Where should the serving team stand in pickleball doubles?

Both players start at the baseline, because the return must bounce before either of you can volley. You move up together after the third shot.

Where should the receiving team stand?

The returner stands near the baseline; their partner starts at the kitchen line, since the serving team can't volley the return.

Who takes the ball down the middle?

Usually the player whose forehand is in the middle. Agree it before you start and call 'mine' or 'yours' early.

Doubles Strategy: Where to Stand and Why You're Both Moving

Doubles pickleball is a game of positioning dressed up as a game of shots. Two average players standing in the right places will beat two good players standing in the wrong ones, and the right places are easier to learn than any shot.

The starting positions

The double-bounce rule decides where everyone begins.

The serving team (S and P) both start back, because the return must bounce. The receiving team starts split: the returner (R) at the baseline, their partner (RP) already at the kitchen line, because the serving team can't volley the return.

Serving team: both players at the baseline. Neither of you can volley the return, so there’s no point being anywhere else yet.
Receiving team: the returner near the baseline, their partner up at the kitchen line. After the return, the returner walks up to join them.

That’s why the receiving team usually reaches the net first, and why the serving team needs a good third shot to catch up.

The goal: two players at the kitchen line

Almost every doubles point is won by the team that gets both players to the kitchen line first and keeps them there. From the line you can volley, dink, and attack anything that floats up. From the baseline you’re defending.

Move as a pair

Imagine you and your partner are joined by a three-metre rope. When one moves forward, the other moves forward. When the ball goes wide to your partner’s side, you shift across too, so the gap between you stays the same and the middle stays covered.

The ball goes wide to player B's side, so B moves to cover the line and A slides across to cover the middle. The gap between them stays the same and the middle stays closed.

The middle

Most points at club level are lost down the middle, usually with both players watching it go past. Settle it before you start:

The forehand takes the middle, as a default.
The player who hit the last shot often has the better angle on the next middle ball.
Talk. “Mine”, “yours” and “bounce” are the three most useful words in doubles.

Common positioning mistakes

Standing in no-man’s-land. The mid-court is where balls arrive at your feet. Be at the baseline or at the kitchen line, not in between for long.
One up, one back. It leaves a diagonal gap that good opponents will find every time.
Chasing every ball. Trust your partner with their side.

Ready for the advanced version? Stacking lets you choose which side each of you plays. Practise the basics first at a club night near you.