Where to play & how the game works
Laramie has indoor and outdoor courts open across all four seasons. New to the game? The rules below will get you ready for your first rally.
Laramie pickleball courts
(307) 721-5269
Year-round indoor play; times vary.
Adult non-member day fee ~$6.50.
Four outdoor courts, finished 2020.
Members play year-round, weather permitting.
(307) 766-6993
Fall & winter, 7 days/week, 9am–noon.
$5 drop-in with membership.
A game built from
spare parts
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, when a family combined a badminton court, ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. Today it still keeps those original rules (the 7-foot non-volley zone and the double-bounce rule), a game the whole family can play together.
The summary below follows USA Pickleball’s official rules. If anything conflicts, the official rules prevail.
The rules, in plain English
Served underhand, below the waist, diagonally crosscourt into the opposite court. At least one foot stays behind the baseline. One serve attempt per server (a drop serve is also allowed).
Only the serving team scores. Games go to 11, win by 2 (tournaments may play to 15 or 21). The serving score is called even or odd to set the serving side.
The serve must bounce once on each side before either team may volley. After those two bounces, the ball can be volleyed or played off the bounce. This keeps rallies longer.
The non-volley zone runs 7 feet from each side of the net. You can’t volley while standing in it, or let your momentum carry you in. It stops players slamming from right at the net.
A ball touching any line is “in,” except a serve landing on the non-volley zone line, which is short and a fault.
A fault ends the rally. A fault by the receiving team scores a point for the servers; a fault by the serving team loses the serve or causes a side-out.