The mistakes I made so you don't have to (and how to survive your first few weeks without becoming THAT player)
Hey there, future pickleball addict! 👋
If you're reading this, you've probably just discovered pickleball and you're equal parts excited and terrified. Maybe someone dragged you to a court, you hit a few balls, and now you can't stop thinking about it. Or maybe you're standing at the edge of a court right now, watching people play, wondering when it's socially acceptable to ask to join.
This is the first in our "Your First 30+ Days" series that we mentioned in our Welcome to Pickleball Addict Life post. Remember Phase 1? Yeah, the one about "essential rules, scoring, and court etiquette (so you don't accidentally offend anyone)." Well, buckle up, because I'm about to save you from the cringe-worthy moments that haunted my first few weeks on the court.
The Story of How I Became "Kitchen Guy" 😳
Let me paint you a picture. Week two of my pickleball journey. I'd watched exactly three YouTube videos and decided I was ready for prime time. I showed up at open play with my brand-new paddle (that I'd later learn was terrible, but that's a story for another post), confidently walked onto the court, and proceeded to commit what I now call "The Kitchen Incident of 2023."
Here's what happened: I was standing right at the kitchen line—you know, that line seven feet from the net that everyone keeps mentioning but nobody properly explained to me. A ball came sailing over, and my reflexes kicked in. I lunged forward, smashed it down for what I thought was an epic winner, and then... silence.
That terrible, awkward silence where everyone's looking at you.
"Uh, that's a kitchen fault," someone finally said.
"What? I didn't even touch the kitchen!" I protested, looking down at my feet firmly planted on the line.
"The line IS the kitchen, buddy."
My partner gave me the sympathetic smile you give to a puppy who just peed on the carpet. We lost the point. I wanted to crawl into said kitchen and hide forever. 🙈
Don't be Kitchen Guy. Let me help you.
The Five Things You ACTUALLY Need to Know Right Now
Look, there are approximately 847 rules in pickleball (okay, maybe not that many, but it feels like it). Here's the truth: you don't need to know all of them yet. You need to know enough to play your first few games without causing mass confusion or accidentally making enemies.
Think of this as your "good enough to participate" guide. We'll save the nuanced stuff for later. For now, let's focus on not looking completely lost out there. ☕
Thing #1: The Kitchen Is Sacred Ground (But Not in the Way You Think)
What It Is: The kitchen (officially called the Non-Volley Zone, or NVZ, but literally everyone calls it the kitchen) is that seven-foot area on both sides of the net. It's marked by a line. THE LINE IS PART OF THE KITCHEN. I cannot stress this enough because apparently I'm still traumatized.
The Rule That Matters: You cannot hit a volley (a ball that hasn't bounced) while standing in the kitchen. That's it. That's the rule. You can step in there all you want AFTER the ball bounces. You can hang out in there like it's your living room. Just don't hit a ball in the air while you're in there.
The Mistake I Made: Standing on the line and volleying. The line counts as "in." Also, if you volley and your momentum carries you into the kitchen afterward, that's also a fault. Yes, even if you hit an amazing winner. Yes, it's annoying. No, arguing about it won't change the call. 🏓
Quick Tip: When in doubt, take one step back from the line. Better to be safe than to be Kitchen Guy version 2.0. 🤣
Thing #2: Serving Is a Whole Thing (But I'll Make It Simple)
The Basic Sequence: Okay, deep breath. Serving in pickleball follows a pattern, and once you get it, you'll be fine. Here's the simple version:
- The game starts with the serving team on the right side (0-0-2, we'll get to that nightmare later)
- Serve diagonally (like in tennis)
- The serve must be underhand and contact the ball below your waist
- If you win the rally, you and your partner switch sides, and the same person serves again
- If you lose the rally, your partner gets to serve (you switch sides again)
- If your team loses that rally too, the other team gets to serve
The Mistakes I Made:
- Week 1: Served overhand like tennis (old habits die hard)
- Week 1.5: Served from the wrong side after winning a point
- Week 2: Forgot to switch sides with my partner
- Week 3: All of the above in the same game 🤦♂️
Real Talk: Everyone messes up the serve sequence. EVERYONE. Even people who've been playing for years occasionally have a brain fart and serve from the wrong side. When it happens, just laugh it off, correct it, and move on.
