The complete guide
Pickleball
One of the fastest-growing racket sports, explained simply: rules, court, equipment, first sessions and strategy. Everything you need to understand the game — and start playing.
Updated June 2026
Contents
What is pickleball?
Pickleball is a racket sport played with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball, on a court roughly the size of a badminton court. It is played as singles (one against one) or, most often, as doubles (two against two). The objective is simple: return the ball into the opponents’ half without committing a fault, until you win the point.
It is this dual nature that explains its success: you enjoy it from your very first game, yet mastery — positioning, soft touches, patience in the rally — is built over years. The compact court cuts down the running, the ball travels more slowly than in tennis, and placement matters as much as fitness.
Its accessibility explains its rise: little equipment, quickly learned rules, and a sociable format where beginners and experienced players meet on the same court. That is also what makes it a sport for everyone — from families to competitors, from children to seniors.
A brief history of pickleball
Pickleball was born in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, in Washington State (USA). Three fathers — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum — improvised a game to keep their children busy on a summer afternoon, using a table-tennis paddle, a perforated ball and a lowered badminton net. The rules were refined over the following weeks.
The sport remained under the radar for a long time, played mainly in the United States and Canada. Everything changed in the 2010s and early 2020s: pickleball became the fastest-growing amateur sport in North America, with millions of players and an emerging professional circuit.
Its arrival in Europe is more recent, but the enthusiasm is comparable. Tennis and padel clubs are adding courts, associations are springing up, and several national federations are now structuring the discipline — a groundswell of which the UK is part.
For context: France
Sources: Pickleball France, FFT.
The rules of pickleball
The essential rules take five minutes to learn. Here are the ones that make the game distinctive — and that every beginner should know before their first match.
The serve
The serve is made underhand (a low-to-high motion), the ball struck below waist level, diagonally, from behind the baseline. It must clear the non-volley zone. A permitted variant is to let the ball bounce on the ground before hitting it (the “drop serve”).
The two-bounce rule
After the serve, each side must let the ball bounce once: the receiving team first, then the serving team on the return. Only after that do volleys (hits without a bounce) become allowed. This rule neutralises the serving advantage and sets up longer rallies.
The kitchen (non-volley zone)
The 2.13 m strip on either side of the net is the “kitchen”. You cannot volley the ball there: the ball must have bounced for you to play from that zone. Touching the line or the zone during a volley is a fault. It is the tactical heart of the game.
The score
A game is usually played to 11 points, win by 2. Under traditional scoring, only the serving team can score. In doubles, the score is called out as three numbers: the server’s score, the receiver’s score, and the server number (1 or 2).
Singles and doubles
Doubles is the most common format: four players, more positional tactics. Singles, more physical, is played on the same court. The dimensions do not change between the two formats.
Faults
Ball out, ball in the net, a volley in the kitchen, a missed serve, or a breach of the two-bounce rule: all of these are faults that end the rally. The ball is considered good if it touches a line (except the kitchen line on the serve).
Common beginner mistakes
- Volleying the ball too early, forgetting the two-bounce rule.
- Stepping into the kitchen or touching its line while playing a volley.
- Hitting too hard: in pickleball, patience and placement often beat power.
- Staying at the baseline: the winning position in doubles is at the kitchen line.
- Serving above the waist or over the shoulder.
Coming soon on video
The court and its dimensions
A pickleball court is compact: that is one of the reasons for its accessibility. Here are the official measurements (identical for singles and doubles).
- Court (width × length)
- 6,10 × 13,41 m20 × 44 ft
- Net height (sides)
- 0,914 m36 in
- Net height (centre)
- 0,864 m34 in
- Non-volley zone (kitchen)
- 2,13 m7 ft
- Service box
- 3,05 × 4,57 m10 × 15 ft
A pickleball court fits on part of a tennis court: that is why so many clubs can install them easily, both indoors and outdoors.
Equipment
Pickleball gear remains simple and affordable: you need very little to get started. A club or sports hall will often lend paddles and balls for a first session anyway.
The paddle
Solid and rigid (composite or graphite), smaller than a tennis racket. To get started, a balanced, lightweight model is more than enough.
The ball
Made of perforated plastic. Indoor balls are lighter, with larger holes; outdoor balls are harder, with smaller holes, to hold up against the wind.
Shoes
Indoor court shoes with good lateral support are ideal: the footwork and changes of direction put strain on the ankles.
The net
Regulation height 0.914 m at the sides / 0.864 m at the centre. Portable nets let you play almost anywhere.
The beginner kit
A decent paddle, a few suitable balls (indoor/outdoor) and good shoes: the essentials to get going without breaking the bank.
How to start playing pickleball
Pickleball is one of the easiest sports to pick up. Here is a simple path for your first time.
- 1
Find a court or a club
Look for a venue near you. Many tennis and padel clubs now offer pickleball sessions.
- 2
Borrow the equipment
For a first try, there is no need to buy anything: most venues lend paddles and balls.
- 3
Learn the three key rules
Underhand serve, two-bounce rule, non-volley zone. With those, you can play your first match.
- 4
Play doubles
It is the most sociable and accessible format for beginners: more rallying, less running.
- 5
Progress through placement
Aim to move up to the kitchen line, work on the soft shot (the “dink”) and on consistency before power.
Playing styles and strategy
Once the basics are in place, everything comes down to positioning, tempo and choosing the right shot at the right moment. A few fundamentals shape the tactics.
The dink
A short, low soft shot that drops into the opponents’ kitchen. The signature shot of pickleball: it forces the opponent to lift the ball, patiently.
