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Tennis is a sport that can be played by either two players or four players as a team. Tennis matches are played on a variety of surfaces such as grass court, clay court, hard court, and carpet.

The Objective

The objective of tennis is to hit the tennis ball with the tennis racket over the net to your opponent's side of the court. If your opponent is unable to return the ball, you win a point. The main goal is to win enough points to win a set and win enough sets to win a tennis match.

Match Structure

• Tennis matches are played in either best of three or best of five set formats
• For best of three, players need to win two sets
• For best of five, players need to win three sets
• To win one set, a player must win at least six games

Scoring System

• Players need to score four points to win a game
• Tennis games are scored starting at "love" (zero) and go up to forty
• Points are awarded as: 15 (one point), 30 (two points), and 40 (three points)
• If a game reaches 40-40, it's called "deuce," and a player must win two consecutive points to win
• For winning a set, a player must win six games by two or more
• If a set reaches 6-6, it goes to a tiebreaker where players play first to 7 points

Basic Play

• The game starts with a toss to decide who serves first
• The server must serve from alternative sides on the baseline
• Players can hit unlimited shots between them once service is made
• Points are lost for various infractions like failing to return the ball properly, touching the net, or hitting the ball outside the court boundaries

Pickleball is a game where the object is to be the first player or team to have at least 11 points and you must win by 2 points.

Setup and Equipment

Pickleball is played on a badminton sized court (20 feet by 44 feet) with a 36-inch high net that divides the court down the center. Each player uses one pickleball paddle and the game is played with one regulation pickleball ball (different balls are used for indoor versus outdoor play). Players on the same side are on the same team.

Court Layout

The court has a 7-foot non-volley zone called "the kitchen" on each side nearest the net. Beyond the kitchen, the rest of the court is divided into two equal sections called the right and left service areas.

Basic Gameplay

• Serves must be made diagonally, starting behind the right-hand service area
• The server must keep both feet behind the back line and serve underhand below the waist
• The ball must be hit in the air (not bounced first) and land in the diagonal opposite service area
• There's a double bounce rule requiring both teams to let the ball bounce once on their side before hitting it
• Players can volley (hit the ball in the air) anywhere except in the kitchen
• Each side is allowed one bounce and one hit to get the ball back over the net

Scoring

Only the serving team can score points when their opponent faults. The game follows specific serving rotations and scoring calls that differ between singles (1v1) and doubles (2v2) play.

1. The Tennis Court Layout

Court Dimensions and Boundaries

The tennis court is divided down the middle, creating two sides: your side and your opponent's side.

Key Court Lines

• Baseline: The back boundary line where every point begins. If the ball lands past the baseline, it's out. Forms the back boundary for both singles and doubles.
• Service Line: Divides the court between the back half and front half. Creates the service boxes for serving.
• Center Service Line: Runs perpendicular to the service line. Divides the service boxes to determine proper serving areas.
• Singles Sideline: The boundary for singles play (one player vs. one player). Balls landing outside this line are out in singles matches.
• Doubles Sideline: The outer boundary for doubles play (two players vs. two players). Creates the "doubles alley" - the extra court space used in doubles. Balls landing outside this line are out in doubles matches.
• The Net: Strung across the court between two net posts. Features a net strap in the middle and net tape on top. Separates your side from your opponent's side. Important: Hitting the ball into the net ends the point immediately.

2. Serving Rules

Basic Serving Requirements

• Every point begins with a serve
• Must be aimed toward the appropriate service box
• You get two attempts per service point
• Always start serving from the right side (deuce side)

Serving Outcomes

• Successful Serve: Ball lands in the correct service box. Point continues with regular play.
• Let Serve: Ball hits the net but goes over and lands in the correct box. You get a redo - this doesn't count as one of your two attempts.
• Fault: Ball hits the net and doesn't land in the appropriate box, or ball misses the service box entirely. You get a second attempt.
• Double Fault: Missing both serve attempts. You lose the point completely.

3. How Points End

Three Ways Points Can End

• Net Contact: Either player hits the ball into the net. Point ends immediately.
• Out of Bounds: Ball lands outside the court boundaries. Point ends immediately.
• Winner/Double Bounce: Ball lands in play and bounces twice before opponent can reach it. The player on whose side the ball bounced twice loses the point.

Important Ball Rules

• You can hit the ball out of the air (doesn't have to bounce)
• If the ball bounces, you only get one bounce before you must hit it
• Lines are IN - if the ball touches any part of a line, it's a good shot

4. Tennis Scoring System

Basic Point Values

• 0 points = "Love"
• 1 point = "15"
• 2 points = "30"
• 3 points = "40"
• 4 points = Win the game (if leading by 2+ points)

Scoring Terminology

• Always announce the server's score first
• When tied: say "30-all" (except at 40-40)
• At 40-40: say "Deuce"

Deuce Rules

When the score reaches 40-40 (Deuce):

• Must win two consecutive points to win the game
• First point won = "Add In" (server advantage) or "Add Out" (receiver advantage)
• If you win the next point, you win the game
• If you lose the next point, return to Deuce

5. Player Movement and Positioning

Singles Movement

• Start: Right side (deuce side) for each game
• Between Points: Switch sides after every point
• Between Games: Switch ends of the court after every odd-numbered game (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.)

