How to Follow the Two-Bounce Rule in Pickleball

Pickleball may be a ton of fun to play, but that doesn’t mean the fast-growing sport doesn’t also have a set of strict rules that players need to follow. One example? The two-bounce rule, which says that the ball must bounce once on each side of the court after a serve.

“In pickleball, the main goal is for players to gain control of the kitchen,” says Eva Welsher, an AARP Champions Tour pickleball Pro, referring to the popular term for the court’s non-volley zone. “The two-bounce rule,” she continues, “throws an added challenge in getting there — that’s because letting the ball bounce slows your opponent down and makes them hit another shot before going to the kitchen.”

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Welsher and Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) Pro Andrei Daescu explain how to master the two-bounce rule and break down each component.

The first bounce

Each pickleball game begins with the right-side player serving the ball underhand into the opposing team’s diagonal court. “In order for the serve to be in, it has to bounce beyond the kitchen line and not bounce on the right side of the service line,” Welsher explains. “The returning team must let it bounce once before hitting it back.”

The second bounce

Once the returning team hits the ball and it’s returned to the serving team, the serving team must also let the ball bounce before they hit it back. “Unlike other racket sports where you can serve a volley, if you do that in pickleball, it’ll be a fault and the serving team will lose a point,” notes Daescu. This typically happens, the pros add, when the serving team fails to let the ball bounce and volleys the ball in the air.

“This rule exists in order to prohibit the serving team from being able to move in and take the return out of the air, which would provide a huge advantage for the serving team and would keep the points too short,” says Daescu.

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Where and how to stand

To best set yourself up for returning a shot, Welsher recommends staying near or behind the baseline after a serve “to wait for the ball to bounce and give [yourself] enough space to allow [you] to step up to it and hit it.”

The moment a serve is in play, both players on the serving team should get into ready positions — with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, paddle up front and weight mostly on the toes — to be prepared for the incoming return, Daescu says.

After that, it’s time for the rest of the game to unfold.

“Now that the ball is officially in play, this sets the stage for a lively, fast-paced rally testing each team’s strategy and finesse to determine who’ll win the point,” Welsher says. “It’s all part of the thrill!”