Lesson 4: Key Rules and Common Fouls

Understanding the core rules will keep you playing fairly and confidently.

The Serve:

• Must be hit underhand with an upward arm motion (or as a drop serve).
• Hit diagonally crosscourt and must land in the opposite service court.
• Must clear the NVZ and its line — a serve landing in the kitchen is a fault.
• The server must stand behind the baseline.

The Two-Bounce Rule:

After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side, and the return must bounce once on the serving side before anyone may hit a volley (hit out of the air). This prevents serve-and-volley dominance.

Non-Volley Zone Rule:

You may not volley while standing in the kitchen or touching the kitchen line — even if your momentum carries you in after the shot. You may enter the kitchen to play a ball that has already bounced.

Common faults (all result in loss of rally):

• Hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net
• Volleying before the two-bounce rule is satisfied
• Any NVZ violation during a volley
• Letting the ball bounce twice before returning it
• Illegal serve motion or foot fault