Pickleball Rules Doubles
Rules in any sport or game make that particular sport fun and interesting. In that regard, Pickleball rules Doubles are very specific rules that pickleball players must know and follow to a Tee. Although the rules of a pickleball game, whether it’s a singles pickleball game or doubles pickleball game are the same, there are slight variations in terms of the position of players in a pickleball double game, rules regarding serving in a doubles pickleball game and scoring in a pickleball played in doubles. In simple words, in a doubles pickleball game, each player gets one serve shot, and a serving player exchanges position with his/her partner after each score, and the winning score must be 2 points above the other team. Also, as a rule, doubles pickleball players must wear a wristband for identification.
Pickleball Basics Rules
There are some basic rules that apply in both singles pickleball games and doubles pickleball games. Generally, any pickleball game must be played on a proper pickleball court that has a dimension which is:
- ·44 feet long (inclusive of lines) and 20 feet wide (inclusive of lines).
In addition, faults, like hitting the net with the ball, shooting off bound, or hitting a volley shot in the Kitchen or Non-volley Zone area (NVZ) can result in the other team scoring a point.
Learning these basic criteria for a pickleball game is crucial as they can make or break a game. In addition to these rules, there are specific pickleball doubles rules regarding scoring, serve shots and double bounce that doubles pickleball players must know. Read on to learn more about them in detail.
Pickleball Rules Doubles
In a doubles pickleball game, there are four players: two players on each team. Naturally, as the number of players increases in a game, the strategy and rules also change to maintain the game standard and dynamics intact. Therefore, pickleball doubles rules are adjusted according to the number of players in a game.
rules of pickleball doubles are listed below that you and your partner should know and remember while heading into a pickleball doubles game.
Pickleball Serve in Doubles Game
All pickleball games, whether singles or doubles start with a Serve shot. A Serve shot or serving in a pickleball game is when a player strikes the ball or first shot and the game begins. Serve shot is very crucial as it also affects how scores are gained in a pickleball game. One of the key rules of scoring is that the team that is serving can score a point, which is why serving is an important part of the pickleball game. As per the Pickleball rules, in a doubles Pickleball game, each team gets two serving shots—a serve shot for each team member.
In addition,as per the pickleball serving rules doubles a team member will keep serving until he or she fails to score a point. After scoring a point in a serve shot, the player switches his/her position with the other member, only the serving team can do that and not the other team. When he/she fails to score a point, the other team member gets to hit a serve shot. Once they make a mistake, the opposite team gets to serve.
Pickleball Doubles Rules for Scoring
Scoring in a Pickleball game is the same as in a Singles Pickleball game. The most interesting part of the scoring rules in Pickleball is that only the serving team can score points, whereas the opposite team must attempt to force the other serving team to make a mistake.
The Three Digit Score:
A typical pickleball doubles score will be displayed like this: 2-1-1.
Switching Sides in a Doubles Game After a Score
The game starts with 0-0-start and as soon as the serving team scores a point, they switch sides on their side of the court. And the same player keeps serving. The Opponent team cannot switch sides.
Winning Score in Pickleball Doubles Game
During a doubles pickleball game like in a singles pickleball game, a game is over when a team scores 11 points. Sometimes, during tournaments, the score can go up to 21 in a pickleball game. Typically for any winning team the final score should be 2 points above the opposite team.
Doubles Bounce Rule
If you are confused, what is the double bounce rule in pickleball? Let us explain.In simple terms, after 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.’ The benefit of this double-bounce rule is that it eliminates a volley and extends the game. However, players must be careful not to commit a fault by violating Kitchen or Non-volley Zone rules.
Wristband and Player Identity
In a doubles pickleball game, often wristbands are used to indicate which players are playing in a game. These bands come in different colors and designs and can be bought online.
Pickleball doubles rules mostly pertain to the serve shot, scoring rules, and double bounce rule. If you are playing with a partner, make sure you are both compatible and communicate openly because winning the games requires you both to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Once you know what your strengths and weaknesses as a team are, you can use the rules to your advantage. If one player is good at Serving, then he/she must initiate the game. If the other is better at volleying, then that can be used to advantage in a double-bounce shot. The point is rules are there to make the game interesting and provide some structure, winning the game is using the rules to your advantage and having doubles pickleball tips and game strategy to defeat the opponent.