Doubles Movement

Serving Team:

• Server: Starts on right side, switches sides after each point
• Net Player: Starts on left side, switches sides after each point
• Both players constantly alternate positions

Receiving Team:

• Receiver: Starts at baseline, alternates with partner after each point
• Net Player: Starts at net, alternates with partner after each point
• One player always at baseline, one at net

6. Winning the Match

Match Structure

• Game: First to win 4+ points (must win by 2)
• Set: First to win 6+ games (must win by 2)
• Match: Best of 3 sets (first to win 2 sets)

Court Boundaries by Game Type

• Singles Play: Use singles sidelines as boundaries. Court extends from baseline to baseline, singles sideline to singles sideline.
• Doubles Play: Use doubles sidelines as boundaries. Includes the "doubles alley" for extra court space. Court extends from baseline to baseline, doubles sideline to doubles sideline.

Quick Reference Summary

• Always start serving from the right side
• Lines are IN - touching the line counts as good
• Two serves per point - double fault loses the point
• Switch sides after every point during a game
• Switch ends after odd-numbered games
• Net contact ends the point immediately
• Must win by 2 at Deuce

Court Dimensions

• Size: 44 feet × 20 feet
• Scale: Four pickleball courts can fit on one tennis court

Court Layout & Zones

The pickleball court is divided into three main zones:

• Right Service Box: Right side of the court from player's perspective
• Left Service Box: Left side of the court from player's perspective
• The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone): 7-foot area extending from the net on each side

Basic Game Format

• Scoring: Games played to 11 points
• Winning: Must win by 2 points
• Teams: Doubles format (2 players per team)

The Three Fundamental Rules

1. SERVING RULES

Foot Position:

• Both feet must be behind the baseline when serving
• One foot may hover over the line, but one foot must always be on the ground
• No jumping while serving

Serving Style:

• Must serve underhand
• Paddle face must contact ball below your wrist AND below your waist
• Alternative: Drop serve (simply drop the ball, don't throw it down)

Ball Placement:

• Ball must travel diagonally across the net
• Must land beyond the kitchen line
• Landing ON the kitchen line = fault
• Landing on any other line beyond kitchen = good

2. TWO-BOUNCE RULE

The Rule: After the serve, each team must let the ball bounce once on their side before hitting it out of the air (volleying).

Why This Matters:

• Prevents tennis-style serve-and-volley tactics
• Serving team starts with both players at baseline
• Receiving team starts with one player back, one forward
• Goal is to advance to the net where you're most dangerous

After the Required Bounce: You can legally hit the ball out of the air (volley) as long as you're behind the kitchen line.

3. KITCHEN RULES (Non-Volley Zone)

Main Principle: You cannot hit the ball out of the air while standing in or touching the kitchen.

Three Key Kitchen Rules:

• Rule #1: When hitting a volley, your feet cannot touch the kitchen line or be inside the kitchen (feet can hover over the line, just cannot touch or cross the line)
• Rule #2: If you hit a volley and momentum carries you into the kitchen, it's a fault (even if the point seems "over" - strategy: stay back or have your partner pull you back)
• Rule #3: If the ball bounces in the kitchen, you can enter freely (you can step in before the ball bounces, stay in the kitchen as long as needed, but must exit immediately after hitting to be ready for next volley)

Five Ways to Win a Rally

• Opponent hits ball out of bounds
• Opponent hits ball into the net
• Opponent lets ball bounce twice on their side
• Opponent commits a kitchen violation
• Opponent gets hit by the ball

Scoring System

Basic Scoring Rules

• Only the serving team can score points
• Score format: Three numbers (e.g., 5-3-2)
  • First number: Your team's points
  • Second number: Opponent's points
  • Third number: Server number (1 or 2)

Service Rotation

Within Your Team:

• First server serves from right box
• If they win the point, they switch to left box and continue serving
• If they lose the point, serve goes to their partner (second server)
• When second server loses, possession ends = "side out"

Between Teams:

• After a side out, the opposing team begins their possession
• Whoever is in the right box becomes the first server (the "1")
• The same player can be "1" sometimes and "2" other times

Game Start Exception

• Game always begins 0-0-2
• Starting team only gets one server initially
• This minimizes the advantage of serving first

Strategic Tips

• Get to the net as quickly as possible - that's where you're most dangerous
• Stay out of the kitchen unless the ball bounces there
• Communicate with your partner about who takes which shots
• After entering the kitchen, exit immediately to be ready for volleys
• Focus on consistency over power - many points are won by opponent errors

While pickleball is very popular as a doubles game (two players per side), you can also play singles (one player per side). Many public courts and clubs also have open play sessions or group rotations where individuals can show up and get mixed into games, making it easy to play even if you don't come with a partner.