Pickleball vs. Tennis: The Rules That Actually Differ
Last updated: July 2026
For players making the switch, or just curious what changes.
The court is much smaller (20x44 vs. 27x78 for tennis singles), scoring only counts for the serving team and games go to 11 instead of tennis's 15-30-40 game format, and the serve has to be underhand and below the waist instead of tennis's overhand power serve. The biggest structural difference: pickleball has the kitchen, a 7-foot no-volley zone on each side of the net that simply doesn't exist in tennis. Equipment is different too — solid composite paddles instead of strung rackets, and a perforated plastic ball instead of a felt tennis ball.
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Court size
Pickleball courts are 20 feet wide by 44 feet long. A tennis singles court is 27 by 78 feet — tennis players moving to pickleball are usually struck by just how compact the court feels, which is a big part of why rallies happen faster and closer to the net.
Scoring
Tennis scores every point in a 15-30-40-game sequence, and either player can score regardless of who's serving. Pickleball only lets the serving team score, games go to 11 (win by 2), and points are added one at a time rather than in tennis's point-value system. This is usually the single biggest adjustment for tennis players — winning a rally while receiving in pickleball doesn't score you anything, it just earns you the serve.
Serving
Tennis serves are overhand, often the biggest weapon in a player's game. Pickleball serves have to be underhand, hit below the navel, with the paddle head below your wrist at contact — there's no equivalent to a tennis power serve, which flattens the serving advantage considerably compared to tennis.
The kitchen: pickleball's biggest structural difference
Tennis has nothing like the non-volley zone. In pickleball, neither player can volley the ball while standing within 7 feet of the net on their side — this single rule is what makes pickleball's net play look so different from tennis, forcing dinking duels and soft-game patience instead of pure net-rushing power.
Equipment
Pickleball paddles are solid composite construction — no strings — and the ball is a perforated plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball, which flies slower and with less bounce than a felt tennis ball. That equipment difference is a big part of why pickleball rewards touch and placement over raw power compared to tennis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pickleball scoring the same as tennis?
No. Tennis uses a 15-30-40-game point system where either player can score. Pickleball only lets the serving team score, and games are played to 11 points, win by 2.
Can you serve overhand in pickleball like tennis?
No. Pickleball serves must be underhand, hit below the navel with the paddle head below your wrist — there's no overhand serve option like in tennis.
Does tennis have anything like the pickleball kitchen?
No. The non-volley zone is unique to pickleball. Tennis has no restriction on where you can volley the ball from.
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