Sometimes your best shot is a duck!

It is a fault against you if the ball hits you, even if it just brushes the hairs that are sticking out on your head. If the ball touches your baggy shorts and you don’t even feel it, it is still a fault against you.

The only exception to this rule is if the ball hits any part of your paddle hand below the wrist. It may sting for a while, but at least it isn’t a fault against you. To make the most of this exception, you could perform a two-handed backhand stroke. Then the ball could hit either hand below the wrist and it would still be good.

Did you know that when you catch the ball it is the same as if the ball hit you and a fault against you? This is true even if you are standing out of bounds when you catch it.

Ever feel like Neo from the Matrix movies?

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.