How to Play Pickleball: A Step-by-Step Tutorial for Your First Game

Never held a paddle before? This is the fastest way from zero to your first real game. Ten steps that cover court setup, gear, serving, the two-bounce rule, the kitchen, scoring, and the strategy that’ll get you through your first hour on court without embarrassing yourself.

Quick answer

How do you play pickleball?

Pickleball is usually played as doubles on a 20-by-44-foot court. One team serves underhand and diagonally, and both the serve and the return have to bounce before anyone can volley (the two-bounce rule). Nobody can volley inside the kitchen, the 7-foot zone at the net. Only the serving team can score, and the first side to 11 points (win by 2) wins the game.

Step 1: Understand the court

A pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long, about a third the size of a tennis court.

Key zones:

  • The kitchen (7 feet on either side of the net), where you can’t volley
  • Service boxes (the two boxes behind the kitchen on each side), where serves must land
  • Baseline, the back of the court, where you serve from
  • Sidelines, the outside boundaries

Step 2: Assemble a team

Doubles is the standard. You’ll rarely find singles played casually.

  • Two teams of two players each
  • Partners stay on the same side of the court

Step 3: Get the gear

Minimum viable:

  1. A paddle, start with a widebody polymer paddle in the $80–$120 range
  2. Balls, a sleeve of outdoor balls (if you’re playing outdoors) or indoor balls
  3. Court shoes, do NOT use running shoes; you’ll roll an ankle

Our best beginner paddles, proven starting points, all under $150.

Also: use code KITCHEN at any of our discount partners to save 10–15% on your first paddle. See all codes →

Step 4: The serve

  • Serve from behind the baseline
  • Underhand only, paddle below your waist at contact
  • Ball must land in the diagonal service box (across from where you’re serving)
  • If it lands in the kitchen or beyond the box, it’s a fault

Two serve types (pick one):

  • Drop serve (easier): drop the ball, let it bounce, hit it any way you want
  • Volley serve (traditional): hit it out of your hand before it bounces, with an upward motion

Drop serve is way easier for beginners.

Step 5: The two-bounce rule

The serve must bounce. The return must bounce. Then volleys are legal.

This is the rule you’re most likely to break. Your tennis instincts want you to volley the return, resist.

Step 6: The kitchen

You can’t volley the ball while any part of your body or paddle is in the kitchen or on the kitchen line.

You CAN stand in the kitchen. You just can’t hit a volley from there.

Need more on this? Read our full rules explainer.

Step 7: Scoring

  • First to 11 points, win by 2
  • Only the serving team can score
  • In doubles, both partners serve before it’s a side-out (except on the very first serve of the game, one server only)
  • Call the score before each serve: your score, opponent’s score, server number (1 or 2)
  • First serve is 0-0-2 (weird, but it’s the rule)

Step 8: The first game strategy

For your first game, just focus on:

  1. Get the serve in
  2. Get the return back deep
  3. Try to get to the kitchen line
  4. Once at the kitchen, dink (don’t try to smash everything)
  5. Don’t step in the kitchen while volleying

That’s it. You’ll lose some, you’ll win some, and by the end of your first day you’ll understand what you need to work on.

Step 9: What to practice next

Once you can survive a game, the fastest ways to level up:

  • Third-shot drop, the make-or-break intermediate shot
  • Consistent dinks, patience > power
  • Reset shots, turn defense into offense

Read Tony Roig’s take on the third-shot drop.

Step 10: Find where to play

Local rec centers, YMCAs, and dedicated pickleball facilities are everywhere. Apps like Pickleball Union, CourtReserve, and community Facebook groups will show you where players gather.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play pickleball for the first time?

Grab a paddle, find three other people for doubles, and remember four things: serve underhand and diagonally, let the serve and return each bounce before volleying, stay out of the kitchen when you volley, and know that only the serving team scores. You can pick up the rest as you play.

Is pickleball easy to learn?

Yes. Most people can play a real game within their first hour on court. The basic rules take minutes to grasp; the harder shots like the third-shot drop and dinking under pressure are what take months to master.

What is the easiest serve for a beginner?

The drop serve. You drop the ball, let it bounce, and hit it however you like, with no restrictions on motion or contact height. It’s far more forgiving than the traditional volley serve.

Do you have to let the ball bounce in pickleball?

Yes, at the start of every point. The serve has to bounce and the return has to bounce before either team can hit the ball out of the air. This is the two-bounce rule, and it’s the one beginners break most.

How do you keep score in pickleball?

Games go to 11 points, win by 2, and only the serving team can score. In doubles you call three numbers before serving: your score, the opponent’s score, and whether you are server 1 or 2.

How many players do you need for pickleball?

Four for doubles, which is how the game is almost always played casually. You can play singles with two players, but it’s less common and far more physically demanding.

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