Who hasn’t hit the bar at the bottom of the net? LOL!!
The stabilizing bar along the lower part of our collapsible nets can cause some problems. Here is what the latest IFP rules say:
1. If the ball hits the horizontal bar before going over the net, it is a fault against the player who hit it.
2. Other than on the serve, if the ball goes over the net and hits the center base or any part of the horizontal bar or the ball gets caught between the net and the horizontal bar before, or after, touching the court, it is a let and will be replayed.
3. On the serve, if the ball hits the horizontal bar or the center base or gets caught between the net and horizontal bar after going over the net, it is a fault.
So after you are done laughing from such an unusual point, you make the call.
Thanks, Bev!
Bev writes a weekly email blast for our pickleball club. She delivers the rules with clarity and a sense of humor. If you have a rules question post it in the comments below.
CJ Johnson
Hey there — I’m a professional three-sport athlete and coach who has spent my entire adult life earning a living from playing and coaching sports. Since I started coaching more than three decades ago, one thing has remained the same: My commitment to see students not as they are but as what they can become and to move heaven and earth to help them realize their untapped potential. You should know that when it comes to helping pickleball players over 50 live their best lives on and off the courts, I'm an expert. Good pickleball is not just technique; it's the mind and body working holistically. That's why I'm also a personal trainer and weight management specialist. When I’m chillin', you'll find me watching Star Trek with my husband John and our two fur babies, Shirley and Ralph. (Yes, Happy Days)
If you hit a ball in the air (it has not bounced) at the kitchen line(you are not in the kit) and after the ball bounces on the other side of the court twice you then fall into the kitchen why is that a fault on your part. Seems like a crazy rule; after the second bounce the play should be dead. So when is the play actually dead.
Hi Ray, the number of bounces is irrelevant. The player must re-established themselves (regained their balance) outside of the NVZ.
Our net has a bock met bar on the bottom of the net. If the ball drops over the net and hits the metal base , ido you replay the point?
Here’s the full rule. 11.L.5. For net systems with a horizontal bar or a center base, or both: 11.L.5.a. Before going over the net, if the ball hits the horizontal bar or the center base, it is a fault. 46 USA PICKLEBALL Official Rulebook (2023) 11.L.5.b. Except on the serve, if the ball goes over the net and hits the center base, or any part of the horizontal bar, or the ball gets caught between the net and the horizontal bar, a replay will be called. Other than on the serve, if the ball goes over the net and bounces on the court and then performs any of the three above listed actions, a replay shall occur. 11.L.5.c. On the serve, if the ball hits the horizontal bar or the center base or gets caught between the net and horizontal bar after going over the net, it is a fault. 11.L.5.d. Any malfunction of a net system during play shall be considered a hinder.
What if on a non-serve, the ball hits the top of the net, then the stabalizer bar coming down, then the court. Can I play it off the bounce?
I did and hit it over, but the other team said you couldn’t and it was their point.
Hey David, If I understand your question correctly, your opponents shot hit the top of the net, then fell onto your side and hit the stabilizer bar on the way down. If that was the case here the rule, 11.L.5.b. Except on the serve, if the ball goes over the net and hits the center base, or any part of the horizontal bar, or the ball gets caught between the net and the horizontal bar, a replay will be called. Other than on the serve, if the ball goes over the net and bounces on the court and then performs any of the three above listed actions, a replay shall occur.