Pickleball Rules and Basics for Beginners

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Pickleball is a fast-growing sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It’s easy to learn, fun to play, and perfect for all ages. If you’re new to the game, this guide will walk you through the essential rules and basics to get started.

What is Pickleball?

Pickleball is played on a court similar in size to a badminton court with a net that resembles a tennis net but is slightly lower. Players use solid paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over the net. The game can be played in singles or doubles.

Equipment Needed

  • Paddle: Larger than a ping-pong paddle but smaller than a tennis racket.
  • Ball: A plastic ball with holes, similar to a wiffle ball.
  • Court: A standard pickleball court measures 20 feet by 44 feet.
  • Net: Positioned at 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center.

Basic Rules

  1. Serving
    • The serve must be hit underhand with the paddle below the waist.
    • The ball must be served diagonally across the court.
    • The serve must clear the non-volley zone (commonly called the “kitchen”).
    • Only one serve attempt is allowed, except in the case of a let (the ball hits the net but still lands in the correct service area).
  2. Scoring
    • Games are typically played to 11 points, and a team must win by 2 points.
    • Only the serving team can score points.
  3. Double Bounce Rule
    • Each team must allow the ball to bounce once on their side before volleying (hitting the ball before it bounces).
  4. Non-Volley Zone (The Kitchen)
    • Players cannot hit the ball in the air while standing in the non-volley zone, which extends 7 feet from the net on both sides.
    • Players can step into this zone only if the ball has already bounced there.
  5. Faults
    • Hitting the ball out of bounds.
    • Failing to clear the net.
    • Stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying the ball.

Tips for Beginners

  • Focus on positioning and footwork to maintain control during rallies.
  • Practice your serve to improve consistency.
  • Communication is key in doubles play, so coordinate with your partner effectively.

Why Play Pickleball?

Pickleball is a fantastic sport for improving hand-eye coordination, agility, and social engagement. Its simple rules and accessible gameplay make it ideal for family gatherings, fitness enthusiasts, and competitive players alike.

Get your paddle ready, invite some friends, and step onto the court to experience the excitement of pickleball!

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500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with des

500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with des

Club membership, like any private club, is by invitation only. which is extended by the Club management via a standard membership application process. Once approved, each member will be entitled to the following privileges:

Benefits

  • Access to the Club portal, where they have access to not only the Club pages but also their own both Public and private pages, accessible via their dashboard.
  • Participate in the club's Pickleball sessions at discounted fees. 
  • Book Lessons at special club membership discounts. 
  • Participate in the club's Social Events at discounted fees. 
  • Make purchases from the PUB Pro-shop at special club membership discounts of 40%).
  • Privileged Access to other LifeBahn facilities. 

Pricing

Like any private club or community, there is an initial fee for joining, and then there are monthly dues.  

Welcome Package:

Once approved for membership, the new members receive a welcome package which contains:

  • GREAT@ Pickleball – an ebook  ( a $10 value)
  • A pickleball t-shirt
  • Signup to the portal including their private dashboard
  • Access to te LifeBahn Community.

Initiation fee:

A one-time initiation fee of 25 and monthly dues of $8.

For those pickleballers who don’t want to be tied to one club have the option to join the 

Pickleball community to be entitled to the following privileges:

Benefits

  • Access to the Pickleball portal, where they have access to not only the Pickleball community pages but also their own both Public and private pages, accessible via their dashboard.
  • Participate in any clubs’  Pickleball sessions  at 20% discounted fees, subject to availability. 
  • Book Lessons  at 20%  discounts , subject to availability. 
  • Participate in any clubs’s  Social Events  at 20%, subject to availability. 
  • Make purchases from the PUB Pro-shop at special club membership discounts of 20%).
  • Privileged Access to other LifeBahn facilities. 

Pricing

Like any private club or community, there is an initial fee for joining and then there are monthly dues.  

Welcome Package:

Once approved for membership, the new members receive a welcome package which contains:

  • GREAT@ Pickleball – an ebook ( a $10  value) 
  • Signup to the portal including their private dashboard
  • Access to te LifeBahn Community.

Initiation fee:

A one-time initiation fee of $15 and monthly dues of $4.

Great Pickleball