Two-Bounce Rule
Also known as: double-bounce rule
The two-bounce rule requires the ball to bounce once on each side before either team may volley: the serve must bounce, and the return must bounce, before anyone hits it out of the air.
This rule neutralizes the serve-and-volley advantage and is why the third shot (and the third-shot drop) is so pivotal — it’s the serving team’s first chance to come forward. After the two required bounces, normal volleying resumes, subject to the kitchen rule. Understanding it is the first thing that separates the rules of pickleball from tennis.
Example
The serve bounces, the return bounces, and only then does the serving team hit a third shot — they couldn’t have volleyed it.
Related terms
- ServeThe pickleball serve is an underhand stroke, made below the waist, hit diagonally into the opposite service box. It starts the point but — under the two-bounce rule — can’t be followed to the net.
- Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)The kitchen is the 7-foot non-volley zone on each side of the net. You may not hit a volley (a ball out of the air) while standing in it — you must let the ball bounce first.
- Third-Shot DropThe third-shot drop is a soft shot hit from the baseline that lands in the opponent’s kitchen, giving the serving team time to advance to the net.
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