About the sport
Pickleball – easy to start, exciting to develop
A small court, a light paddle and a moment to choose your next shot. Pickleball is easy to get into, and you may enjoy your first successes during your very first session. Once you master the basic shots, you discover a sport where patience and court awareness matter just as much as quick feet.
Familiar features, a feel of its own
Pickleball draws on tennis, badminton and table tennis. It is played with a stringless paddle and a perforated plastic ball, in singles or doubles. The court is compact, so positioning and ball control matter more than covering long distances.
The ball does not behave quite like a tennis ball. Getting used to its flight and bounce is part of the fun of your first session: you soon discover how even a small movement can send it exactly where you want.
What is the kitchen?
On either side of the net is an area called the kitchen. You cannot volley the ball from this area. This simple rule makes the game interesting: near the net, power alone is not enough, and accurate, soft shots come into their own.
One of the sport’s signature shots is the dink: a short, soft shot that drops into your opponent’s kitchen. It draws the other player closer to the net and sets up the next shot. A long, gentle rally can suddenly turn fast-paced – and that variety is addictive.
A great choice for a new group of players
You can try pickleball without any previous racket sports experience. In doubles, you share the court with a partner and enjoy learning together. Experienced players will also find plenty of challenges as more precise placement and shared tactics come into play.
Beginner’s tip: start close to the net and play soft shots to each other. Aim for a long rally together before trying to hit a winner.
Pickleball at Mailamestari
Mailamestari has three pickleball courts. Play indoors all year round and book your court through Playtomic. Invite a friend or gather a group of four – all you need for your first session is a willingness to try.
Rules of the game
Pickleball rules made clear
These basics will help you join the game. The rules below describe traditional scoring, where only the serving side can win a point.
1. Serve diagonally into the opposite box
A standard serve is hit underarm, below the waist. A drop serve is also allowed. The server stays behind the baseline and aims into the opposite service box. The serve must clear the kitchen; a serve landing on its boundary line is a fault. You have one attempt to serve.
2. Let the first two shots bounce
The receiver must let the serve bounce before returning it. The serving side must also let the return bounce before hitting it. Only after these two bounces may players volley from outside the kitchen.
3. No volleys in the kitchen
The kitchen, or non-volley zone, extends on both sides of the net. You cannot volley from inside it or while touching its boundary line. Your momentum after a volley must not carry you into the zone either. You may hit a bounced ball from the kitchen – simply standing there is not itself a fault.
4. The serving side can score
In traditional scoring, only the serving side scores a point for winning a rally. A game is usually played to 11 points, with a winning margin of at least two.
In doubles, both partners normally get a turn to serve before service passes to the opponents. The exception is the first service turn of the game, when only one player serves. The doubles score is called using three numbers: the serving team’s score, the receiving team’s score and the server number, 1 or 2.
5. Keep the ball in court
Return the ball over the net before its second bounce. A ball landing on a boundary line is generally in; the exception is a serve landing on the kitchen line. A return into the net or outside the court ends the rally.