Serve Underhand
All standard serves must be hit underhand with an upward arc, making contact below the waist, and with the paddle tip below your wrist.

Alternatively, a “drop serve” is allowed where you simply drop and hit the ball out of the air.

Serve Diagonally
The serve must be hit cross-court into the diagonal service box.

It must completely clear the “kitchen” line. Landing on the kitchen line is a fault.

The Two-Bounce Rule
After a serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning it.

The serving team must then let the return bounce before hitting it back.

After these two bounces, players can either volley (hit the ball in the air) or play it off the bounce.

No Volleys in the Kitchen
The 7-foot zone on both sides of the net is called the “non-volley zone” or the “kitchen”.

You cannot hit a volley (out of the air) while standing in this zone or on its lines.

You can only enter the kitchen if the ball bounces in it first. 

Call the Score
Before serving, the server must clearly call out the score.

In doubles, this includes three numbers: your score, the opponent’s score, and which server you are (either “1” or “2”). 

Only Servers Score
Points can only be won by the serving team.

If the receiving team wins a rally, no point is awarded.

Two Chances Per Team (Doubles)
Both players on each team get a chance to serve before the serve goes to the opponents.

The exception is at the very beginning of the game, where the first serving team only gets one server. 

Line Calls
If the ball bounces on any court line, it is considered “in”—with the exception of the kitchen line on a serve, which is considered “out”.

Win by Two
Games are typically played to 11 points, however, you must win by at least a 2-point margin.