Like all other sports, Pickleball has rules……
Most Tournament and Recreational play follow the USAPA rules.
For the complete set of USAPA rules, go to: www.usapa.org/officialrules
As rule questions come up, we will include specific information below.
NOTE: Comments from members of the Southern Tier Pickleball group will begin with “STP:”
Serving Protocol
The following rules on serving have been extracted from the USAPA rulebook.
4.I Readiness. Serves shall not be made until the receiver is ready and the score has been called. The score shall be called after both the server and the receiver have returned to their respective positions.
4.J The 10-Second Rule. The “10-second rule” applies to both server and receiver, each of whom is allowed up to 10 seconds after the score is called to serve or be ready to receive. It is the server’s responsibility to look and be certain that the receiver is ready to receive a serve.
STP: What we have found works well is. Call out the score, point your paddle at the receiver, when he nods you can serve, if he holds up his hand wait.
STP: Please note, when playing in tournaments, there is normally a referee who will call out the score prior to each play – the server MUST wait for the referee to call the score.
What is a Legal Serve?
The following rules on serving have been extracted from the USAPA rulebook.
4.A. Serve Motion. The serve must be made with an underhand stroke so that contact with the ball is made below waist level.
4.A.1. Underhand Defined. The arm must be moving in an upward arc and the paddle head shall be below the wrist when it strikes the ball.
4.B. Server Position. The server must keep both feet behind the baseline during the serve with at least one foot on the court surface or ground at the time the ball is struck. The serve must be made while the server’s feet are within the confines of the serving area. These confines lie behind the serving court baseline and on or between the imaginary lines extended from the court centerline and each sideline.
4.C. The Serve. The ball must be struck before it hits the court surface. The ball must land in the opponent’s crosscourt (diagonally opposite court) service court.
4.C.1. Placement. The serve must clear the net and the non-volley line and land in the opponent’s service court. The serve may land on any service court line except the non-volley line.
4.C.2. Interference. If the serve clears the net and the receiver or the receiver’s partner interferes with the flight of the ball on the serve, it is a point for the serving team.
STP: One of the most common infractions seen is a side-arm serve, where the paddle head is NOT below the wrist.
STP: There are additional service rules included on the USAPA site.
