How to Play — The Championships, Dibbledon

Part One · Pickleball Tournament Play

Dibbledon Rules

Street Ball

Play it as it lies. Ball clips a crack, a leaf, or anything else on the ground? Play on — no redos for anything the court surface does.

The Tree Clause

If the ball hits a tree branch, either team can call a redo — replay the point, no fault on anyone.

Integrity

Each team calls the lines on their own side. No referees at Dibbledon — play with integrity, and give the benefit of the doubt to your opponents.

Switch Sides

If the sun, wind, or other natural conditions make one side better, switch sides when the first team reaches 7 points.

Tournament format: pool play, then single-elimination knockout · one game to 11, win by 2. Everything else follows the USA Pickleball rules below.

Part Two · Starting the Point

The Serve & the Two Bounces

Every rally opens the same way. Follow the ball through the first three shots.

The serve — underhand, crosscourt

Swing upward, contact below the waist, both feet behind the baseline. The ball must fly diagonally, clear the kitchen, and land in the far service box. One attempt — no redos. Any ball that hits the net (let) but lands in the service box is playable.

Bounce one — receivers must let it bounce

No smashing serves out of the air. On the serve only, a ball touching the kitchen line is out — every other line is in.

Bounce two — servers must let the return bounce

The serving team has to let the return hit the ground before playing it. That's the two-bounce rule: one bounce on each side, always.

Open play — volleys are live

After the two bounces, anyone may hit the ball out of the air — with one big exception, covered next: the kitchen.

Part Three · The Famous Bit

The Kitchen

The 7-foot zone on each side of the net — officially the non-volley zone. One rule, several traps: you can't hit the ball out of the air while touching it.

Faults — Point Over

Volleying while standing in the kitchen — or touching its line.
Momentum carrying you into the kitchen after a volley, even after the ball is dead.
Your paddle or anything you're wearing touching the kitchen during a volley.

Totally Legal

Standing in the kitchen to hit a ball that has bounced — that's the dink game.
Being in the kitchen any time you're not volleying.
Stepping in and back out — once you've re-established both feet outside, you may volley again.

Part Four · Keeping Score

Scoring, Serving & Side-Outs

Pickleball scoring confuses everyone for exactly one game. Here's the whole system.

11 win by 2

One game per match, first to 11 — but you must win by two, so 10–10 plays on until someone leads by two.

Only the serving team scores

Win a rally while serving: +1 point, serve again (partners swap sides). Win a rally while receiving: no point — but you take over the serve.

Both partners serve

First fault → the serve passes to your partner.
Second fault → side out: opponents serve.
Exception: the game's very first service turn gets one server only — that's why it starts as server #2.

Which side do I serve from?

Even score → serve from the right court.
Odd score → serve from the left.
Each side's first serve of a turn always starts on the right.

4Your team's score – 2Their score – 1Which server you are

Call three numbers before every serve: your team's score, their score, and whether you're your team's first or second server. This one reads "four–two–one": we have 4, they have 2, and I'm our first server. Every game opens with "0–0–2."