You see it happen in almost every beginner’s game. The serve comes over the net, the receiver makes a solid return, and the server’s partner—standing eagerly at the net—smashes a perfect volley to win the point. It feels great, but it’s a fault.
This exact scenario is the most common, and most important, mistake new players make, and it stems from not understanding the single most unique rule in the sport. If you’ve ever been confused about when you can or can’t hit the ball out of the air, you must first ask, what is the double bounce rule in pickleball?
It’s a rule that feels strange at first, but it is the entire foundation of pickleball strategy.
The Rule Defined: What is the Double Bounce Rule in Pickleball?
The rule itself is simple, though its name is a bit misleading. It should really be called the “Two-Bounce Rule,” as it requires two specific bounces to happen at the start of every point. This rule is a cornerstone of the official regulations, which you can read in full in our Complete Pickleball Play Guide: Origins and Official Rules.
Here is the official definition of what is the double bounce rule in pickleball:
- The Serve (Bounce 1): The serving team hits the serve. The receiving team must let the ball bounce one time before returning it.
- The Return of Serve (Bounce 2): The receiving team hits their return. The serving team must then let that return bounce one time before hitting it.
After these two bounces have occurred (one on each side), the “double bounce rule” is no longer in effect for the rest of the rally. From that third shot onward, players are free to volley the ball (hit it out of the air) or play it off the bounce.
The Practical Sequence of the Rule
Let’s break down what is the double bounce rule in pickleball in a real-world rally.
- The Serve: Player A (serving) hits the ball to Player C (receiver).
- Bounce 1: Player C must let the serve bounce in the service box.
- The Return: Player C hits the return back to the serving side.
- Bounce 2: Player A and their partner (Player B) must let Player C’s return bounce.
- The Third Shot: Player A (or B) hits the ball after it bounces.
- The Rally Begins: Now, and only now, what is the double bounce rule in pickleball is satisfied. All players (A, B, C, and D) can move to the net, and volleying is now legal.
Why Does This Rule Exist? The Strategic Genius
This is the most important part of understanding what is the double bounce rule in pickleball. This rule wasn’t created to be confusing; it was created to be the sport’s great equalizer.
1. It Eliminates the “Serve and Volley” Advantage
In tennis, a player with a powerful serve can serve and then rush the net, smashing a volley for an easy point. This makes the game heavily reliant on power. What is the double bounce rule in pickleball does is single-handedly prevent this. By forcing the serving team to let the return bounce, the rule forces them to stay back at the baseline. They cannot serve and rush the net.
2. It Creates the “Third Shot”
Because the serving team is forced to stay back, they are at a strategic disadvantage. The receiving team, after their return, can immediately run up to the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ), or “Kitchen.” This creates the most important strategic sequence in the game: the third shot.
The serving team, standing at the baseline, must hit a “third shot” to a team that is already at the net. This shot is incredibly difficult. This is why you see advanced players use a “third shot drop,” a soft, arcing shot designed to land in the Kitchen, giving them time to run to their own net. This entire, beautiful piece of strategy only exists because of what is the double bounce rule in pickleball.
Common Mistakes and Misinterpretations
Knowing what is the double bounce rule in pickleball is key to avoiding easy faults. Here are the most common ways players get it wrong.
- Fault 1: The Receiver Volleys the Serve. The receiver is standing too close and, out of reflex, hits the serve out of the air. This is a fault, and a point for the serving team. The serve must bounce.
- Fault 2: The Serving Team Volleys the Return. This is the mistake from our introduction. The serving team’s net player (Player B) sees an easy return coming and smashes it. This is a fault, and a side-out. The return must bounce.
- Misconception: Thinking every shot must bounce. After the first two bounces, the game becomes “all-volley.” New players, trying to remember what is the double bounce rule in pickleball, sometimes get confused and let a perfect volley drop at their feet, thinking it also has to bounce.
“Two-Bounce Rule” vs. “Double Bounce”: A Quick Clarification
You will hear people use both terms, but they mean different things in racquet sports.
- The Two-Bounce Rule (Our Topic): The official name for the rule that dictates the start of the rally.
- A “Double Bounce” (Illegal Hit): This is when the ball bounces twice on one side of the court before being hit (like in tennis). This is always a fault and results in a lost point.
When you’re trying to learn what is the double bounce rule in pickleball, it’s helpful to call it the “Two-Bounce Rule” in your head to avoid confusion. But in casual play, everyone will know what you mean.
How the Rule Shapes Your Game
The entire flow of pickleball is dictated by this sequence. The receiving team starts with the advantage because they get to the net first. The serving team’s entire goal is to neutralize this disadvantage by hitting a good third shot so they can also get to the net.
The question of what is the double bounce rule in pickleball isn’t just a piece of trivia. It is the gatekeeper to the real game of pickleball—the fast, strategic dink rallies that happen once all four players are at the net. You cannot get to that “dink rally” if you don’t follow the rules to get there.
Embrace what is the double bounce rule in pickleball. Practice letting that return bounce, even when it’s tempting to smash. Your entire game will change once you master the patience it requires.
