Pickleball rules doubles

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Pickleball rules doubles

Pickleball doubles is the most popular format of the game. It’s fast, strategic, social—and governed by a few rules that often confuse new players.

Court & Equipment (Quick Overview)

  • Court size: 20 ft × 44 ft (same as badminton)
  • Net height:
    • 36 inches at sidelines
    • 34 inches in the middle
  • Non-Volley Zone (NVZ): 7 ft from the net on both sides (called “the kitchen”)
  • Players: 2 per team (4 total)

Basic Objective

  • Win rallies to score points
  • First team to 11 points wins
  • Must win by 2 points
  • Only the serving team can score

Serving Rules (Doubles)

How to Serve

  • Serve underhand
  • Paddle contacts ball below the navel
  • Paddle head below the wrist
  • One foot behind the baseline
  • Serve diagonally into the opponent’s service court
  • Ball must clear the NVZ line

Server Position

  • Server starts on the right side when their score is even
  • On the left side when their score is odd

Two-Bounce Rule (Very Important)

After the serve:

  1. Serve bounces on the receiver’s side
  2. Return must bounce on the server’s side
    ⬇
    Only after these two bounces can players volley or hit after a bounce.

This rule prevents immediate net domination.

Pickleball rules doubles
Image source: Student & Campus Life – Cornell University

Double-Bounce vs Volley (Common Confusion)

  • Volley: Hitting the ball out of the air
  • Groundstroke: Hitting the ball after it bounces

🚫 You cannot volley:

  • While standing in the NVZ
  • If your foot touches the NVZ line during a volley
  • If momentum carries you into the NVZ after a volley

✅ You can:

  • Step into the kitchen to hit a ball after it bounces
  • Step out before volleying again

Scoring System (Doubles)

Score Format

Server’s score – Receiver’s score – Server number

Example:
7 – 5 – 1

  • Server 1: First server on the team
  • Server 2: Second server before side-out
Image source: Pickleball-Paddles.com

The First Serve Exception

At the start of the game:

  • Only one server for the first team
  • Announced as 0 – 0 – 2
  • After losing the serve → normal two-server rotation begins

This prevents a scoring advantage at the start.

Service Rotation (Step-by-Step)

  1. Team A serves
  2. Server 1 serves until a fault
  3. Server 2 serves until a fault
  4. Side-out → serve goes to Team B
  5. Repeat

📌 No switching servers mid-rally.

Image source: Tennex

Faults (Things That Lose the Rally)

A fault occurs if:

  • Ball is hit out of bounds
  • Ball doesn’t clear the net
  • Ball lands in the NVZ on a serve
  • Volleying in the kitchen
  • Violating the two-bounce rule
  • Stepping on the baseline during serve

Line Rules (Very Important)

  • Any line = IN, except:
  • NVZ line on serve = OUT
  • If the ball touches any part of the NVZ line during serve → fault

Player Positioning Strategy (Not a Rule—but Critical)

Best doubles positioning:

  • Serve → move toward NVZ
  • Return → rush NVZ line
  • Both partners should be side-by-side, not front/back
  • Control the kitchen to win rallies

Common Doubles Mistakes

❌ Volleys while standing in the kitchen
❌ Forgetting server number
❌ Serving from wrong side
❌ Poor communication with partner
❌ Staying at baseline too long

Pickleball Doubles Review (Is It Worth Playing?)

Pros

  • Great for all ages
  • Easy to learn, hard to master
  • Strategy-based, not power-based
  • Extremely social

Cons

  • Can be frustrating without communication
  • Scoring system takes time to learn
  • Kitchen rules confuse beginners

Quick Doubles Rules Cheat Sheet

  • Serve underhand, diagonally
  • Only serving team scores
  • Two-bounce rule applies
  • No volleys in the kitchen
  • First to 11, win by 2
  • Two servers per team (except first serve)

FAQs

How many serves does each team get in doubles?

Each team gets two servers (Server 1 and Server 2) per side-out — except at the start of the game, when the first serving team gets only one server.

Why does the first serve start at 0–0–2?

This rule removes the early advantage. The first team starts with only one server, so the second number is announced as 2.

Can only the serving team score points?

Yes. In traditional doubles pickleball, only the serving team can score.

Do players switch sides after every point?

No. Players switch sides only when their team scores a point.

How do you know which server serves first?

At the start of a game:
The player on the right side serves first.
That player is Server 1 for the entire game.

READ ALSO: How important is the Pickleball backhand?

HARRY ANDERSON
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