My First Pickleball Game: A Comedy of Errors 

My first pickleball game was a comedy of errors. If pickleball had a blooper reel, would have been the feature presentation.

I showed up excited, optimistic, and wildly underprepared.

How hard can this be?

I’d played sports before. Volleyball. Badminton. Ping pong. Even racquetball back in the day. Surely I’d be fine.

I was not fine.

Kitchen Faults Nearly Ruined My First Pickleball Game

Let’s start with the kitchen. Or as I like to remember it now, the scene of the crime.

I was called for a kitchen fault so many times that I started to feel personally targeted by the non-volley zone. Every rally followed the same script:

The opposing team hit the ball high.
My brain said, Oooh, smash time.
My paddle followed.
Wham.

Then came the chorus:
“You were in the kitchen.”

Again.
And again.
And again.

At one point, I swear I hadn’t even hit the ball yet and someone was already saying it.

The truth? During my first pickleball game, I didn’t fully understand what the kitchen actually meant in live play. On paper, the rule made sense. In motion, with adrenaline pumping and the ball floating temptingly close to the net, my feet had a mind of their own.

I wasn’t trying to cheat.
I wasn’t being reckless.
I was just… very enthusiastic.
And completely unaware of where my feet were landing.

I kept getting called for kitchen faults and had no idea why, so after the game, I went home and finally read the official USA Pickleball rules to understand what I was doing wrong.

Why the Score Was So Confusing in My First Pickleball Game

Then there was the score calling.

Or rather, my inability to call the score without freezing like someone had just asked me to recite algebra.

I knew there was a system. I knew it involved three numbers.
I did not know why there were three numbers or what order they were supposed to be in.

Every serve felt like a pop quiz.

“Um… 2… 3… 1?”

Silence.
Correction from across the court.
Then laughter.
Restart.

By the third game of my first pickleball game experience, I quietly hoped someone else would call the score so I wouldn’t have to.

I felt silly. Flustered. Very aware that everyone else seemed to know something I didn’t.

The funny part?
No one was mean.
No one rolled their eyes.
Everyone had been there before.

But when you’re the new player, it still feels like the spotlight is on you.

Scoring alone can feel overwhelming at first, especially if you’re still learning basic pickleball rules for beginners.

Balls Out, In, and Somewhere in Between

Let’s not forget the line calls.

I called balls out that were clearly in.
I played balls that were clearly out.
I hesitated mid-rally, trying to decide.

Is the line in?
Is it out?
Does the line count?
Why is everyone so confident?

Spoiler alert: yes, the line counts.

I learned that after several apologetic shrugs and confused glances during my first pickleball game.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Being New

Somewhere between my fourth kitchen fault and my third incorrect score call, a familiar thought crept in:

Maybe I’m not good at this.

Then another:
Maybe I should’ve practiced more before showing up.

If you’re discovering pickleball later in life, especially as a woman 40+, that inner voice can get loud. We expect ourselves to pick things up quickly. We don’t love feeling awkward. And we really don’t love feeling like we’re slowing the game down.

But here’s what I wish I’d realized right then instead of weeks later:

Everyone’s first pickleball game is messy.

Every confident player you see today once stood exactly where you are. Confused about the kitchen. Tangled up in the score. Wondering why their body wasn’t doing what their brain told it to do.

Why I’m Sharing My First Pickleball Game With You

I’m telling you this because if you walked away from your first pickleball game feeling embarrassed, overwhelmed, or unsure if pickleball is “for you,” I want you to know something important:

You are doing it right.

Those comical errors aren’t failures. They’re proof that you showed up, stepped onto the court, and tried something new.

That’s where every pickleball journey begins.

And the good news?
Everything that felt confusing during my first pickleball game becomes clearer much faster than you think.

What I Wish I Knew Before Playing Pickleball

After that first game, I went home with sore legs, a spinning brain, and a long list of I wish someone had told me this sooner moments:

• • How to avoid constant kitchen faults

• • How the score actually works (in plain English)

• • Where to stand and why

• • What beginners don’t need to stress about

I had no idea what I was doing wrong, and no one really explained it clearly—which is why I now share simple pickleball beginner tips to help women feel confident stepping onto the court.

Pickleball isn’t about being perfect. It’s about learning, laughing, and showing up again.

If you’re new to pickleball and feeling overwhelmed, trust me—you’re not alone. I break down everything I wish someone had explained to me sooner in What I Wish I Knew Before Playing Pickleball, especially the mistakes most beginners make in their first few games.

Learning pickleball later in life reminded me that beginners are brave, not behind.