Every tennis club in the NT also offers Pickleball and most of the tennis coaches in the NT are also qualified to coach Pickleball.

But maybe your question is far more basic, what’s Pickleball? Pickleball is like tennis and table tennis at the same time. Instead of a racquet you use a paddle, the ball is plastic and makes a satisfying sound when you hit it well (just like tennis). The rules of Pickleball are different to, but also very similar to tennis. Everyone finds that its easy to pick-up and get started.

Like with tennis, the best way to start playing Pickleball in the NT is to come to a club and get started. NT tennis clubs brought Pickleball to the NT so we are the original fanatics and love to play.

PICKLEBALL RULES

Rule #1: STARTING THE POINT​

The player on the right side of their court always starts the serve. ​

The serve must be underarm. ​

You always serve diagonally to your opponent.

The serve must clear the Kitchen (it canteven hit the line of the Kitchen).​

When starting a match, service will go in this sequence: ​

• ​Starting a match – team 1, player 1 (until serve is lost),​
• team 2, player 1 (until serve is lost),​
• team 2, player 2 (until serve is lost),​
• team 1, player 1 (until serve is lost),​
• team 1, player 2 (until serve is lost), etc…

Rule #2: THE 2-BOUNCE RULE​

​Without this rule, the serving team can easily rush the net and gain an unfair advantage every time.​

To start a point, the ball must bounce once on each side once (the “two-bounce rule“). ​Server hits to opposing player, returner lets it bounce before hitting it back. Return of serve must bounce once before the serving team returns it… now players can start to volley.

Rule #3: HOW TO WIN A POINT: hit a winner, or the other team makes an error​

​In pickleball, there are four basic error types:​

1. The serve lands out of bounds or hits the line of the Kitchen. ​
2. The ball lands out of bounds (behind the baseline or outside the sideline).​
3. The ball hits the net and falls on your side.​
4. The ball bounces twice on one side before the player can return it.

Rule #4: DONT VOLLEY IN THE KITCHEN​

​The zone on each side of the net marks the non-volleyzone, or ‘kitchen’. A volley is when you hit the ball before it bounces. ​

You can never hit a volley while any part of your body is in the kitchen (or even on the kitchen line). You can’t let your momentum carry you into the kitchen after a volley either.

Rule #5: ONLY WIN POINTS ON YOUR SERVE​

You only win points on your serve and you continue serving until you lose a rally. After winning each point on yourserve, you switch sides (left and right) with your partner and serve to the other opponent.​

When your team loses a point, your teammate begins serving following the sequence described above until another point is lost by your team (the serving team). Once that happens, the serve “sides out” (switches) to the other team.

Rule #6: SCORING. The correct score must be called before serving​

​In pickleball scoring, you’ll hear players announce three numbers, like “3-3-1″. Here’s what each number means:​

First number: ser​ving team’s score  –  Second number:  receiving team’s score  – Third number: the number of the player who is serving, player 1 or player 2.

You must announce the score in this format before each point starts.

Rule #7: WIN. Get to 11 points and win by 2 points​

​The match continues until a team gets 11 points and leads by 2 points.