Pickleball rules PDF: a free printable cheat sheet
Every rule that comes up in recreational play, on one page. No email, no sign-up. Print it, pin it to the fence, or hand it out at a clinic.
The court
- 20 ft wide by 44 ft long — the same for singles and doubles.
- Net: 36 in high at the sidelines, 34 in at the center.
- Kitchen (non-volley zone): 7 ft back from the net on each side.
- Service courts: 10 ft wide by 15 ft deep each.
Scoring (traditional)
- Games go to 11, win by 2.
- Only the serving side can score a point.
- Doubles call, three numbers: us – them – server number.
- Singles call, two numbers: us – them.
- Doubles starts at 0-0-2: the first team gets one server.
The serve
- Underhand, with contact below your waist.
- At least one foot behind the baseline when you strike it.
- Travels diagonally into the opposite service court.
- Must clear the kitchen and the kitchen line.
- The drop serve is legal. There is no second serve.
Serve rotation (doubles)
- Every service turn starts from the right-hand court.
- Partners swap sides only after your team wins a rally on serve.
- Server 1 faults, the partner serves. Server 2 faults, side out.
- Check: your game-starting server stands right when your score is even.
The two-bounce rule
- The serve must bounce before the receiving team hits it.
- The return must bounce before the serving team hits it.
- Only after those two bounces may anyone volley.
Common faults
- The ball lands out of bounds or fails to clear the net.
- A volley is hit from inside the kitchen.
- The serve misses the correct box or lands in the kitchen.
- The two-bounce rule is broken.
- The ball hits a player or a permanent object.
The kitchen
- No volleying while touching the zone or its line.
- Momentum that carries you in after a volley is still a fault.
- You may stand in it any time to play a ball that bounced.
- Both feet must be out before your next volley.
Line calls and etiquette
- A ball touching any line is in — except a serve on the kitchen line.
- You call the lines on your own side; benefit of the doubt goes to the opponent.
- Call the score out loud before every serve. It ends most arguments early.
The doubles score call
6
your score
3
their score
2
server 1 or 2
- Games go to 11, win by 2, and only the serving side scores.
- Doubles begins at 0-0-2 — the starting team gets one server.
- Say all three numbers out loud before every single serve.
This is a plain-English summary for rec play. Sanctioned tournaments follow the official USA Pickleball rulebook. For the long version of any line above, read thecomplete rules guide.
Common questions
- Is there a free pickleball rules PDF?
- Yes. This page has a free one-page pickleball rules cheat sheet as a PDF, with no email required and no sign-up. It covers the court, the serve, the two-bounce rule, the kitchen, scoring, the doubles serve rotation, and the common faults.
- Can I print the pickleball rules?
- Yes. Download the PDF and print it on a single sheet of US Letter, or use your browser to print this page directly — it is formatted to fit one page either way.
- Can I hand this out at a club or a clinic?
- Yes. Print as many copies as you like for players, clinics, leagues, or a fence at the courts. Please leave the Dillball line on it so people can find the full guides.
- Is this the official rulebook?
- No. It is a plain-English summary of the rules that come up in recreational play. Sanctioned tournaments are governed by the official USA Pickleball rulebook, which is far longer and covers refereeing, equipment standards, and event procedure.
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