The serve is an underhand stroke where the paddle contacts the ball below your waist. Stand behind the baseline and hit the ball diagonally to the opponent's service area. This starts the rally.

When serving, the ball must land in the diagonal service box on the opponent's side of the court, clearing the kitchen (non-volley zone closest to the net) to count as a valid serve. A short serve or one that lands outside the lines is a fault.

Each player on the serving team gets one turn to serve during a rotation. If the first server loses their rally, the second server takes over. Only after both players have served does the serve switch to the opposing team.

The double-bounce rule means the ball must bounce once on your opponent's side after the serve and once on your side before it can be volleyed (hit in the air). This rule ensures fair play and prevents overly aggressive shots at the start of a rally.

The kitchen, or non-volley zone, is a 7-foot area on both sides of the net. You cannot hit the ball out of the air while standing in this zone. You may enter the kitchen to hit a ball that has bounced there, but you must exit promptly to avoid faults.

Rallies continue as long as the ball is hit over the net and lands within the court boundaries. If the ball goes out, hits the net without crossing, or bounces twice on one side, the rally ends, and the other team gets the point or serve.

Points are awarded only to the team that is serving. If the serving team loses the rally, the current server gives up the serve. If it's the first server, their partner gets the next serve. Once both servers lose, the serve goes to the other team.

Each time your team scores a point, you and your partner switch sides of the court and serve again. This rotation ensures the serve alternates diagonally and maintains fairness in gameplay.

Standard pickleball games are played to 11 points, but a team must lead by at least 2 points to win. For example, a game tied at 10-10 will continue until one team gains a 2-point advantage.

Calling the score before serving helps keep the game organized and ensures that all players know the current score and who should be serving. It also prevents confusion or disputes during the game.

Start with the number of points your team has earned so far. For example, if your team has 4 points, you begin with "4." Always call your score before moving to the opponent's score.

After stating your team's score, say how many points the opposing team has. For example, if they have 2 points, you would call "4-2." This ensures everyone knows the overall score.

Finish by saying whether you are the first server ("1") or the second server ("2"). For example, if it's your first turn to serve in this rotation, you would say "4-2-1." This identifies who is serving and maintains proper rotation.

If your team has 4 points, the other team has 2 points, and you are the first server, the complete score call would be "4-2-1." Always make this call loudly and clearly before serving.

If the first server has lost their serve and it's now your partner's turn, they would call the score as "4-2-2." This shows that it's the second server's turn in this rotation.

If the second server also loses the rally, the serve switches to the opposing team. The opponents will now call their score first, followed by your team's score, and their server number. For example, since the score was "4-2-2," the opponents would call "2-4-1" as it's now their first server's turn.

If you realize you've called the score incorrectly, you can correct it before serving. Simply announce the correct score loudly and proceed with your serve.