Pickleball rules

Rule Review: Still The Most Misunderstood Rule In Pickleball

By betterpickleball / August 22, 2018 /

During a recent referee training, I asked Mark Peifer, to shoot a rules video. It didn’t take him long to pick a topic, rule 6.D.12.   As a certified referee who officiates at many tournaments, Mark believes 6.D.12 is the most misunderstood rule in pickleball. We briefly discussed what he wanted to say in the video,…

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Rule Review: Why All The Different Pickleballs?

By betterpickleball / August 15, 2018 /

Every player seems to have a preferred ball. While there are some differences, according to the rules there are a few things that all pickleballs have in common. You may think it’s just a whiffle ball, but those yellow rounds meet very specific requirements. The rules dictate the size and weight with only narrow variances. The ball…

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Rules Review: Above the Net

By betterpickleball / July 24, 2018 /

Sometimes it’s okay to reach over the net; sometimes not so much.  Here’s the difference. You may not cross the plane of the net with your arm or paddle before the ball comes to your side of the net. It is okay to cross the plane of the net after the ball has reached your…

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Rules Review: Don’t Stop Playing Before a Legitimate Call

By betterpickleball / July 10, 2018 /

A ball is not out of bounds until it actually lands outside of the court.   If a player yells “out” before the ball hits the ground, that “noise” is considered cross-talk between players. It is not a valid call. It may prove to be right, or it may not. But don’t stop playing. If…

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Pickleball Rule Review: A “Standing” Rule

By betterpickleball / June 26, 2018 /

There is only one rule that requires you to stand in a certain place during pickleball: when you are serving at the time the ball is struck, you must stand behind the baseline and between an imaginary extension of the center line and the sideline of the court. Players must alternate receiving the opponents’ serves.…

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Rules Review: Too Excited in Pickleball?

By betterpickleball / June 13, 2018 /

When is Exuberance Illegal? In doubles play, it is important to communicate with your partner. You might call shots, yell warnings about balls that are likely out, call your partner to switch positions, or warn your partner when you see a ball with spin coming his way. All of that is generally okay. But, yelling…

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Rule Review: What’s the Limit?

By betterpickleball / January 16, 2018 /

Everything has a limit, right? Well maybe…..but knowing the speed limit will certainly help you stay out of trouble. What about pickleball limits? Here are a few questions to test your knowledge of pickleball limits  1. How many times can you serve a let ball and get another chance to serve it? 2. How high…

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Rule Review: The Great Ball Controversy

By betterpickleball / December 27, 2017 /

Why do we have so many different balls at the pickleball courts? Ball preference is always a hot topic! Last summer, I was listening to Chris from the Pickleball Show podcast interview one of the founders of pickleball. When asked about balls, he shared his dismay that there has always been a ball controversy. Many…

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Rule Review: Foot Faults

By betterpickleball / December 21, 2017 /

We are very aware of the kitchen line and watch for feet crossing it while volleying. We should be paying the same attention to foot faults during serving. You don’t want to lose your serve because of carelessness at the baseline. During the serve, at the time the ball is struck, the server’s feet may…

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Rule Review: A Swing and Miss

By betterpickleball / December 4, 2017 /

A Swing and a Miss is ok, sometimes. Did you ever have a really bad day at pickleball play? Your timing seems off and you can’t see the ball coming at you? Well, it’s ok to swing at and miss a returned ball. If you have a really fast partner, they may even be able…

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