Mastering the Pickleball Bounce Rule: Essential Tips for Every Player

The bounce rule is one of the first rules new players must learn and pickleball veterans continue to define and improve their understanding of each game. This rule is one of the fundamental rules of gameplay that lays down the outline for how kitchen play in the match and once developed, will exceed the advanced play for players to craft a winning point.

Beyond a basic bounce rule that a player develops over time, it’s important to understand and use this knowledge within the context of match strategy. The strategy combines offensive, defensive, and tactical shot selection with both players’ abilities to generate higher probability plays, to set up volley shots, and to recover from unfavorable positions among other things.

Strategies for Playing with the Bounce Rule

For those looking to enhance their pickleball strategy, especially in tournament settings, it is a must to get familiar with the bounce rule. The bounce rule in pickleball is that the ball must bounce once on each side before players can volley. The bounce rule is one way to control the pace of the game. Making the ball bounce creates a moment of waiting in which players can reposition to take the next shot.

Effectively hitting the bounce shot requires a lot of practice with positioning and timing to let the ball drop and hit it with enough power. Sometimes power is not enough, so players who practice their drop shots have better success at tournaments. In this case, bouncing is not mandatory but helps players overlook their opponents’ possibilities (a hit with the momentum) and look at what other players want.

Practicing the Bounce Rule

You can do specific drills to master this rule. Some effective ones include one version of “bounce and hit” where you alternate between letting the ball bounce and hitting the ball before it bounces. This trains your muscle memory when to let the ball bounce and gets the rhythm of the game to improve from playing it more.

This two-player exercise has one player hitting the ball and the other player letting it bounce first before they hit it. The more you do this, the more you learn and get better and see yourself learning to make split decisions on whether you want to implement the bounce rule.

Common Misunderstandings About the Bounce Rule

The bounce rule in pickleball is often misunderstood by many pickleball players, and it has significant implications for how you play. Judging by its name, many players think that the ball can bounce, and you can hit it out of the air at any time, regardless of where you are on the court, once it bounces. Not the case. The two-bounce rule actually means the ball must bounce once on each side before players can hit the ball out of the air. This misunderstanding of the rule can create faults and missed opportunities when you are in a heated rally.

The ball has to bounce before you can return it, right? A lot of the time, this is true. Example, on the serve, and on the return itself. Players may think they have to “let it bounce” one time. However, you are allowed to volley the ball once it crosses to your side of the court. I find the rule creates very interesting strategies for the game. Something to think about the next time you take to the court.

What is the Pickleball Bounce Rule?

The pickleball bounce rule is the requirement that the serve, as well as the next shot back (the return), must bounce once before being volleyed (hit out of the air). This rule means that the player or team that starts the point does so at a bit of a disadvantage, as they have to play defense first.

The bounce rule adds a ton of elements to the game of pickleball: added skill, the ability to steady on defense, getting to the net on time, offense, even anticipation, as many players who have been on the court for a while can kind of tell exactly what is coming back after a serve. Each of these items adds to the fun, yet makes the game competitive at the same time.

The Mechanics of the Bounce Rule

In pickleball, the bounce rule is in place to make the game fair and strategic. Known as the two-bounce rule, the ball must bounce once on each side of the court before players can execute strokes with the ball in mid-air, otherwise known as volleys. Therefore, players must allow the ball to bounce once in their court before they hit the ball.

As a result, after the serve, the receiving player must allow the ball to bounce on their side of the court and then return the ball, while the initial serving player must then allow the ball to bounce again on their side of the court before they volley the ball back.

This rule makes pickleball plays better, as each player will foresee the initial ball bounce and move to better return the ball or get out of the way.

Top Play Tip

It’s so important to understand this rule because it rearrates the game. The rule pertains to every player, so game strategy and shot selection can really change once you understand this rule.

Note that this rule is indeed best practiced (as with any written instructions). So, roll up your sleeves, go get that official Onix orange pickleball, and head back to the court.