How Does Pickleball Work?

The Court Setup

Pickleball is played on a specific court layout. The court is noticeably smaller than a standard tennis court. A net divides the two halves, and on each side of the net, there is a marked area extending 7 feet back.

The Non-Volley Zone

This 7-foot area next to the net is crucially known as the non-volley zone. A volley is when you hit the ball out of the air before it bounces. The fundamental rule of the non-volley zone is that you cannot stand inside this area and volley the ball.

This rule exists to prevent players from simply standing directly over the net and smashing the ball aggressively downward. It forces players to either let the ball bounce if they are near the net, or step back to volley it out of the air, creating a more strategic, placement-focused game rather than one based purely on power.

Gameplay Basics

The game centers around using solid paddles to hit a lightweight, perforated ball over the net.

• The objective is to land the ball in the opponent's court so they cannot return it.
• Rallies feature a mix of back-and-forth groundstrokes (hitting after a bounce) and volleys (hitting before a bounce, providing you are outside the non-volley zone).
• Because the ball is perforated plastic, it creates wind resistance and travels slower than a tennis ball, allowing for longer, more engaging back-and-forth exchanges.