PICKLEBALL RULES

(2024)

THE PLAYING FIELD

1. The size of the court is 20 feet by 44 feet for full-court regulation game.

EQUIPMENT 

1. Game balls are provided by BYSC.
2. Players must supply their own paddles.  Paddles must meet the regulation USA Pickleball Association standard.

TEAMS 

1. A team consist of a minimum of (2) and a maximum of (4) players.  A team is permitted to substitute at any time during the game, but at no time may there be any more than 2 players on the court during game play.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY 

All participating players must be a registered BYSC player on the participating team.

GAME PLAY

1. Each match is 50 minutes long and comprise of three (3) sets.
2. Sets is played to 11 points.
3. A team must win the set by two (2) points.

OFFICIATING

1. There are no official referees or line judges for games.  Each player is responsible for making line calls on their side of the court.
2. A player/team may ask the opponent’s opinion to make the call on the player’s end of the court.  If requested and the opponent makes a clear “in” or “out” call, it must be accepted.  If the opponent cannot make a clear call, the ball is ruled as being “in” on the receiving team.

INTERRUPTIONS/STOPS

1. Each team may request one (1) timeout per set.  All requested timeouts last for 30 seconds.
2. If a ball from a neighboring court enters the play area, play is stopped, and the rally is replayed.

GAME PLAY

Start of the game:

1. Prior to the start of each set, teams (RPS) to determine advantage. The team that wins has the choice of service or side of the court.  The losing team make the remaining decision.
2. The serving team will signal they are ready to serve by announcing the score before every serve. Players have 10 seconds after announcing the score to serve the ball.

SERVICE

1. Serves must be made diagonally, starting with the right service square and alternating squares before each serve. There is only one server and one receiver during a serve.
2. The server and server’s partner must keep both feet behind the baseline when serving.
3. The server must call out the score before each serve.
4. Serves must always be made underneath with the paddle contacting the ball below the waist.
5. The server may volley serve (striking the ball without letting it bounce beforehand) or drop serve (dropping the ball from any height without using force).
6. The serve must clear the non-volley zone, including the non-volley zone line.  A serve that hits the non-volley zone line is a fault.
7. Net serves (a served ball that grazes the top of the net) are allowed so long as the ball lands in bounds.
8. A player who is serving shall continue to do so, switching service squares before each serve, until their team makes a fault.
9. At the start of a new set, the serving team is allowed only one fault before giving up the ball to the opponents. Thereafter, both members of the team will serve and fault before the ball is turned over to the opposing team.
10. When the receiving team wins the serve, the player positioned in the right service square always starts play.
11. The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc when the ball is struck.
12. Paddle contact with the ball must not be made above the waist level.
13. The head of the paddle must not be above the highest part of the wrist contact.
14. A drop serve is also permitted in which case none of the elements above apply.
15. At the time the ball is struck, the server’s feet may not touch the court or outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or centerline and at least one foot must be behind the baseline on the playing surface or the ground behind the baseline.
16. Only one serve attempt is allowed per server.

SERVICE SEQUENCE

1. Both players on the serving doubles team can serve and score points until they commit a fault. (except for the first service sequence of each new game)
2. The first serve of each side-out is made from the right-hand court.
3. If points are scored, the server switches sides and the server initiate the next serve from the left-hand court.
4. As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is committed, and the first server loses the serve.
5. When the first server loses the serve the partner then serves from their correct side of the court (except for the first service sequence of the game)
6. The second server continues serving until his team commits a fault and loses the serve to the opposing team.
7. Once the service goes to the opposition (at side out), the first serve is from the right-hand court and both players on that team can serve and score points until their team commits two faults.

VOLLEYS

1. To volley is to hit a ball in the air without first letting it bounce.  This can only be done when the player’s feet are behind the non-volley zone line.
2. NON-VOLLEY ZONE (aka the Kitchen): The non-volley zone extends seven feet in either direction from the net. Players may play in this zone after the serve but may not volley to prevent “spiking.” Players may hit the pickleball after it bounces while in the Non-Volley Zone and simply stand (without volleying the pickleball) while in the NonVolley Zone, including while their partner hits a volley.
3. It is a fault if a player steps on or over the line on their volley follow-through.
4. The non-volley zone is the court area within 7 feet on both side of the net.
5. Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone.
6. It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps on the non-volley zone, including the line and /or when the player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the non-volley zone including the associated lines.
7. It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone, even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.
8. A player may legally be in the non-volley zone any time other than when volleying a ball.

LINE CALLS

1. A ball contacting any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in.”
2. A serve contacting the non-volley zone line is short and a fault.

FAULTS

1. A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
2. A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team.
3. A fault by the serving team results in the server’s loss of serve or side out.

A fault occurs when:

1. 1. 1. A server does not land within the confines of the receiving court.
      2. The ball is hit into the net on the serve or any return.
      3. The ball is volleyed before a bounce has occurred on each side.
      4. The ball is hit out of bounds.
      5. A ball is volleyed from the non-volley zone.
      6. A ball bounces twice before being struck by the receiver.
      7. A player, player’s clothing, or any part of a player’s paddle touches the net or the net post when the ball is in play.
      8. viii)There is a violation of a service rule.
      9. A ball in play strikes a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying.
      10. A ball in play strikes any permanent object before bouncing on the court.

DOUBLE-BOUNCE RULE

1. When the gall is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces.
2. After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke).
3. The two-bounce rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage and extends rallies.
4. Also called the TWO BOUNCE RULE, each team must play their first shot off the bounce.  That is, the receiving team must let the serve bounce and the serving team must let the return of the serve bounce before playing it.  Once these two bounces have occurred, the ball can either be volleyball or played off the bounce.

SCORING

1. Points are scored only be the serving team.
2. The set is played to 11 points.  However, a team must win by two (2) points.
3. When the serving team’s score is even the player who was the first server in the game for that team will be in the right-side court when serving or receiving, when odd that player will be in the left-side court when serving or receiving.
4. The server must call out the score before each serve.
5. Players will record their score at the end of every set.

MISCONDUCT

A player committing one unsportsmanlike foul will be disqualified from the game by the referees. Independent thereof, the organizer will disqualify the player(s) concerned from the event for acts of violence, verbal or physical aggression, tortuous interference in game results.

Player will be asked to leave the facility or location.  If they decide not to leave the team will receive an automatic forfeit.

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Points will be awarded to teams as follows:
   1. Win = 1, and a Loss = 0, Tie = 0.5
2. Team standings will determine by the team with the highest number of points.
3. Tie breakers will be:
   1. Head-to-Head
   2. Least Number of Points Against (PSA)
   3. Most Number of Points For (PSF)