Heads Up: The serving & scoring described in this blog post is for what's called "Traditional Scoring" aka "Side-Out Scoring", which is good for beginners to get started. Later, in another blog post, we'll explain what's called "Rally Scoring", which is less used than traditional, but is used enough for you to eventually learn it.
Thing #3: The Scoring System (Or: Why Three Numbers?!)
Here's where pickleball gets weird. The score has THREE numbers. The first time someone yelled "0-0-2!" I thought they were speaking in code.
The Breakdown:
- First number: Your team's score
- Second number: Their team's score
- Third number: Which server you are (1 or 2)
So "4-2-1" means: "We have 4 points, they have 2, and I'm the first server."
The Only Time It's Different: At the start of the game, it's "0-0-2" because the serving team only gets one server to begin. Why? I don't know. Tradition? Balance? Someone's weird idea of fun? Just accept it and move on. 😅
How to Not Mess This Up:
- The server ALWAYS calls the score before serving
- Call it loud enough for everyone to hear
- If you forget the score, ASK. Nobody will judge you (much)
- Pause for a second after calling the score to let people correct you if you're wrong
My Embarrassing Moment: I once served an entire game without calling the score because I was too nervous to mess it up. A kind soul finally pulled me aside and said, "Dude, you gotta call the score." Lesson learned.
Heads Up Again: The serving & scoring described in this blog post is for what's called "Traditional Scoring" aka "Side-Out Scoring", which is good for beginners to get started. Later, in another blog post, we'll explain what's called "Rally Scoring", which is less used than traditional, but is used enough for you to eventually learn it.
Thing #4: The Two-Bounce Rule (This One's Actually Easy)
The Rule: After the serve, the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone can volley it.
That's it. Serve, bounce, return, bounce, then you can volley all you want.
Why It Exists: To prevent the serving team from rushing the net and smashing returns for easy points. It forces a couple of groundstrokes and makes the game more strategic.
Common Confusion: People think this applies to every shot. NOPE. Just the serve and the return of serve. After those two bounces, you can volley until your heart's content (as long as you're not in the kitchen, see Thing #1).
Thing #5: Court Etiquette (Or: How to Make Friends Instead of Enemies)
This is the stuff nobody tells you but everyone expects you to know. I learned these through painful trial and error. You get to learn them right now, lucky you! 🍀
Line Calls:
- If the ball lands on your side, YOU make the call
- If it's close, call it IN (benefit of the doubt goes to your opponent)
- If you're not sure, it's IN
- Don't question your opponent's line calls unless it's a tournament
- If your partner calls it out and you saw it in, speak up immediately
The "Sorry!" Rule: Gonna hit someone with the ball? It happens. Say "Sorry!" immediately & raise your hand in a "I'm so sorry" gesture. Gonna miss an easy shot? "Sorry!" to your partner. Accidentally walk across someone else's court during play? You guessed it: "Sorry!"
I probably said "sorry" 47 times in my first session. Nobody minded.
❗️Also, if you win a point after your ball accidentally hits the top of the net (aka net cord), do the same thing as above...that is, say sorry while holding your hand up. Although there are those that feel this is unnecessary as well the sorry not being genuine (face it, we're glad when we win a point 😉), it is the typical etiquette in pickleball to do so nonetheless.
