefit of any doubt is essential in maintaining the game's underlying principles of fun and competition. - Players avoid wearing clothing that closely matches the ball color. **COURT AND EQUIPMENT** - ***Court Specifications*** - The court shall be a rectangle measuring 20 feet (6.10 m) wide and 44 feet (13.41 m) long for both singles and doubles matches. - All lines should be 2 inches (5.08 cm) wide and the same color, clearly contrasting with the color of the playing surface. - ***Lines and Areas*** ***Baselines*** - The lines parallel to the net at each end of the court. ***Sidelines*** - The lines perpendicular to the net on each side of the court. ***Non-Volley Zone (NVZ)*** - The area of the court, specific to each team, on either side of the net is bounded by a line between the two sidelines (non-volley zone line) parallel to and 7 feet (2.13 m) from the net. All NVZ lines are part of the NVZ. ***Service Court*** - The area beyond the NVZ on either side of the centerline, including the centerline, sideline, and baseline. ***Centerline*** - The line down the center of the court on either side of the net extending from the NVZ to the baseline separating the odd and even service courts ***Right/Even Court*** - The service area on the right side of the court when facing the net ***Left/Odd Court*** - The service area on the left side of the court when facing the net. - **Net Specifications** - The net may be made of any mesh fabric material that will not allow a ball to pass through it. - **Posts** - Net posts should be 22 feet +/- 0.0 Inches (6.71 m) from the inside of one post to the inside of the other post. The maximum diameter of the net post should be 3 inches (7.62 cm) Size.   - The net length should be at least 21 feet 9 inches (6.63 m) extending from one post to the other. The net height from the bottom edge of the net to the top should be at least 30 inches. - **Ball Specifications** - The ball shall have a minimum of 26 to a maximum of 40 circular holes, with spacing of the holes and overall design of the ball conforming to flight characteristics.  - **Paddle Specifications** ***Material*** - The paddle must be made of any material deemed safe and not prohibited by these rules. The paddle shall be made of rigid, non-compressible material meeting the criteria located on the USA PICKLEBALL website.25 ***Surface*** - The paddle's hitting surface shall not contain delamination, holes, cracks or indentations that break the paddle skin or surface. - The combined length and width, including any edge guard and butt cap, shall not exceed 24 inches (60.96 cm). The paddle length cannot exceed 17 inches (43.18 cm). There is no restriction on paddle thickness. **THE BASIC STROKES** ***A stroke is different from a shot. A stroke is the basic fundamental of how you apply action to the ball.*** - **Groundstroke** - A groundstroke is simply any shot you make after the ball has bounced once. Most of the shots that you will make in pickleball, like dinks, for example, will be groundstrokes. - **Volley** - ***A volley is any shot that is made before the ball hits the ground.*** - It doesn't matter if you hit the ball near the ground or over your head, as long as it hasn't bounced, it's a volley! - Volley shots are typically much more powerful. A popular type of volley is the overhead smash. Keep in mind that you can't volley in the kitchen. - **Dink** - A dink is a type of groundstroke that's only used at or near the net. - The main characteristics of a dink are that they are done at the kitchen, are very soft and just barely get over the net. - There are tons of different types of dink shots that you can use during a pickleball match.