What Is Pickleball? How Do You Play?
Pickleball is a fast, social racket sport combining tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It takes about five minutes to learn enough to start playing. This page covers everything you need before stepping on a court in Japan.
Standard Pickleball Court · 6.1m × 13.4m
Core Rules
The Serve
The serve must be underhand — paddle contact must be below the waist. Served diagonally cross-court. Only one serve attempt allowed — no second serve like in tennis.
Double-Bounce Rule
After the serve, each side must let the ball bounce once before volleying. After those two bounces, players can volley freely. This prevents instant net rushing on the serve.
Faults
Common faults: hitting out of bounds, letting the ball bounce twice, volleying from the kitchen, hitting the net. In doubles, only the serving side can score points.
The Ball & Paddle
Pickleball uses a wiffle-style plastic ball with holes. Paddles are solid — larger than ping-pong, smaller than tennis. Most courts in Japan rent paddles.
Boundaries
Court is 13.4m long × 6.1m wide. Lines are “in” — a ball touching any line is in play, except the kitchen line on a serve, which is a fault.
Let & Replay
A let occurs when the serve clips the net but lands in the correct service box. In modern rules, lets are played. Ask the group before your first game.
The Kitchen — What You Can and Can’t Do
The Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) — nicknamed the Kitchen — is the 2.1m area on each side of the net. Understanding the Kitchen is the biggest key to playing correctly.
You can step into the Kitchen anytime — but only after the ball has bounced inside it. You cannot hit a volley while standing inside the Kitchen.
Allowed: Step into the Kitchen to hit a ball that has already bounced inside it.
Allowed: Stand in the Kitchen at any time — just don’t hit an airborne ball from there.
Fault: Volley while standing in the Kitchen or touching the Kitchen line.
Fault: Jump from outside the Kitchen, volley the ball, then land inside the Kitchen.
Fault (serve only): Serve the ball so it lands in the Kitchen — even touching the line.
Scoring Explained
How to Serve
Start Position
Stand behind the baseline. In doubles, both feet must be behind the line. Start on the right side when your score is even.
Underhand Swing
Paddle must move in an upward arc. Paddle head below your wrist, wrist below your waist at contact. No overhead serve allowed.
Diagonal Cross-Court
Ball must land in the diagonal service box — opposite side, past the kitchen. Cannot land in the kitchen or wrong service box.
One Attempt Only
Unlike tennis, you get only one serve attempt. If you miss, serve passes to your partner or the other team. Keep it simple — just get it in.
Pickleball Glossary
A soft, controlled shot that lands in or near the opponent’s Kitchen. The most important shot in pickleball — patient dinking wins rallies.
The serving team’s third shot. A soft arc into the Kitchen that lets the serving team advance to the net safely.
Hitting the ball in the air before it bounces. Legal anywhere except the Kitchen. The key restriction the NVZ rule creates.
Advanced move — player jumps outside the court sideline to volley a ball near the net post, legally avoiding the Kitchen restriction.
Absorbing a fast attack with a soft, neutral return to the Kitchen — stopping the opponent’s momentum and restarting the rally.
Sessions where anyone can show up and play without a reservation. Common in Japan at gyms and community centers.
A doubles strategy where partners position on the same side to keep a favorable player in their preferred position.
A shot hit around the outside of the net post when the ball is pulled wide. Does not have to clear the net — only go around it.
Scoring format where both sides can score on every rally. Used in some tournaments but not standard recreational play.