Welcome to Your Pickleball Pre-Workshop Guide
Thanks for booking your place at our Beginner Pickleball Workshop with Badfit!
To make sure we spend as much time as possible on the court, we ask all attendees to review the basics before arriving. Don’t worry — it’s quick, simple and will help you feel more confident from the first rally.
Section 1: Basic Rules Overview
Pickleball is a mix of tennis, badminton, and table tennis – played on a smaller court with paddles and a perforated ball.
Key Points to Remember:
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You serve underarm and diagonally
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Each rally starts with a serve
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The ball must bounce once on each side before volleys are allowed
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Games are usually played to 11 (win by 2)
Section 2: The Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) aka “The Kitchen”
The Non-Volley Zone is the 7-foot area on both sides of the net. You can’t volley (hit without letting it bounce) while standing in or stepping into this area.
Things to know:
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You can enter the NVZ only after the ball has bounced
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Don’t step into the Kitchen while volleying — even by accident
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The NVZ encourages slower, more controlled play at the net
Section 3: Serving in Pickleball
Serving in pickleball is always underhand and must land in the opposite service box.
Key serving rules:
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Serve must be below waist height and paddled upward
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Both feet behind baseline when serving
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One serve attempt only
Section 4: Scoring Basics
Scoring can feel tricky at first – but don’t worry, it’ll soon click!
Things to remember:
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You only score when your team is serving
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Games are played to 11 points, win by 2
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In doubles, you’ll hear 3 numbers when scoring:
e.g., “5 – 3 – 2” (server’s score – receiver’s score – server number)
Own It. Play Better.
If you’ve booked onto an upcoming workshop, why not start as you mean to go on? Practise with your own paddle and feel the difference straight away.
âś… You’re Ready!
You don’t need to master all this before your session, but having a general understanding will really help you get the most out of your workshop.
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