Pickleball has been quickly growing, with millions of players around the world. More players are getting invested in this accessible sport, as you can play matches in singles or doubles.
If you want to team up with a friend, doubles is one of the best ways to play Pickleball, and for good reason: you get the best experience by playing doubles.
But if you’re not sure how to play, don’t worry. We’ll tell you everything you need to know.
Rules For Playing Doubles Pickleball
There are many rules for playing Pickleball, and we’re going to make it as simple as possible for you to understand. So, let’s begin with the serving rules.
Serving In Doubles
All players are permitted to attempt one serve when playing Pickleball. Only one player is allowed to serve from the first team on the right-hand side of the court at the beginning of the match.
To call out the first serve, you need to call out 0-0-2. When you serve, you need to direct it to the player in the opposite diagonal service area. If you don’t direct it here, you will receive a fault.
When each player serves, they need to perform an underhanded one. Any contact with the ball when serving needs to be done while it’s below the waist.
Then, each server will keep alternating from the right and left hand side of the court until they lose a point.
It should be noted that it’s only the serving team who gets to alternate sides, and the receiving team will not have this opportunity.
Bounces In Doubles
Both the serving and receiving teams need to play the first shot of a rally by letting the ball bounce once first. This is otherwise referred to as the Double Bounce Rule.
When both teams have done this successfully, you can begin to volley.
There is only one bounce allowed on the same side of the court. If the ball bounces twice on one side, then the team that hit the shot gets a point.
Forbidden Areas
When playing, players aren’t allowed in the kitchen, otherwise known as the non-volley zone, unless the ball has bounced inside their part of the court.
You’re not even allowed to go in these zones if you’re in the midst of a volley.
If a player or anything the player wears or carries enters the kitchen, a fault will be declared. If you hit a volley in the kitchen, the point will go to the other team.
So you should make sure your paddle, hat, or anything else attached to you doesn’t touch this line. However, we should note that you can eliminate this rule if you’re playing in casual matches.
Scoring In Doubles
Each time you start another serve, you need to yell out three numbers: the score of the serving team, the score of the receiving team, and who’s serving turn is played.
The minimum score to win is 11, and you need to have won by having two more points than your opponent. Until you get two more points than your opponent, even if you get to 11, you will still have to play.
Once you’ve won a match by getting two more points than your opponent, you have to play another two games. The winner overall is decided by whoever wins the most matches.
It is also essential that we mention that only the team who is serving that round can win a point, but the receiving team does have the opportunity to make them lose this point.
Strategies When Playing Doubles
Naturally, there are ways that you can win against your opponents. You should make sure you practice these strategies with your partner if you want to win.
It’s also best that you pick your partner based on how well you communicate (Find out if you can Yell Out To Your Partner In Pickleball?) with each other, as there is a lot of non-verbal communication involved.
Utilizing The Court
If you want to make use of the court, you should move toward the kitchen straight away. When you’re receiving a serve, you could stand behind the baseline.
Most importantly, you should stay away from No-Man’s Land to ensure that you don’t lose your volley.
Strategic Shots
Another great way is by mastering certain shots and where you can angle them. If you can master the drop shot, then you have a better opportunity to hit them at your opponent.
When a shot hits your opponent’s body, they will end up with a fault, so this can be a great way to stop them.
Strategic Serves
When you’re serving, don’t only consider standing behind the baseline. Hit the ball with a deep serve, and learn to return these serves so you’re not put at a disadvantage.
But most importantly, you need to ensure you know how to stack to your advantage.
Knowing Your Partner
Now that we’ve discussed a few strategies, we should suggest that you learn to play with your partner. Understanding your partner’s movements is key to winning in Pickleball.
You should always communicate, especially if a ball is shot through the middle of the court. You don’t want to both be chasing after it, otherwise there will be some challenges down the line.
Teamwork
Most importantly, you need to be patient with each other. Doubles Pickleball is all about practice, and without it, you’re likely not to win.
Instead, make sure you aren’t getting impatient with one another and keep working together.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, you can have a lot of fun playing doubles Pickleball (Check out What Is Stacking when playing doubles in pickleball). It’s one of the best ways to enjoy the game, especially if you’ve only played singles.
The best way to enjoy it is by playing with a partner who you get along with well.
Hopefully, with these rules you’ll find a whole new experience when playing Pickleball. If you want to know more about this growing sport, why not check out some of our other articles?
Pickleball has been played for decades, and it is a great way to let off some steam, engage in friendly competition, and improve your fitness levels.
Hi, my name is Joe Polls and my family and I are keen pickleball players. My parents actually met on a pickleball court, and the rest is history.
I have always loved pickleball, no matter how many times I hear that it’s not a real sport. It has helped me get through some challenging times in my life - whether that be a breakup, finals, or even bereavement. The reason I made my website is so that I can teach more people about the wonders of pickleball, and maybe even get them interested in playing.
Pickleball could always use more players, so what are you waiting for?
Please, enjoy my website and I hope it teaches you something of use. Who knows, maybe I’ll catch you out on the court one day!