The drive
A powerful, flat shot, useful for applying pressure or forcing a fault, but to be used sparingly.
The drop (third shot)
A soft shot from the baseline that drops into the kitchen, to neutralise the rally and buy time to move up to the net.
The volley
A shot hit without a bounce, allowed outside the kitchen. Decisive once you are positioned at the non-volley line.
Serve & return
Serve and return deep to push the opponent back and keep the initiative.
Positioning in doubles
Health, accessibility and well-being
Pickleball is known for being accessible at every age: the compact court cuts down the running and the impact, which makes it an excellent gateway into physical activity, including for seniors or people returning to sport.
Like any activity, it calls for a little care: a warm-up (ankles, shoulders, wrists), a good pair of shoes and a gradual build-up limit the risk of injury to the feet or the shoulder.
Socially, it is a deeply convivial sport: short games, rotating players, mixed abilities. That is often what brings beginners back.
The values of pickleball
If pickleball is so appealing, it is not just because of its rules: it is a playing culture. Welcoming to beginners, demanding for competitors — here is what makes it distinctive.
Inclusion
Women, men, children, seniors: on a pickleball court, generations and abilities mix. Few sports bring a whole family together so easily.
Sharing
Doubles, the go-to format, makes the game a matter of partnership and rotation. You play, you rally, you switch partners: conviviality is in the sport’s DNA.
Enjoyment
Successful rallies from your very first session, without months of prior technique. That immediate playing enjoyment is what brings people back.
Accessibility
Little equipment, a compact court, simple rules: the barrier to entry is low. You can start at any age, almost anywhere.
Technical depth
Behind the apparent simplicity lies real tactical depth: soft shots, patience, reading the game. Mastery is built over time.
Intensity & athleticism
At the top level, the pace ramps up: reflexes, movement, controlled power. Competitive pickleball is a genuine athletic sport in its own right.
Pickleball, tennis, padel, badminton: what are the differences?
Many players come from another racket sport. Here is how pickleball sits among them.
| Criterion | Pickleball | Tennis | Padel | Badminton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court size | Compact (6.1 × 13.4 m) | Large | Medium (with walls) | Compact |
| Projectile | Perforated plastic ball | Pressurised ball | Depressurised ball | Shuttlecock |
| Serve | Underhand, below the waist | Overhead | Underhand, after a bounce | Below the waist |
| Rally speed | Moderate, tactical | Fast | Fast | Very fast |
| Beginner-friendliness | Very high | Medium | High | High |
| Distinctive feature | The kitchen & the soft shots | Power & running | Play off the walls | The aerial game |
Pickleball in the UK
The UK is riding the same European wave: a discipline moving, in just a few months, from a niche pursuit toward national structure — as the figures from France below illustrate.
≈ 23,000
players in France in 2025 (≈ 1,000 in early 2024)
850
clubs offering pickleball in France
14 %
of French tennis (FFT) clubs offer it, 36 % are considering it
2026
the FFT is granted the official French delegation
Figures for France, shown as illustrative context. Sources: Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), franceinfo, Padel Magazine.
Across Europe, pickleball is following a strikingly similar trajectory: from near-invisibility to rapid, structured growth. France offers a telling example — in early 2024 the country counted barely a thousand players; a year later there were around 23,000, a spectacular rise that placed pickleball among the most dynamic emerging sports.
In 2026, the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT) was granted the official delegation for pickleball in France. Its mission: to develop the discipline from grassroots to elite level, drawing on one decisive advantage — a pickleball court is easy to lay out on an existing tennis court. Around 850 French clubs now offer it. The UK, with its dense network of tennis and racket clubs, is well placed to follow the same path.
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Competitive pickleball
Beyond recreation, pickleball has a structured competitive side, from the local tournament to the international circuit.
Tournaments are multiplying, from club to national level, with categories by age and by standard. It is the best way to improve and to meet the community.
On the ratings side, DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) has established itself as a worldwide reference: a single index that measures a player’s level, whatever the format. Alongside it, national rankings and federation circuits structure competition country by country.
Frequently asked questions
What is pickleball?
A racket sport blending tennis, badminton and table tennis. It is played with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball, as singles or doubles, on a small court measuring 6.10 × 13.41 m.
How is the score kept?
A game is usually played to 11 points, win by 2. Under traditional scoring, only the serving team can score. In doubles, the score is called out as three numbers (server, receiver, server number).
What is the size of a pickleball court?
6.10 m wide by 13.41 m long (20 × 44 ft), the same for singles and doubles. The net is 0.914 m at the sides and 0.864 m at the centre, and the non-volley zone extends 2.13 m on each side of the net.
Which paddle should I choose to start?
A lightweight, balanced solid paddle (composite or graphite) is enough to begin with. Many clubs lend equipment for a first session.
What is the difference between pickleball and padel?
Padel is played with walls and a depressurised ball on an enclosed court; pickleball is played without walls, with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball, and has its own non-volley zone (the “kitchen”).
Is pickleball hard to learn?
No: the basic rules can be picked up in a few minutes and you can play from your first session. Tactical mastery, on the other hand, is built up over time.
Do you need a licence to play pickleball?
To play with friends or recreationally, no. For official competition and at some clubs, a licence with the federation may be required — check with your venue.
Resources to download
The official references to dig deeper into the rules and the court. More printable fact sheets are coming soon.
Official pickleball rules
View
Beginner’s checklist
Soon
Court dimensions and rules
View
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