The serve starts every point, and it sets the tone for the entire rally. While it’s not about overpowering your opponent like in tennis, a well-placed serve in pickleball can throw them off balance and give you the upper hand in any pickleball tournament. It’s all about precision, consistency, and control.

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Still, serving can be confusing, especially for newer players. Can you serve underhand or sidearm? Can you throw the ball up on a volley serve?? What about drop serves, time limits, or serving into the kitchen? And does pickleball even have a “let” rule?

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We break it all down in this guide, answering the most common questions and clearing up the gray areas.

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Let’s settle it once and for all: What are the serving rules in pickleball?

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Official Pickleball Serve Rules (2025 Update)

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1. Volley Serves 

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A volley serve is when you hit the ball before it bounces, and you can throw the ball up for a volley serve. When you hit the ball, your arm must be in an upward arc, contact can't be made above the waist, and the paddle head must stay below the wrist.

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2. One Foot Behind the Baseline

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At least one foot must remain behind the baseline and on the ground until the ball is struck. The other foot can't be on the ground outside the service area.  Stepping on the line during the serve is a fault. 

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3. Diagonal Placement

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The serve must land in the opposite diagonal service box. If it lands outside the lines or on the kitchen line or in the kitchen (non-volley zone), it’s a fault.

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4. Drop Serve Is Legal

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The drop serve is still legal.. Yep, you heard that right!

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Without applying any force to the ball, you can simply let it drop and hit it after it bounces—offering a more flexible and strategic serving option. Your feet must remain in the same position as for a volley serve, but you can drop the ball anywhere, and none of the three volley serve requirements apply.

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5. Single Attempt Only

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Unlike in tennis, there are no second chances. If you commit a single fault on your serve, you lose the rally. 

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6. No Spin Allowed

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You can’t spin the ball with your hand or paddle before hitting it.   Only a natural rotation is accepted on the release but, when you hit the ball, put all the spin you want on it! 

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Serve Rules for Singles vs Doubles

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• In singles, the server switches sides after each point scored, always serving from the right when the score is even and from the left when it's odd. Only the serving person can score points. 

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• In doubles, only the serving team can score points. Each player on the team gets a turn to serve, except at the start of the game,  when only one player serves for the first team.

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Service Sequence in Doubles

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Let’s break it down with an example:

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• Team I: Player A and Player B
  
  
• Team II: Player C and Player D

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Players A and C are the starting servers for their teams. When their team's score is even, they will serve from the right side of their court.

1. Game starts with Player A serving from the right side of the court.
   
   
2. Each time Team I scores a point, they switch sides (right to left, left to right) and Player A continues serving.
   
   
3. When Team I makes a fault, they lose the serve.
   
   

Since it's the start of the game, only Player A serves for Team I. Then it’s a side out.

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4. Player C (Team II) now serves from the right side.
   
   
5. Just like before, if Team II scores, the players switch sides and Player C keeps serving until they commit a fault.
   
   
6. After Player C faults, their partner, Player D, gets to serve.
   
   
7. Player D serves from the appropriate side based on the score (not necessarily the right side).
   
   
8. Once both players on Team II lose their serves, it’s a side out, and Team I regains serve; this time, starting on the right, with whichever player matches their score (if their score is even it will be Player A, odd will be Player B), and now both partners will get to serve in that turn.
   
   

This rotation continues throughout the match, with each player on a team getting a chance to serve—except for the first team to serve, where only one player serves before the side out.

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Common Pickleball Serving Faults

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Avoid these errors to stay legal:

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• Hitting the ball above waist level
  
  
• Serving into the kitchen or on the kitchen line
  
  
• Stepping on  the baseline when you make contact with the ball.
  
  
• Missing the cross-court service court!
  
  

Being aware of these serving faults helps prevent easy point losses, especially when your pickleball rating and performance in pickleball tournaments are on the line.

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👉 90% of players get these pickleball rules wrong. Don’t be one of them. 

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