The Official Rules of Pickleball in Canada

For when you're not sure if it's your point… but you're too polite to say anything.

TL;DR: The Essentials
  • Serve underhand and diagonal
  • Let it bounce once on each side before volleying
  • Stay out of the kitchen unless the ball bounces
  • You only score when serving
  • Games to 11 points – win by 2
  • Be kind, but also… smash when needed

The Goal of the Game

Simple:

  • Hit the ball over the net, within the lines, without letting it bounce twice on your side.
  • Score points by forcing a mistake from your opponent — not by calling your cousin's brother-in-law in the middle of a point to ask the rules.

Singles or Doubles?
No double-double here, Timmy.
  • Doubles: 2 vs 2 (by far the most popular in Canada — especially when your friend brings their cousin who “used to play tennis”)
  • Singles: 1 vs 1 (great cardio, but you’ll miss blaming your partner for mistakes)

The Serve
  • Always underhand. No tennis-style aces here.
  • Serve diagonally into the opposite box.
  • Ball must bounce once before being returned.
  • In doubles: each player serves until they lose the rally (except the first serve of the game, which only goes to one player).

Bonus tip: Saying "Nice serve, eh?" increases your chance of mind games by 10%.

The Non-Volley Zone (a.k.a. The Kitchen)
  • It's a 7-foot area on both sides of the net.
  • You can’t volley the ball (hit it in the air) while standing in the kitchen.
  • You can enter the kitchen, but only to play a ball that’s already bounced.

Think of it like a Tim Hortons drive-thru: respect the space, or chaos ensues.

The Double Bounce Rule
Still no double-double here, Timmy.

Before anyone starts smashing:

  1. Serve bounces on the receiver’s side.
  2. Return must bounce on the server’s side. Only after that can you start hitting volleys.

This keeps it fair and smooth — just like a proper game of shinny at the outdoor rink.

Court Size
  • 20 feet wide
  • 44 feet long

Same size whether you’re playing in Moose Jaw or Mississauga.

Scoring System
  • You only score when you serve.
  • Games usually go to 11 points, win by 2.
  • In doubles, each player gets to serve before the team gives up the serve.

Scoring announced as: “5 – 3 – 2”
Your team has 5 points, opponents have 3, and you're the second server.

Yeah, it sounds confusing, but it makes sense faster than trying to follow a Leafs playoff run.

Common Faults
  • Stepping in the kitchen on a volley
  • Hitting the ball out of bounds
  • Missing the serve
  • Arguing about a line call for 10 minutes (technically not a rule violation, but you won’t be invited back)

The Canadian Pickleball Vibe

Canadian pickleball is competitive, but chill.
It’s part sweat, part strategy, part social — especially if there's a post-game Timmies run or a cooler in the car.

Let’s just say: it’s about fun, but we still want to win. Just... nicely.

Play with Passion

Whether you’re in Vancouver’s Kits Beach courts or a community gym in Red Deer, play hard, laugh louder, and maybe, just maybe, bring home the first-ever Pickleball Cup to your cul-de-sac.

When You’re Not Sure?

Here’s what real Canadian pickleball players do:

  • Replay the point
  • Flip a loonie
  • Agree to disagree with a nod and a smile (bonus points if someone apologizes for winning the rally, eh)