How to Keep Score: The Basic Rules of Pickleball

Inside the guide

Fourteen friendly pages that take you from “what’s a dink?” to playing a real game — in about five minutes of reading.

• The court in one picture A true-size court diagram, so every line finally makes sense.
• The three-number score call, made simple What the three numbers mean, who says them, and when — no more guessing.
• The Non-Volley Zone, without the headache The kitchen rule taught rule-first — including when you can step in and hit it.
• The serve + the two-bounce rule How every rally starts, the drop serve included, and why the ball bounces twice early on.
• Your first game in five minutes A quick-start checklist — where to stand, how to begin, and how every game ends: tap paddles at the net.

Learn it fast from a coach — not all day from a rulebook

Lifelong tennis teaching professional · Division I player and coach · now playing and teaching pickleball.

Coach Jeff Vaage plays pickleball too — still working on his own game, and helping others learn the right way to play and have fun doing it. This guide is how he teaches it on court: plain, friendly, and correct.