Pickleball for beginners: the rules, the court, and how to avoid common injuries

The short answer

The game: Two or four players use solid paddles to hit a light plastic ball with holes over a net. The court is 20 by 44 feet, and the net is 34 inches high in the middle.
The key rules: Serve underhand and diagonally, past the "kitchen," the 7-foot zone on each side of the net. The serve and the return must each bounce before anyone hits the ball out of the air. Never hit the ball out of the air while touching the kitchen.
Scoring: Only the serving side scores. Games usually go to 11, and you must win by 2.
Injuries: Most pickleball injuries treated in emergency rooms come from falls, and most happen to players 65 and older. Court shoes, a warm-up, no backpedaling, sports eyewear and care in the heat lower your risk.

This page follows the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, the current edition as of October 21, 2026.

What changed in 2026

USA Pickleball, the sport's U.S. governing body, updates its rulebook yearly. The 2026 edition renumbered its rules, so older guides' rule numbers will not match. Changes that matter to new players:

You still may not spin the ball with your hand as you release it for a serve, but the rulebook now says spin from the paddle at contact is legal.
Each part of the volley serve motion must now be "clearly" legal.
Rally scoring is still a trial option. In it, a point now counts on every rally, even when the receiving side has game point.

USA Pickleball plans to post a 2027 rulebook around December 15, 2026, effective January 1, 2027. Casual groups often play house rules; sanctioned tournaments follow the rulebook.

The court

Part of the court	Size
Whole court	20 ft wide × 44 ft long, for singles and doubles
Non-volley zone ("kitchen")	7 ft deep on each side of the net, full width
Each service court	10 ft wide × 15 ft deep, between the kitchen and the baseline
Net height	36 in at the sidelines, 34 in at the center
Open space including the court	At least 30 × 60 ft

A ball that touches a line is in, with one exception: a serve that lands on the kitchen line is a fault, because those lines are part of the kitchen. Balls with smaller holes are the usual choice outdoors, larger holes indoors.

How a rally works

The two-bounce rule. The receiver must let the serve bounce. Then the serving side must let the return bounce. After that, anyone may hit the ball out of the air (a "volley") or after one bounce. So when your side serves, stay near your baseline until the return bounces.

The kitchen rule. You may not volley while you, or anything touching you, is touching the kitchen or its line. Your momentum may not carry you or your paddle into the kitchen after a volley, even once the rally ends. After you have been in the kitchen, get both feet back outside before you volley. You may step in at any time to hit a ball that has bounced.

Other basics:

A ball that clips the net and keeps going is in play, even on the serve. There are no do-over "lets."
If the ball hits you or your clothing, rather than your paddle or paddle hand, you lose the rally.
If a stray ball rolls onto your court, any player may call "hinder," and the rally is replayed. Make the call: stepping on a loose ball is an easy way to fall.

Serving, step by step

Stand behind the baseline, between the centerline and the sideline as if both lines kept going. Keep at least one foot on the ground, and neither foot on the baseline.
Wait for the full score call, then serve within 10 seconds.
Release the ball with one hand, where the receiver can see it, without spinning it with your fingers.
Pick a legal serve. For a volley serve, hit the ball before it bounces, with the paddle moving in an upward arc, contact below your waist, and the top of the paddle head no higher than your wrist. For a drop serve, drop the ball from a natural height without tossing or pushing it, let it bounce anywhere, then hit it. The arc, waist and wrist limits do not apply.
Aim diagonally. The ball must clear the kitchen and land in the service court diagonally across. Its baseline, sideline and centerline count as in.

You get one try per serve.

Keeping score

Doubles scores have three numbers: the serving team's score, the receiving team's score, then the server number, 1 or 2.

Every game starts at "0–0–2." The first serving team gets only one server on its first turn, so that player counts as server 2.
Win a rally on your serve: your team scores, and the server switches sides with their partner.
Lose a rally: the serve passes to your partner, or, if your partner already served, to the other team (a "side out"). After a side out, the player on the right serves first.
Check: your team's starting server belongs on the right when your score is even and on the left when it is odd.

