> A plain-words beginner guide to pickleball for players 30 and up: the four rules, scoring to 11, the kitchen, gear, a first-day checklist and a glossary.

- Canonical: https://pcpc.club/new-to-pickleball
- Published: 2026-09-25
- Updated: 2026-09-26
- Club: Paradise Coast Pickleball Club, a private social club for pickleball players 30 and up, Naples, FL
- Contact: https://pcpc.club/contact or hello@pcpc.club (the club has no phone yet)
[Home](/) / New to Pickleball

New to pickleball

# Never held a paddle? Start here.

The rules in short, the gear that matters, a first-day checklist and the words you will hear on court. Written for a first morning, not for a rulebook.

[Join as a beginner](/membership#founding-list)
[How play works](/play)

![A pickleball court set up for a clinic with a basket of yellow balls and a row of small orange cones in morning light (illustration)](/assets/img/_gen-new-clinic.webp)

Illustration Set up for a clinic.

## Quick answer

Pickleball is a paddle game played on a 44 by 20 foot court with a plastic ball and a low net. Serve underhand and diagonally, let the serve and the return each bounce once, do not volley from the seven-foot kitchen at the net, and play to 11 points, win by 2, with only the serving side scoring. A beginner needs a paddle, a couple of outdoor balls and court shoes. Most people are rallying inside their first hour.

| Item | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Court | 44 by 20 feet, the same for singles and doubles. A badminton court, roughly |
| Net | 36 inches at the posts, 34 inches in the middle |
| Ball | Plastic with holes. Outdoor balls are harder with smaller holes |
| Scoring | To 11, win by 2. Only the serving side scores |
| Serve | Underhand, below the waist, diagonally into the far service box |
| The kitchen | Seven feet either side of the net. No volleys from inside it |
| Skill scale | 2.0 (new) to 5.0 and above. This club runs 2.0 to 4.0 |

## On this page

- [The rules in short](#rules)
- [The gear](#gear)
- [First-day checklist](#first-day)
- [Glossary](#glossary)
- [Questions](#faq)

## The rules in short

You can learn the whole game in four rules. Everything else is technique, and technique comes from playing.

- The serve. Underhand, contact below the waist, hit diagonally across the net into the far service box. Both feet behind the baseline. One try, no let serves to replay.

- The two-bounce rule. The serve must bounce before it is returned, and the return must bounce before the serving side hits it. After that, anyone can volley. It keeps the serving side from rushing the net.

- The kitchen. The seven feet either side of the net is the non-volley zone. You cannot hit the ball out of the air while standing in it, or step in on the follow-through. You can step in to play a ball that has bounced.

- Scoring. Games go to 11, win by 2. Only the serving side can score. In doubles, each side gets two serves (one per partner) before the serve passes, except the very first serve of the game. Call the score out loud before each serve: your score, their score, and which server you are.

![An extreme close-up of a yellow pickleball resting on the white kitchen line of a blue court, sand-toned surround blurred behind (illustration)](/assets/img/_gen-new-kitchen.webp)

Illustration On the kitchen line.

## The gear

Three things. None of them needs to be expensive, and the first one can be borrowed.

### Paddle

A mid-weight composite paddle with a grip that fits your hand. Wooden paddles are heavy; the pricey ones can wait until you know what you like.

### Balls

Outdoor balls: harder, with smaller holes, so they fly true in a breeze. Two in the bag is plenty. They crack eventually; that is normal.

### Court shoes

Shoes made for sideways movement, sold as court, tennis or pickleball shoes. Running shoes are built for forward motion and roll over on a quick step.

Add water, a hat or visor and sunscreen. Naples mornings are the kind time of day, and still bright. See [play safe](/play-safe) for the heat.

## First-day checklist

- Learn the four rules. Serve underhand and diagonally. Let the serve and the return each bounce once (the two-bounce rule). Stay out of the kitchen for volleys. Play to 11, win by 2, and only the serving side scores.
- Get the gear. A paddle, a couple of outdoor balls and court shoes. Borrow a paddle for the first morning if you can; buy once you know you like it.
- Pick a first session. Choose a beginner (2.0) session so the morning assumes nothing. Arrive ten minutes early and say you are new. Everyone was.
- Play the first morning. Warm up, learn to call the score out loud, tap paddles at the net after each game. Ask about anything. Come back next week.

Clinics and a gentle first session are part of our launch-season plan. Tell us on the founding list that you are brand new, and that shapes the first calendar.

## Glossary: the words you will hear

- **Dink:** A soft shot that drops into the kitchen just over the net. The heart of the game once you get past beginner.

- **Kitchen:** The non-volley zone, seven feet either side of the net. No volleys from inside it.

- **Volley:** Hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. Allowed anywhere except the kitchen.

- **Two-bounce rule:** The serve must bounce before the return, and the return must bounce before the serving side plays it.

- **Third shot drop:** The serving side's third shot, dropped softly into the kitchen to earn time to get to the net.

- **Side out:** When the serving side loses the rally and the serve passes to the other team.

- **Erne:** A volley played from beside the kitchen, having jumped or stepped around it. Advanced, and fun to watch.

- **Stacking:** A doubles arrangement where partners line up on the same side so each plays their stronger side. Comes later.

- **Rating:** The 2.0 to 5.0 skill scale. Our club runs 2.0 to 4.0.

- **Open play:** A session where players rotate partners and opponents rather than booking a court as a fixed four.

## Questions new players ask

**Q. How long does it take to learn pickleball?**

Most people are rallying inside their first hour and playing real games by the end of a second session. The rules are few, the court is small and the ball is slow. Getting good takes years; getting started takes a morning.

**Q. Do I need to be fit to start?**

You need to be able to walk, turn and swing a light paddle. The court is 20 feet wide and doubles means you cover half of it. Start gently, take breaks and read our play safe page for the Naples heat.

**Q. What is the kitchen?**

The non-volley zone: a seven-foot area either side of the net. You cannot hit the ball out of the air while standing in it. You can step in to play a ball that has bounced, then step back out.

**Q. What does 2.0 mean?**

The standard skill scale starts around 2.0 for a brand-new player and rises in halves. Our club welcomes 2.0 to 4.0. Tell us you are new and we place you in a session that assumes nothing.

**Q. Do I need to buy a paddle before my first session?**

No. Tell us on the founding list that you are brand new and we plan a way to borrow one for a first morning. If you do buy, a mid-weight composite paddle with a comfortable grip is the sensible first choice.

**Q. Is pickleball hard on the knees?**

It is a game with quick short movements, so court shoes and a warm-up matter. We are not a medical site and cannot advise on your knees. Start gently, listen to your body and talk to a professional you trust about anything that hurts.

### Join as a beginner

Founding membership is $99 per year. Mark yourself brand new and we plan a first morning that assumes nothing.

[Join the founding list](/membership#founding-list)

### Keep reading

[How play works](/play)[Play safe in the heat](/play-safe)[Clinics and socials](/events)[All the questions](/faq)

### Official rules

The full rulebook is published by [USA Pickleball](https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/official-rules/). This page is the short version for a first morning.

Founding season

## Everyone on the court was new once.

Founding membership is $99 per year. Members are 30 and up. Our launch-season plan covers organised open play by level, socials, round-robins and clinics, and founding members hear every date first.

[Join for $99 per year](/membership)
[How play works](/play)