Pickleball Rules

Recreational league (all levels); Self-ref with brand ambassador

Summary:

• Self-referee. Brand ambassador will be on site to help clear up any rules questions.
• 2 players from each team required to start the game
• Best out of 5 games played within a 60-minute, 75-minute or 90-minute time frame based on your league. See your league’s details for the correct timeframe.
• Teams with more than 2 people on the roster can choose to rotate in on a serve or alternate games. All roster players in attendance must play at least once within the time frame
• ZogSports will provide a brand ambassador who is NOT a referee. Players are responsible for making their own calls
• Teams will be responsible for reporting their score to ZogSports.

Game and Match:

• For 75 Min Matches: A game is finished when one team reached 11 points and is leading by at least two points. If the score is tied at 10-10, then the game continues until one team wins by two points with a cap at 15 points (ex: if game gets to 14-14, next point automatically wins)
• For 60 Min Matches: A game is finished when one team reached 11 points
• Players switch sides after each game.
• Each player is allowed only one serving attempt unless it is a “let” serve. A let serve occurs when the serve hits the net and still lands in the correct service court. If this occurs, the serve is played over. Each player will continue to serve until they do not win a point.
• Players must announce the score prior to serving (announcing the servers score first).
• Both members of each team will have a chance to serve for their team prior to turning over the serve to the other team. The player to the right will be the first person to serve for the team. When the serving team scores a point, the server moves to the other side of the serving team’s court.

Examples of Faults:

• Serving the ball into an incorrect area.
• Hitting the ball out of bounds (if the ball hits one of the sidelines or the baseline, it is a playable ball).
• Volleying the ball before it has bounced once on each side.
• Hitting the ball into the net or hitting the net with your paddle or body.
• Hitting the ball while in the non-volley zone before it is allowed to bounce.
• Touching the non-volley zone with your paddle or clothes while attempting to hit a volley.
• Stepping on or over the non-volley zone line on a follow through.
• Missing the ball when you try to hit it.
• Server swings the paddle with the intent of hitting the ball but misses.

Basic Rules (USA Pickleball)

• Pickleball will be played as doubles (two players from the same team)
• The same size playing area and rules are used for both singles and doubles (44’ long x 20’ wide)

 

Playoffs

• The top four teams (or 50% of teams depending on permit space) will make it to the playoffs

Tie Breakers for Playoffs/Seeding:

1. Head-to-head competition (among all tied teams)
2. If team forfeited during the season automatically loses tie breaker
3. Record against other teams in or tied for playoffs
4. Record against next best common opponent
5. If none of the above tie breakers resolve seeding, ZogSports will execute a coin toss

*It’s a two-tiered tie breaker system. If there is a tie breaker between more than two teams, after one team is determined to successfully make the playoffs we start the system over from number one with the remaining team.

The Serve

• The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc when the ball is struck.
• Paddle contact with the ball must not be made above the waist level.
• The head of the paddle must not be above the highest part of the wrist at contact.
• A ‘drop serve’ is also permitted in which case none of the elements above apply.
• At the time the ball is struck, the server’s feet may not touch the court or outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or centerline and at least one foot must be behind the baseline on the playing surface or the ground behind the baseline.
• The serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court.
• Only one serve attempt is allowed per server.

Serving Sequence

• Both players on the serving doubles team have the opportunity to serve and score points until they commit a fault *(except for the first service sequence of each new game).
• The first serve of each side-out is made from the right/even court.
• If a point is scored, the server switches sides and the server initiates the next serve from the left/odd court.
• As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is committed and the first server loses the serve.
• When the first server loses the serve the partner then serves from their correct side of the court (except for the first service sequence of the game*).
• The second server continues serving until his team commits a fault and loses the serve to the opposing team.
• Once the service goes to the opposition (at side out), the first serve is from the right/even court and both players on that team have the opportunity to serve and score points until their team commits two faults.
• In singles the server serves from the right/even court when his or her score is even and from the left/odd when the score is odd.

*At the beginning of each new game only one partner on the serving team has the opportunity to serve before faulting, after which the service passes to the receiving team.

Scoring

• Points are scored only by the serving team.
• For 75 Min Matches: A game is finished when one team reached 11 points and is leading by at least two points. If the score is tied at 10-10, then the game continues until one team wins by two points with a cap at 15 points (ex: if game gets to 14-14, next point automatically wins)
• For 60 Min Matches: A game is finished when one team reached 11 points
• When the serving team’s score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) the player who was the first server in the game for that team will be in the right/even court when serving or receiving; when odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) that player will be in the left/odd court when serving or receiving.

Two-Bounce Rule

• When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces.
• After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke).
• The two-bounce rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage and extends rallies.

Non-Volley Zone

• The non-volley zone is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net.
• Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone.
• It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps on the non-volley zone, including the line and/or when the player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the non-volley zone including the associated lines.
• It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone, even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.
• A player may legally be in the non-volley zone any time other than when volleying a ball.
• The non-volley zone is commonly referred to as “the kitchen.”

Line Calls

• A ball contacting any part of any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in.”
• A serve contacting the non-volley zone line is short and a fault.

Faults

• A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
• A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team.
• A fault by the serving team results in the server’s loss of serve or side out.

Determining Serving Team

Any fair method can be used to determine which player or team has first choice of side, service, or receive.

Forfeits

• There is a 10-minute grace period. If a team does not have the minimum players required by end of grace period, it will be considered a forfeit
• If your team forfeits two games in a season, you may be removed from the schedule without refund or credit.

FORFEIT NOTIFICATION

To forfeit, please fill out this form.

Forfeits ruin the experience for everyone. ZogSports exists to give you an opportunity to play and build community and forfeiting is a huge bummer. If your team absolutely needs to forfeit, you must let us know in advance so we can contact your opponent so that they don’t unnecessarily travel to the gym/field.

If you do not inform us of a forfeit your team could face penalties in your league’s standings. Once ZogSports is notified of your forfeit, it is final (you cannot change your mind) and the other team will be notified.

CODE OF CONDUCT: The Participant’s Code of Conduct applies to all ZogSports participants. You can access the ZogSports Participant’s Code of Conduct HERE.