Example (fictional): Maria and Lee play Sam and Pat. Maria serves from the right: "0–0–2." Her team wins the rally, so she moves left and calls "1–0–2." They lose the next rally, a side out because it was the game's first turn. Sam, on the right, serves: "0–1–1."

Singles uses two numbers, server first. Serve from the right when your score is even, the left when it is odd.

Rally scoring gives a point to whoever wins each rally. Each doubles team gets one server per turn, and the score has two numbers.

Line calls: You call the lines on your side. If you cannot clearly see space between the ball and the line, it is in.

Who gets hurt, and how

Most U.S. figures come from a federal system that samples emergency room visits at about 100 hospitals to make national estimates. These are counts of visits, not injury rates per player, and they have risen partly because far more people play.

2013–2022: an estimated 66,350 emergency visits for pickleball injuries. The average patient was 64. Falls caused about two in three injuries. Fractures were the most common diagnosis, the wrist the most common body part, and women had 69% of the fractures. About 7% of patients were admitted, most often for hip or pelvis fractures or head injuries.
2020–2022: visits nearly doubled and admissions more than tripled. Patients 65 and older were more likely to be admitted.
Players 60 and older, 2010–2019: women were about 9 times as likely as men to break a wrist. Men were about 3.5 times as likely to have a strain or sprain, often of the calf or Achilles tendon. About 1 in 9 visits was for a medical problem, such as heart symptoms or fainting, rather than an injury.
Younger players: twisted ankles were most common in adults 18 to 34, and paddle strikes to the face in children.
Eyes: an estimated 3,112 eye injuries from 2005 to 2024, 1,262 of them in 2024, mostly in players 50 and older. Most were minor; a few were serious, such as a detached retina.

Injury	How it usually happens	What may lower the risk
Wrist, hip or head injury	A fall, often backward or onto an outstretched hand	No backpedaling, court shoes, a clear court, strength and balance training
Ankle sprain	Rolling the ankle while changing direction	Shoes with side support, a warm-up, balance work; a brace if your ankle rolls often
Calf strain or Achilles tear	A sudden push-off or lunge	A warm-up that includes the calves; build playing time slowly
Eye injury	The ball, a partner's paddle, or a fall onto the face	Sports eyewear made for racket sports

No large study has yet tested a pickleball-specific prevention program. The advice below comes from orthopedic, foot and eye specialists and from trials in other sports, where strength and balance training cut injuries but stretching alone did not.

Before you play

Court shoes. Tennis or pickleball shoes grip and support side-to-side moves; running and walking shoes are not built for that. Replace them when the tread wears down.
A 5- to 10-minute warm-up. Walk briskly, then do moving stretches such as leg swings, arm circles, side shuffles and calf stretches. Hit easy shots before playing points.
Sports eyewear. Look for eye protectors certified to ASTM F3164, the racket-sports standard that covers pickleball. Regular glasses and sunglasses do not give sports-level protection. The rules do not require eyewear.
Water and heat. Drink before you feel thirsty. On hot days, play early or late, and wear light clothing and sunscreen. If your clinician limits your fluids or you take water pills, ask how much to drink in hot weather. See heat-related illness.
A clear court. Pick up loose balls and check for wet spots.
Short sessions at first. Add time gradually; a footwork lesson helps.
Your medicines. Some antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, and steroid medicines have been linked to tendon tears. If you take one, ask your clinician or pharmacist before hard play.

On the court

Don't backpedal. Turn and move sideways or forward for a deep ball, or let it go.
Don't lunge past your reach at the kitchen line.
Call "mine" or "yours" to avoid paddle collisions.
Stop for sharp or lasting pain. Mild soreness is normal; sharp pain is not.
Train off the court. Strength and balance work two or three days a week helps; see strength training for beginners. Older women and anyone who has broken a bone can ask whether a bone density test makes sense; see bone health and fracture prevention.

