How to Play Pickleball Doubles

It might not seem like it, but pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport. It has more than 2.8 million players around the world and is a fun, low-impact recreational activity that is suitable for players of all ages.

If you’ve been playing pickleball singles for a while and are looking to get into some team-based action, you’ve come to the right place. In this quick, comprehensive guide, we’re going to show you how to play doubles properly in pickleball and how to make the most of your doubles team.

Read on for the full guide on how to play pickleball doubles, what you need for the game and the rules that apply.

What You Need

There are a couple of things you’re going to need before you’re able to play any sort of pickleball match. Thankfully, the sport doesn’t require much equipment, so it’s easy to get into for first-time players. Here’s what you’ll need to play:

• Perforated plastic balls
• Pickleball paddles
• Decent athletic shoes
• A pickleball court to play on

Other pickleball players might suggest different pieces of equipment, like certain paddles, but as long as you have those four basic pieces, you’ll be good to play.

Pickleball Doubles – The Rules

If there’s one thing that most people in the pickleball community agree on, it’s the rules of pickleball. Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. All serves must be performed underhand. Contact with the ball has to be made below the waist.
2. You may only attempt a service once.
3. You must make all serves into the opposite diagonal service area. If you don’t, you’ll be at fault.
4. To start a match, only one player from the initial serving team gets a service turn. For the remainder of the match, both team members get a service turn before the ball is passed on to their opponents.
5. Receiving team members never change sides during a match.
6. Servers will continue to alternate the side of the court they serve from, until they lose a point.
7. No players may enter the non-volley zone or the kitchen unless the ball has already bounced on their side of the court. This goes for players who land in the area following a volley.
8. Both teams have to play their first shot of a rally off the bounce. This is known as the Double Bounce Rule.
9. Matches are played to the best of 3. One game is played to 11 points, with a win threshold of 2.
10. The ball can only bounce on the same side of the court once. Two or more bounces will cause the team who hit the shot to win the point.

Those 10 rules govern every doubles pickleball match, so be sure to follow them closely!

Strategies for Effective Play

While it’s all well and good to know the rules of the game, there are some pickleball tips that can help you make the most of all your matches. There are some ideas you can work on perfecting – if you do, you’ll see vast improvements to your game in no time. Here is what you should keep in mind:

• Always be patient – patience is how you score in pickleball.
• Master the drop shot.
• Get to the kitchen as fast as possible.
• Always make deep serves, as they are the hardest to counter.
• When receiving a serve, always stand behind the baseline.
• Hit shots at your opponent’s feet/body.
• Stay away from ‘no-man’s land.’
• Return the serve deep.
• Learn how to take advantage of stacking.
• When the ball is hit down the middle, communicate with your partner.
• Move in sync with your partner and don’t bump into one another!

Doubles pickleball is really just a dance. It requires non-verbal communication, rhythm, and movement. You have to have an understanding of your partner’s strengths and weaknesses, and they’ll have to know yours, too.

While you certainly can jump into a game of doubles with a partner you’ve never played with before, it helps to have some practice with them beforehand. The best doubles players have an unspoken bond between them, one that allows them to act and move independently while still working harmoniously throughout the game.

If you are able to master the strategies mentioned above and integrate them into your unique style of playing, then you’ll see a complete unlocking of your pickleball potential. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true!

A Brief Overview of the Game

Pickleball is a sport that is a pseudo-combination of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. It is a paddle/racket sport that is played using a whiffle ball and a paddle on either an indoor or outdoor court. These courts are roughly the same size as badminton courts and feature modified tennis nets that are two inches lower than standard.

The great thing about pickleball is that it’s suitable for all skill levels and ages. It’s one of the easiest sports to learn and boasts an incredible culture and an amazing community.

It also happens to be one of the more accessible sports for getting started. Equipment is rarely very expensive, and you don’t need much of it in order to start playing. The only real challenge you might run into is finding a suitable court to play on, but there’s generally a good court in every city in the world.

Wrapping Up

If you’re looking for a gateway sport to get into other activities like tennis and squash, then pickleball makes for a great place to start. It helps boost your hand-eye coordination, teamwork skills, and athleticism in a safe, comfortable environment that is easy to get the hang of. It can be played by adults and kids alike, which means it is fantastic fun for the whole family too.

What’s more, if you’ve been in the game for a while, and are looking for a new way to make pickleball feel fresh, then consider playing doubles with a friend. It adds a completely new dimension to the court, as you’ll be facing two opponents while working in harmony with a teammate.