The visiting team chooses between side or serve to begin each round. If they pick serve, they choose to either serve of pass the serve to the other team. The visiting team rotates courts while the home teams stays at their assigned court.

A 2-minute break is allowed between games; a 5-minute break is allowed between rounds. If waiting for a round to end, startup continues at the time the last 2 opposing teams complete their second game.

A single 1-minute timeout is allowed per game per team. Water breaks are NOT timeouts and are limited to 10 seconds.  Bathroom breaks are to be taken between rounds. A medical timeout is allowed 1 per player per match and last up to 5 minutes.

If a player leaves mid-round, the team with the retiring player keeps their earned points, while the opposing team gets 11 points.  If during the first game, the game 2 score will be recorded at 11-0 and as a win by DEFAULT. 

The home team is responsible for preparing the official score sheet for the match. To allow adequate time for preparation, teams are encouraged to exchange lineups within 24 hours of the scheduled match. Both teams are expected to provide their lineups at approximately the same time to ensure a fair and consistent process.

It is encouraged that a fault on a serve or at the kitchen line is called by the team committing the fault.  Regardless of which side makes the call, when called, if both team members do not agree on the call, the point will be replayed.

If a court must be relinquished before a game is finished, score it as follows:

• Winner: Higher score receives 2 points.
• Loser: Receives 1 point if their score is at least half the winner’s score.
• Tie: Play one sudden-death point; winner receives 2 points, loser 1 point.
• Unplayed games: Scored 0–0. 

Players shall NOT call a ball “out” unless they can clearly see a space between the line and the ball as it hits the ground.  Ball out calls are made by the team on the side of the fault and are non-negotiable.

Players and captains should not make an official determination that an opponent’s serve is illegal during a match.

If a player believes they have observed a suspected illegal serve, the following procedure should be followed:

1. During the match: Players should not stop play, argue, or repeatedly challenge the legality of an opponent’s serve. Play should continue under the normal rules.  The player can bring their concern to their captain for further observation and acknowledgement.
2. After the match: The player / captain may respectfully bring the concern to the opposing captain and explain what they observed.
3. Report to Leadership: The player or captain should forward the concern to league/club leadership for review. The report should include the players involved, date of the match, and a brief description of the suspected violation. Video may be submitted if available.
4. Leadership Review: League/club leadership will determine whether the serve complies with the applicable pickleball rules. Leadership may consult a qualified rules official, review available video, or observe the player in a future match.
5. Follow-Up: If leadership determines that the serve is illegal, leadership will address the issue directly with the player and/or captain and provide appropriate instruction or corrective action.

Default: A default occurs when a player is unable to continue a match due to injury, illness, or another unforeseen circumstance after play has begun, and no eligible substitute is available until the end of the current round. The winning score must still be entered so the match is recorded correctly in the overall standings. Leave the player field for the defaulted position blank.

Forfeit: A forfeit occurs when a team does not have enough eligible players to field its required lineup for a scheduled match. The winning score must still be entered so the match is recorded correctly in the overall standings. Leave the player fields for the forfeiting position(s) blank.  

Ratings: Neither a forfeit nor a default will impact any player's individual rating. These situations are considered team circumstances and are not reflective of player performance.

Unless otherwise specified, the schedules state the time matches are to start. It is always a good idea to verify the start time with your opposing team captain a few days prior to the match. The following rules apply to late players: Matches shall start no later than five (5) minutes after the posted match start time. If a player has not arrived by then, the identified substitute may be utilized in the place of the late player, or the game(s) can be forfeited. Upon arrival, if games(s) were forfeited, the late player may play in any ensuing games. If the sub has played, the late player will fulfill the role of substitute for the remaining games. The late player can go into the match at the beginning of the next round. No warm-up time is allowed. All games forfeited will be scored 11-0 against the team with the late player. If there is no substitute and the late player shows up while the teams are still in the first round, then the late player may play one game of the first round.  If the round has still not finished after one game, the player can then start the second game of the round.