Pickleball Rules

Pickleball Rules

All players and guests of Sandbox enter our complex at their own risk.
Adults are responsible for minors and guests in their group.
Outside food and drinks are prohibited. You may bring a water bottle. There are water stations located near the courts.
There is no digging in the sand allowed on or near the volleyball courts.

Equipment and Field of Play

The field of play is rectangular, 44 feet long by 20 feet wide, divided into 2 halves by a center dividing net.
Each half has a line that is 7 feet away and parallel with the net. This indicates a no-volley zone or the “kitchen.”
Equipment can be rented, or players may play with their own paddles. Cracked/broken paddles may not be used.

Teams and Substitutions

Game Duration and Start of Play

1 match against 1 team playing at least 3 games and up to 5 total games. Each game played to 11 points, win by 2.
Switch to Rally scoring at the 10-minute warning.
At least 3 games need to be played for the match to be official.
Team captains will play rock, paper, scissors. Winner can choose to serve first or the side of the court they prefer.

Serving

The ball is served underhand and diagonally to the opponent’s service court.
Player A serves → If Team AB wins the point, Player A switches positions with Player B and serves. This continues until Player A faults. After Player A faults, Player B serves. After Player B faults, the serve goes to the other team.
The serve CAN bounce before making contact on the serve. Updated 2021.
Serves must cross the non-volley line on the opponent’s side.
If the serve lands in the non-volley zone or on the non-volley line, it is considered a fault, and the other team gets the ball.
Serves must be made underhand and below the waist.
The server must be positioned behind the baseline and on their quadrant of the court.
Only one serve attempt is allowed.
Let serves are now considered IN play. Updated 2021.
The Double-Bounce Rule:
- When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces.
- After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either hit the ball before it bounces or play it off a bounce.
Any ball that lands on the line is considered IN.

Scoring

Serve to score.
A point is scored if the returning team fails to return the ball or if the returning team commits a fault.

Faults

A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
The ball is hit into the net on the serve or any return.
The ball is volleyed before a bounce has occurred on each side.
The ball is hit out of bounds.
A ball is volleyed from the non-volley zone.
A ball bounces twice before being struck by the receiver.
A player, a player’s clothing, or any part of a player’s paddle touches the net or the net post when the ball is in play.
There is a violation of a service rule.
A ball in play strikes a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying.
A ball in play strikes any permanent object before bouncing on the court.

Non-Volley Zone (aka “the kitchen”)

The Non-Volley Zone is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net.
Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone.
It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps on the non-volley zone, including the line and/or when the player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the non-volley zone including the associated lines.
It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone, even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens.
A player may legally be in the “non-volley zone” at any time other than when volleying a ball.

Forfeits

Teams have until 10 minutes past the designated start time to field the minimum requirement.
A forfeit will be scored 5-0.
If your team is going to forfeit a game, PLEASE call or text the Sandbox office ASAP via email at: sandboxleaguemanager@gmail.com
- First Forfeit – Loss of game and warning issued.
- Second Forfeit – Loss of game and Sandbox reserve the right to remove the team from playoffs.
- Third Forfeit – Loss of game and removal from the league with NO REFUND.

League Schedule

Standings

Standings are sorted by winning % first.
If the winning % is a tie, the standings are then sorted by head-to-head match-up wins.
- If three or more teams are tied, it goes to the next tie-breaking of average games won per match.

End-of-Season Tournament

Rosters will be checked and teams cannot have any subs for the tournament.
Tournament Format:
- A single-elimination tournament will be played on week 7 on the same day of the week that the league is scheduled.
The number of teams will vary depending on the total number of teams in the league and available court space.
Each match is the best of 3 games.
The tournament will be played out all in one night.

Officiating

Games are self-officiated. If a dispute persists, please notify the league manager.
All teams should call their own violations.
Any dispute should result in the point being replayed.
If disputes persist, please notify the league manager.
Sandbox strives to provide a fun and clean competition environment. Any and all physical or verbal abuse, intimidation, audible cursing, fighting, or other physical contact are strictly prohibited and risks temporary or permanent eviction.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct Violations

Fighting, taunting, or unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. Fighting will result in an automatic ejection from the match and Sandbox for the day for the players involved. Removal from the league will be implemented for repeat offenders/incidents.
NOTE: No refund will be issued if a player/team is removed from the league due to unsportsmanlike conduct detrimental to the league, staff, or Sandbox.