1. The Serve

The serve starts every rally. Here’s all you need to know:

• It must be underhand
• Hit the ball below your waist
• Serve diagonally
• Both feet stay behind the baseline
• You get one serve attempt

If you miss the serve, it’s a fault. No second serve.

What if the serve hits the net?

If the ball clips the net and still lands in the correct service box:

It counts. Play continues.

2. The Two-Bounce Rule

After the serve:

  1. The receiving team must let the ball bounce
  2. The serving team must also let it bounce

After those two bounces:

You can volley (hit in the air) or play off the bounce.

Why it exists:

It slows the opening of rallies and makes the game strategic rather than explosive.

3. The Kitchen

The kitchen (non-volley zone) is the 7-foot area near the net.

Rule:

You cannot volley the ball while standing inside it.

You can:

• Step into it after the ball bounces
• Hit groundstrokes from inside
• Stand in it (just don’t volley)

You cannot:

• Hit the ball in the air while inside
• Let your momentum carry you in after a volley

Why it matters:

It prevents net domination and keeps rallies tactical.

4. Scoring

Games are usually played to 11.

You must win by 2.

Only the serving team can score.

If you win a rally while receiving, you don’t score - you simply gain the serve.

5. Faults

A rally ends if:

• The ball lands outside the court
• It hits the net and doesn’t go over
• It bounces twice before being returned
• A player volleys in the kitchen
• A serve goes out of bounds

When a fault happens:

The other team gets the serve.