Are There Any Unique Rules That Make Pickleball Different to Tennis?

If you also play tennis like me, pickleball rules may be a little bit confusing because the two games share some rules.

Besides court size and specifications (e.g. line markings, distances etc.), there are several rules which can help you play well in both pickleball and tennis.

In pickleball, each player is entitled to one chance to serve. If they lose, they lose the serve to their teammate or their opponent. But, if they win, they earn a point, switch to the other service box on their side of the court, and serve from there.

In tennis, a player serves twice before they lose the serve.

In pickleball, a player or team wins the game by scoring 11 points and at least two ahead of the opponent, whereas, in tennis, a player wins after earning at least four points. The names of zero, one, two, three, and four points in tennis are known as love, 15, 30, and 40.

If both teams have four points, i.e., 40-40, also known as a deuce, they must continue playing until one team is ahead by at least two points.