When to stop and get care

Get help now

Call 911 for chest pain or pressure, or fainting. Call 911 for signs of a stroke that come on suddenly: numbness or weakness on one side, a drooping face, confusion, trouble speaking or seeing, trouble walking or keeping balance, or a severe headache with no known cause. Call 911 for possible heat stroke: confusion, slurred speech, hot red skin, a temperature above 103°F or passing out. Move the person somewhere cool and cool them with wet cloths while you wait.

A blow to the head: Stop playing for the day. Go to an emergency room or call 911 for a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, a seizure, slurred speech, one pupil larger than the other, confusion, weakness or trouble staying awake. If you take a blood thinner, such as warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, clopidogrel or aspirin, tell your clinician right away and get checked even if you feel fine. See what to do after a fall, blood thinner precautions and concussion and return to play.

A hit to the eye: Do not rub or press it, and get medical care right away. Go to an emergency room for any change in vision, a cut on the eye or bleeding that will not stop.

A pop at the back of the ankle: A snap, a feeling of being hit behind the ankle, or trouble rising onto your toes can mean a torn Achilles tendon. Stop playing and get examined promptly.

Other falls: Get urgent care for a wrist or joint that looks bent, hip or groin pain, or being unable to put weight on a leg. For a minor sprain, rest, ice, compression and raising the limb can help; see a clinician if pain lasts more than a few days.

Playing with a wheelchair or a mobility disability

The 2026 rulebook adds a section for wheelchair play, adaptive standing play and hybrid doubles. Wheelchair players may let the ball bounce twice, with the second bounce anywhere; the large rear wheels follow the rules for a standing player's feet. Standing players with a permanent disability that significantly limits mobility or balance may declare a two-bounce option in adaptive or hybrid events. USA Pickleball encourages all players to learn these rules.

Sources

2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook — USA Pickleball, 2026 edition (copy hosted by Pickleball Canada), accessed October 21, 2026.
2026 USA Pickleball Rulebook Change Document — USA Pickleball, published December 17, 2025, edited January 30, 2026 (copy hosted by Pickleball Canada), accessed October 21, 2026.
Increasing incidence of pickleball injuries presenting to US emergency departments: a 10-year epidemiologic analysis — Yu J, et al. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, January 2025.
A substantial increase in injuries and hospitalizations associated with playing pickleball from 2020 to 2022 — Cheng R, et al. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation, December 2024.
Non-fatal senior pickleball and tennis-related injuries treated in United States emergency departments, 2010–2019 — Weiss H, Dougherty J, DiMaggio C. Injury Epidemiology, May 2021.
Pickleball-related ocular injuries among patients presenting to emergency departments — Lacher CR, Koc I, Tsui JC. JAMA Ophthalmology, published online October 16, 2025.
Pickleball-related eye injuries presenting to United States emergency departments, 2010–2023 — Kamboj A, et al. Digital Journal of Ophthalmology, June 2026.
Lower extremity injuries in adult pickleball players: a systematic review — Okhovat A, Ferkel E, Richards SA. Cureus, May 2026.
The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials — Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2014.
5 Pickleball Injury Prevention Tips — American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, April 2024.
6 Tips to Prevent Pickleball Injuries to Your Feet & Ankles — American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, FootCareMD, accessed October 21, 2026.
How to Prevent Pickleball Injuries: 7 Safety Tips — Scripps Health, July 14, 2026.
Recommended Sports Eye Protection — Prevent Blindness, 2026 edition, accessed October 21, 2026.
ASTM F3164-24: Standard Specification for Eye Protectors for Racket Sports — ASTM International, accessed October 21, 2026.
Eye emergencies — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, reviewed April 29, 2025.
Achilles tendon rupture – aftercare — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, reviewed June 27, 2026.
Achilles Tendon Rupture (Tear) — American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo, accessed October 21, 2026.
Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated September 15, 2025.
Information for Older Adults (Still Going Strong) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated August 4, 2025.
Heat and Athletes — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed October 21, 2026.
Heat and Older Adults (Aged 65+) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed October 21, 2026.
Heat Cramps, Exhaustion, Stroke — National Weather Service, accessed October 21, 2026.
About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated October 24, 2024.
Signs and Symptoms of Stroke — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated May 19, 2026.