Partner Etiquette:
- Encourage your partner, even when they mess up (ESPECIALLY when they mess up)
- Don't coach unless they ask
- Never, ever show visible frustration with your partner
- Take responsibility for your own mistakes ("My bad!" is your new favorite phrase)
- Tap paddles with your partner after good points AND after bad points
Hint: When tapping paddles with anyone, do so gently. Why? Some of our paddles are quite expensive, and we don't want to damage them with an overly enthusiastic paddle tap, especially when we're pumped up about a great point! 💪
Hint: Some players will flip their paddles to tap handles instead of paddle faces, which is safer in keeping paddles from getting damaged. 👍
General Court Vibes:
- Don't walk behind courts during active play
- Return balls to other courts quickly with a gentle roll (don't blast them)
- Rotate off the court after your game in open play
- Bring your own paddle and balls if you have them
- Be friendly and introduce yourself—this community is incredibly welcoming
The One That Surprised Me: At the end of a game, you walk to the net and tap paddles with everyone (including your opponents). It's like a handshake but cuter. Don't leave anyone hanging! 🏓
Your Week-by-Week Game Plan
Week 1: Information Overload Mode
- Focus: Understanding the kitchen rule and serving basics
- Goal: Play a complete game without major rule violations
- Expectation: You'll mess up the score 17 times. That's normal.
- Action: Show up to open play, tell people you're new, and ask questions
Week 2: The Scoring Clicks
- Focus: Calling the score confidently and understanding the two-bounce rule
- Goal: Serve an entire game while correctly calling the score
- Expectation: You'll still serve from the wrong side occasionally
- Action: Before each serve, take a breath and think through all three numbers
Week 3: Etiquette Matters
- Focus: Reading the room, supporting your partner, being a good court citizen
- Goal: Make people WANT to play with you again
- Expectation: You'll start to feel less lost and more like you belong
- Action: Pay attention to how experienced players behave and follow their lead
The Cheat Sheet (Screenshot This!) 📸
KITCHEN:
- ✅ Step in after ball bounces
- ❌ Volley while standing in it
- ❌ The line counts as IN
SERVING:
- Must be underhand, below waist
- Serve diagonally
- Win point = switch sides, same server
- Lose point = partner serves, switch sides
- Both lose = other team serves
SCORING:
- Call all three numbers: "Your score - Their score - Server number"
- Start of game: "0-0-2"
- Only serving team scores points
- Games usually to 11, win by 2
TWO-BOUNCE RULE:
- Serve must bounce
- Return must bounce
- After that, volley away!
ETIQUETTE:
- Your side = your call
- When in doubt = call it IN
- Say "sorry" liberally
- Encourage your partner always
- Tap paddles at the end
The Real Secret Nobody Tells You
Here's what I wish someone had told me in week one: You're going to mess up. A LOT. And that's not just okay—it's expected.
I've seen 4.0 players call the score wrong. I've watched experienced players fault on serves. Just last week, someone who's been playing for three years stepped in the kitchen on a volley. We all laughed, they laughed, life went on.
The pickleball community is genuinely one of the most welcoming sports communities out there. People WANT you to learn. They WANT you to have fun. They remember being beginners too (even if they act like they don't).
So when you serve from the wrong side, or forget the score, or step in the kitchen at the wrong time, just smile, say "I'm still learning!" and keep playing. In a few weeks, you'll be the one helping the next nervous beginner, and you'll think back to this moment and realize how far you've come. 🎯
What's Next?
You've got the essentials. You can walk onto a court, play a game, and not accidentally offend anyone (probably). That's huge!
In Phase 2 (coming soon), we'll talk about the five fundamental shots every beginner needs and—more importantly—the three you can totally ignore for now. Because there's a difference between "skills that'll help you" and "skills YouTube insists you master immediately that actually don't matter yet."
But for now? Go play. Make mistakes. Apologize when you hit someone with a ball. Call the score wrong. Step in the kitchen. It's all part of the journey.
And hey, when you do something embarrassing, just remember: at least you're not Kitchen Guy. That's my burden to carry. 😅
Got your own embarrassing beginner story? I'd love to hear it! Connect with us on Instagram @pickleballaddictlife and share your tales from the court.
See you in Phase 2, where we tackle the shots that actually matter (and expose the ones that don't).
— Mateo Rally, Still Apologizing for That Kitchen Incident
Next in this series: Phase 2 - The Five Fundamental Shots Every Beginner Needs (And the Three You Can Ignore for Now)
