Pickleball Rules and Format

League or Knockout or both, decided by number of team registrations at close of entries
Format and grouping to be finalised and communicated after registration closes

Minimum 5 players per squad, maximum 8
Squad must include enough men and women to field all 3 sets: minimum 3 men, minimum 2 women
A man who has played in one set cannot play in another set within the same game
A woman may play in more than one set within the same game (e.g. the same women can cover both Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles)
No substitutions between games — once a game's 3-set lineup is set, it holds for that entire game. Squad rotation across different games (i.e. different ties in the tournament) is allowed, since the squad has up to 8 players to draw from

Each game (tie) between two teams consists of 3 sets: 1-set Men's Doubles, 1-set Women's Doubles, 1-set Mixed Doubles
First team to win 2 of the 3 sets wins the game — the game stops once a team reaches 2 set wins (the third set is not played if unnecessary)
Toss winner chooses which set is played first; the opponent chooses the order of the next one and so on (alternate)

First to 11, win by 2, wins the set and the match
If scores reach 14-14 (golden point), the next point wins outright
If the match is abandoned mid-set (rain, time cutoff), the team with the higher point differential at the stoppage is declared winner
At the start of each set, only one partner on the serving team serves before the first side-out (the "first server" exception) — after that side-out, both partners on each serving team get a turn to serve in every subsequent side-out until their team faults twice

Serve must be underhand, contact made below the waist, paddle head below the wrist at contact
Server stands behind the baseline, feet cannot touch the baseline or court until after contact
Serve must be struck diagonally crosscourt and land in the correct diagonal service box
A serve that touches the net and still lands in the correct diagonal box is legal — play continues, no replay
A serve landing on or inside the non-volley zone (kitchen) line is a fault (this line is treated as out, unlike other court lines)

The serve must bounce once on the receiving side before it is returned
The return of serve must bounce once on the serving side before it is played again
After both of these bounces have occurred, either team may volley (hit the ball out of the air) or continue playing off the bounce

The kitchen is the zone closest to the net on each side
A player may not volley the ball while standing in the kitchen or touching the kitchen line
A player may stand in or walk through the kitchen freely to play a ball that has already bounced
If a player's momentum carries them (or their paddle) into the kitchen immediately after a volley, it is still a fault — even if the volley itself was struck legally from outside the zone

Serve lands out of bounds, in the kitchen, or on the kitchen line
Serve or return hit into the net without clearing
Illegal serve motion (overhand, above-waist contact, foot fault on the baseline)
Ball volleyed before the two-bounce rule has been satisfied
Ball volleyed from within the non-volley zone or its line
Ball lands out of bounds during play
Player, clothing, or paddle touches the net or net post while the ball is in play
A fault by the serving side results in a side-out (no point, serve passes); a fault by the receiving side gives the serving side a point

- Umpire's decision is final

- Organising Committee's decision is binding in disputes

- Abusive or foul language = player or team suspension

- Only team captains may approach the referee or organising committee