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The Basics · 1
The Court
20 ft wide by 44 ft long — about a quarter the size of a tennis court. Same for singles or doubles.
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What is Pickleball?
The fastest-growing sport in America, explained in two minutes — then everything you need to start watching the pro game.
Pickleball in 90 Seconds
Swipe Through the Whole Sport
Seven cards — the court, the net, the rules, scoring. Enough to follow any match on TV by the time you finish.
The Basics
Four Questions, Four Answers
01
What is it?
Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a small court with a plastic ball and a low net. Think tennis × table tennis × badminton.
02
Where do you play?
A 20 × 44 ft court — a quarter the size of a tennis court. Indoors or outdoors, singles or doubles.
03
How does scoring work?
Games to 11, win by 2. Only the serving side can score. Pro matches are best-of-three or best-of-five.
04
Why is it everywhere?
Low barrier, fast learning curve, social game. America's fastest-growing sport for five straight years.
Rules in 60 Seconds
What You Need to Know to Follow a Match
- 01Serve underhand and diagonally; the ball must clear the no-volley zone.
- 02Both teams must let the first return after serve bounce (the two-bounce rule).
- 03The 7-ft no-volley zone ("the kitchen") at each end of the net — no volleys allowed in it.
- 04Points only score on your own serve; lose the rally, lose the serve.
- 05Pro matches: games to 11, win by 2, best-of-three (or best-of-five for finals).
5x
Years as America's fastest-growing sport
36M+
U.S. players (latest SFIA report)
25
PPA Tour tour stops a year
150K+
PPA Tour in-arena fans annually
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