L1 Pickleball Rules and Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following describes a legal pickleball serve?
- An underhand stroke with paddle contact below the wrist at impact (Correct answer)
- An overhead motion with arm fully extended
- A sidearm swing with the paddle face open
- A drop serve bounced above waist level
Correct answer: An underhand stroke with paddle contact below the wrist at impact
A volley serve must be underhand with the paddle contact point below the server's wrist at the moment of impact, and the ball must be struck below waist level.
Question 2: Under current USA Pickleball rules, what is a 'drop serve'?
- A serve where the ball is released and allowed to bounce before being struck (Correct answer)
- A serve that lands short near the kitchen line
- A soft serve designed to drop into the kitchen
- A serve performed with a downward swing
Correct answer: A serve where the ball is released and allowed to bounce before being struck
A drop serve allows the server to drop the ball and let it bounce naturally before striking it, with no restrictions on swing motion or contact height.
Question 3: What occurs when a served ball clips the top of the net and lands legally in the correct service court?
- Under current rules, the serve is replayed (let serve) (Correct answer)
- The serve is a fault and a side-out is called
- The serve is good and play continues
- The receiving team wins the rally
Correct answer: Under current rules, the serve is replayed (let serve)
A serve that touches the net and lands in the correct service court is a let and must be replayed; the server retakes the serve.
Question 4: In doubles pickleball, which player serves first and from which position?
- The player in the right-hand service court serves first from the right side (Correct answer)
- The player in the left-hand service court serves first from the left side
- Either player may serve first from any position
- The player nearest the centerline serves first
Correct answer: The player in the right-hand service court serves first from the right side
At the start of a game, the first server stands in the right-hand service court and serves to the diagonally opposite receiver.
Question 5: What is the maximum allowable length of a pickleball paddle?
- 17 inches (Correct answer)
- 15.5 inches
- 16 inches
- 18 inches
Correct answer: 17 inches
USA Pickleball rules state the combined length and width of the paddle cannot exceed 24 inches, and the length alone cannot exceed 17 inches.
Question 6: In traditional (side-out) scoring, which team can score points?
- Only the serving team can score a point on each rally (Correct answer)
- Either team can score a point on any rally
- Only the receiving team scores when they win the rally
- Both teams score simultaneously at the end of each game
Correct answer: Only the serving team can score a point on each rally
In traditional side-out scoring, only the serving team scores a point; when the receiving team wins the rally, they earn the serve but not a point.
Question 7: How many points are required to win a standard recreational pickleball game, and by how many?
- 11 points, win by 2 (Correct answer)
- 15 points, win by 1
- 11 points, win by 1
- 21 points, win by 2
Correct answer: 11 points, win by 2
A standard pickleball game is played to 11 points, and the winning team must lead by at least 2 points at game's end.
L1 Pickleball Rules and Regulations 2
Which of the following describes a legal pickleball serve?