Co-Ed Young Adult Leagues – Pickleball

About our Pickleball League

Each Friday night, you and your team will come in and see how many games of Pickleball you can play. Everyone will place their paddles in a bucket and the first set of teams will be drawn out of the bucket to play (6 teams). If your paddle isn’t drawn, your team will wait until a court opens up. You will play a single game against each team. When playing your games, if you win, you get to stay on the court. If you lose, you will head to the sidelines and wait for your next turn. This is a recreational league so wins and loses will not be kept track of. We are here to have fun! Obviously, the more you win, the more games you get to play.

How to Play Pickleball

Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court: 20’ x 44.’ The ball is served diagonally (starting with the right-hand service-square), and points can only be scored by the side that serves.

Players on each side must let the ball bounce once before volleys are allowed, and there is a seven-foot no-volley zone on each side of the net, to prevent “spiking.” The server continues to serve, alternating service courts, until he or she faults. The first side scoring eleven points and leading by at least two points wins.  

Court and Gear

Pickleball is traditionally played special Pickleball paddles, made of wood or high-tech aerospace materials. The ball used is similar to a wiffle ball, but slightly smaller. The lower net and wiffle ball allow the game to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities, while still allowing more competitive players to test their mettle.

The Serve

Serves are to be made diagonally, starting with the right-hand service-square and alternating each serve. The serve must clear the seven-foot non-volley-zone in front of the net and land in the diagonal service court.

Serves should always be done underhand with the paddle below the waist, and the server must keep one foot behind the back line when serving. The ball should be hit into the air without being bounced. The serving side will continue to serve until the there is a fault on the service, at which point the service will be given to the opposing side. (However, if the ball touches the net but still lands within the appropriate service court, the serve may be taken over.)

Volleys

To volley means to hit a ball in the air without first letting it bounce. In Pickleball, this can only be done when the player’s feet are behind the non-volley zone line (seven feet behind the net).

Double-Bounce Rule

Each team must play their first shot off of 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 volleyed or played off the bounce.

Fault

A fault is committed when the ball:

• Is hit out of bounds
• Does not clear the net
• Is volleyed from the non-volley zone
• Is volleyed before a bounce has occurred on each side
• Determining Serving Team