There is only one rule that requires you to stand in a certain place during pickleball: when you are serving at the time the ball is struck, you must stand behind the baseline and between an imaginary extension of the center line and the sideline of the court.
Players must alternate receiving the opponents’ serves. So, as a practical matter, a receiver is expected to stand somewhere on the side of the court where the server is required to place the ball.
That’s it. You and your partner are permitted to stand anywhere on or off the court at any other times during play.
That’s right. There is no rule preventing you from standing in the kitchen. You can stand there all day if you like. But why would you?
Bev writes a weekly email blast for our pickleball club. She delivers the rules with clarity and a sense of humor. If you have a rules question post it in the comments below.
CJ Johnson
Hey there — I’m a professional three-sport athlete and coach who has spent my entire adult life earning a living from playing and coaching sports. Since I started coaching more than three decades ago, one thing has remained the same: My commitment to see students not as they are but as what they can become and to move heaven and earth to help them realize their untapped potential. You should know that when it comes to helping pickleball players over 50 live their best lives on and off the courts, I'm an expert. Good pickleball is not just technique; it's the mind and body working holistically. That's why I'm also a personal trainer and weight management specialist. When I’m chillin', you'll find me watching Star Trek with my husband John and our two fur babies, Shirley and Ralph. (Yes, Happy Days)
can you step around past the post onto your opponent’s side of the net?
(Inbounds or Out of bounds)
Hi John,only after you make contact with the ball or it is an over and over ball. Otherwise you can’t break the plane of the net (it isn’t a stepping onto side thing – it is a breaking plane thing) This might help explain it better. https://youtu.be/WhOrbMV7kbE
What about the extension of the kitchen? If you volley from out of bounds inside the extension of the kitchen line. Or if you have one foot inside the extension kitchen line but out of the side bounds line . Fault or not?
Hi David, there is no extension of the kitchen line upward. You cannot touch the line or anything inside the kitchen and hit a volley. If you’d like to go deeper here’s a video https://youtu.be/uziKuPl4Ebk and here’s the link to the rulebook. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://usapickleball.org/docs/ifp/USA-Pickleball-Rulebook.pdf
When serving can I start outside the service lines as long as I make contact in the service lines and my body is in the lines. Thanks
Completely legal. Just one thing to consider, what advantage does it give you compared to having someone possibly call a fault.
Does this rule apply. To the receiving team as well?
The receiving team may stand anywhere they like.
Can you drop the ball inside the playing area on the server ,to sever as long as you stay out of the court ?
As long as your feet are behind the baseline and inside extensions of the side and center lines when you contact the ball on the serve the ball can land inside or outside the court.
Hi! In doubles, can a player elect to stand in the middle of the court (i.e., one foot in each quadrant) after the serve while his partner plays back?
Hi Michael, other than being the correct server and receiver, the only rules that tell you where to stand are when you are serving. You must be behind the baseline and inside an extension of the side and center lines when the paddle contacts the ball.
When returning a serve can I stand on out of bounds sideline ? I’m left handed and prefer to stand near back right side.
You sure can
I was told by our pickleball coordinator that the receiver must stand behind the baseline and if not, it’s a fault. I thought this applied to the server only. Please clarify. Thanks much!
Hi Kathy, there’s only one rule in pickleball that specifies where you need to stand and this is it. What your coordinator said is good strategical practice but not a rule. If you stand about three feet behind the baseline you are in a better position to return the serve.