Pickleball Rules: The Essential Beginner’s Guide to Playing the Right Way
One of the reasons pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in Singapore is its accessibility. You can pick up a paddle and be having rallies within minutes. However, to truly enjoy the game (and avoid "illegal" shots), you need to master three unique rules that set pickleball apart from tennis or badminton.
Whether you are playing at Jurong Play Grounds or a local community center, here are the essential pickleball rules every Singaporean player needs to know.
1. The No-Volley Zone (The "Kitchen")
The most famous part of a pickleball court is the 7-foot area on both sides of the net known as the No-Volley Zone (NVZ), or more commonly, "The Kitchen."
The Rule: You cannot hit a volley (hitting the ball out of the air without it bouncing) while standing inside the Kitchen. This includes your feet touching the Kitchen line.
Why it exists: It prevents players from standing right at the net and smashing every ball down.
The Nuance: You can stand in the Kitchen to hit a ball that has already bounced. Just remember to step back out once you’ve made contact!
Read our detailed Kitchen rule guide here.
Volleying the ball here would result in a foot fault, as the player’s right foot is on the kitchen line.
Volleying this ball is allowed as the players two feet are behind the Kitchen line.
2. The Service Rule: Keep it Underhand
Unlike tennis, where power serves dominate, the pickleball serve is designed simply to start the point.
The Rule:
Underhand Only: The serve must be made with an underhand stroke.
Contact Point: Your paddle must make contact with the ball below your waist.
The Placement: The serve must travel diagonally cross-court and land beyond the opponent's Kitchen line. If it hits the Kitchen line on a serve, it is considered "out."
Server Position: The server must stand behind the baseline, within the imaginary extensions of the sideline and centerline at the moment of contact
3. The Two-Bounce Rule
This is the rule that often trips up beginners, but it is the key to the "rhythm" of the sport.
The Rule: When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning it. Then, the serving team must also let the return bounce before hitting it back.
Serve -> Bounce.
Return -> Bounce.
After these two bounces, both teams can either volley the ball or play it off the bounce.
Why it exists: It eliminates the "serve and volley" advantage, extending the rallies and making the game more tactical.
Don’t Just Read the Rules - Master Them in Person!
Reading about the Two-Bounce Rule is one thing; feeling the rhythm of a game is another. If you want to skip the confusion and start playing with confidence, join us for our Introduction to Pickleball Clinic at our shaded Jurong facility.
In just 2 hours, our professional coaches will:
Teach you the correct grip and basic strokes (Dinks and Drives).
Walk you through the rules in real-time on the court.
Have you playing your very first games by the end of the session.
It’s the fastest, most social way to learn pickleball in Singapore. Plus, if you bring 5 or more friends, we offer a special squad promo rate!
Book Your Spot Today!