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RULES & SCORING

Pickleball Rules &
Scoring Explained

All the rules you need for your first game — the kitchen, scoring, serving, and faults — explained clearly for Cambodia players.

SCORING

How Scoring Works

11
Points to win
(win by 2)
Serve
Only serving team
can score points
3#s
Score called as
Server-Receiver-Server#

In doubles pickleball, the score is always called as three numbers. For example: “4-2-1” means the serving team has 4 points, the receiving team has 2 points, and it’s server number 1’s turn to serve.

At the start of each game, the first serving team begins with only one server (to prevent the serving team from having a huge advantage). The score starts as “0-0-2” — meaning both teams have 0 points and it’s already server 2’s turn.

THE KITCHEN

The Non-Volley Zone (Kitchen)

The kitchen is the 7-foot zone on each side of the net. The most important rule in pickleball:

You cannot volley (hit the ball from the air) while standing in the kitchen or with your foot on the kitchen line.

You CAN enter the kitchen to play a ball that has already bounced. You just can’t hit a volley from inside it. Even if the momentum of a shot carries you into the kitchen after a volley — that’s a fault. This rule is what creates the strategic “dinking” game at the kitchen line.

FAULTS

Common Faults (What Loses You the Point)

SERVING FAULTS
✗ Serving overhand or above waist height
✗ Ball lands in the kitchen on serve (foot fault)
✗ Ball lands out of the service box diagonally
✗ Serving before the score is called
DURING-RALLY FAULTS
✗ Hitting the ball out of bounds
✗ Ball hits the net
✗ Volleying from inside the kitchen
✗ Ball bounces twice on your side before you hit it
✗ Body or paddle touches the net