Learn pickleball in Geneva

Everything you need to understand and play pickleball: official rules, court dimensions, technical glossary, scoring, minimum gear, and beginner mistakes to avoid.

Pickleball is played on a 20 × 44 ft court with a 91 cm net at the centre. Doubles games are played to 11 points, win by 2. Only the serving team can score. This page covers full rules, technical glossary, minimum gear, and beginner mistakes to avoid.

The court

A pickleball court is 20 ft wide × 44 ft long (same dimensions as a badminton doubles court). The net is 36 in at the posts and 34 in at the centre. The non-volley zone — nicknamed the kitchen — extends 7 ft on each side of the net. Service boxes are at the back, split by a centreline.

Pickleball court diagram with dimensions and play zones

Scoring

Only the serving team scores. A game is played to 11 with a 2-point margin (15 or 21 in tournaments). The score is announced aloud as three numbers: server score, receiver score, server number (1 or 2). Example: "5 – 3 – 2".

Two-bounce rule

At the start of every rally, the receiver MUST let the serve bounce, and the server MUST let the return bounce. Only then can volleys begin. This rule balances the game and prevents aggressive serve-and-volley.

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Technical glossary

The English terms are used as-is internationally — here are clear definitions.

Cuisine / Kitchen
7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net. You cannot volley while standing in it — one of the core tactical concepts of pickleball.
Dink
Soft shot played after the bounce, designed to drop just over the net into the opposing kitchen at very low speed. The patience shot that defines high-level play.
Drive
Hard, flat or slightly topspin drive used to put the opponent under pressure. Mostly used during transition.
Drop shot
Soft shot from the baseline that lands gently in the opposing kitchen. Lets your team move up to the net.
Third-shot drop
The drop shot played as the third shot of a rally. Key move for converting a serve into offensive net play.
Stacking
Team formation where both players stand on the same side to optimise forehand/backhand alignment. Advanced doubles tactic.
ATP (Around The Post)
Spectacular shot that goes around the net post (legal as long as it lands in the opposing court).
Side-out
When the serving team loses the rally and the serve passes to the opposing team.

Minimum equipment

  • A solid composite or graphite paddle (weight 200-250 g for starters).
  • Non-marking sole shoes built for lateral movement (tennis, padel, squash).
  • Standard breathable sportswear.
  • A water bottle and a towel — sessions last two intense hours.

Geneva Sports Club provides paddles and balls. You only need to bring shoes and sportswear.

Most common beginner mistakes

  1. Volleying inside the kitchen (a systematic fault).
  2. Serving above the waist — the serve must be hit below hip level, paddle low.
  3. Missing the double-bounce rule: receiver AND server must let the ball bounce on the first exchange.
  4. Moving up too early without a drop shot — you hand the kitchen to your opponent.
  5. Over-hitting for power: pickleball rewards patience, not speed.

Doubles format

Recreational pickleball is almost exclusively doubles (2 vs 2). The server keeps serving until the team loses a rally — then their partner serves. If they lose the second serve too, it is a side-out: the serve passes to the opposing team. At the start of a game, the first serving team gets only one serve (the "0-0-2 starting score" rule) to offset the initial server advantage.

Rules click fastest on court. Join a Geneva Sports Club session in Geneva — a member walks you through everything in fifteen minutes.

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