This site is dedicated to the rapidly growing sport of Pickleball and to help beginners and enthusiasts have the confidence of knowing Pickleball related D efinitions, R ules, S trategies and C ommon Practices.

ATP (Around The Post Shot)

”ATP” can be achieved when your opponent hits the ball at a very shallow angle relative to the net, the ball can end up close to the net but outside the bounds of the court. This shot trajectory creates an opportunity for you to hit the ball back around the post and below the net height. ATP is a hard shot to execute and defend. D

Backhand

”Backhand” refers to a shot/position where the back of your hand is facing away from you. In this case the paddle is usually aimed towards your non-dominant arm. For most people this is a more difficult shot than the forehand shot. D

Ball Types

Outdoor balls usually have more, smaller holes and are hard enough that you can not squeeze them with your hand. They tend to be made out of a translucent material. D

Indoor balls usually have fewer, larger holes and are flexible and squeezable. They tend to be made out of an opaque material. D

Both ball types are susceptible to fatigue which results in cracks or fractures. When the integrity of the ball is compromised, it is time to switch to a new ball. C

Bert

a “Bert” is an Erne that is performed on your partners side of the court. D

Body Bagging

“Body Bagging” refers to the practice of intentionally hitting your opponent with the ball. This offencive play is utilized by pros and advanced players, but likely too agressive for recreational players. D

Bounce Fault

If you hit the ball and it bounces on your side, then you lose the rally. If you hit the ball and it bounces more than once on the opponent's side, then you win the rally. R

Calling Out

When you are playing without a referee, it is up to your opponent(s) to call the ball on their side. Remember that they have the final say. C

Sometimes the distrinction between an ”in ball” and an ”out ball” can be subtle, especially when the ball is seen from different angles. If you are unsure or didn’t see the ball, call the ball in. C

If you want to call the ball mid air, it is best to call “Watch it”, “Leave it” “Bounce it” or “Let it go” and avoid calling “Out” before it hits the ground, as this may cause confusion for your partner and the other team. C

The point of the ball that touches the ground is considered the point of contact. If the point of contact is outside the court and does not touch the sideline or the back line, then the ball is considered out. R

If the serve lands in the kitchen or on the kitchen line, then the ball is out. R

In this instance you can call-out “Kitchen”. C

If the serve lands outside the center line and lands on the wrong half of your side of the court or outside the court past the sideline, then the ball is out. R

In this instance you can call-out “Wide”. C

If the serve lands past the service line then the ball is out. R

In this instance you can call-out “Long”. C

Carry

A “Carry“ occurs when a ball is carried on the paddle instead of bouncing off during a hit. This is considered a fault. R

Court

For pickleball court specification and terminology, refer to the following graphic:

Cutthroat

“Cutthroat”, also known as “Australian Doubles“, is a three-player variation of pickleball. In cutthroat, one player serves against the two opponents on the receiving side. The serving player can only score from their side of the court, and they get two serves before moving to the receiving side. The receiving team has to place the ball on the half of the court that the single player served from. If they hit the ball to the wrong half of the servers side, the ball is called out and the server gets the point. Players rotate clockwise to take turns serving and receiving. Each server remembers their own score, and the first player to reach 11 points, by at least two points, wins the game. D

Dink

A “Dink” refers to a soft hit that is initiated near the kitchen area and is intended to barely clear the net and land in the kitchen area of the opponent's side. This usually results in a shallow bounce, making it difficult for the opponent to speedup their return. This word was the inspiration for this website 's name. D

        

Most advanced players use “dinking” as a way to slow down the pace of the game and apply “mental” pressure to their opponents. S

Double Bounce Rule

The “Double Bounce Rule” refers to the rule that states that the “serve“ and the “serve return“ must both bounce before the opponent can act upon it. Failing to let the ball bounce will result in you side losing the rally. Subsequent hits may be struck before or after the ball has bounced. R

Double Hit

A “Double Hit” occurs when a ball hits the paddle more than once. This is considered legal if the double hit occurs during a continual motion. R

Doubles

“Doubles” refers to a game where two people are playing on each side. “Mixed Doubles” refers to a game where both teams consist of a male player and a female player. D

        

Drive

The “Drive” shot refers to a fast paced shot that is meant to be close to the top of the net and lands towards the back of the court. This shot can be used as a surprise attack that overpowers opponents who are at the kitchen line. D

DUPR

”DUPR” stands for Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating. It's a global rating system designed specifically for pickleball players of all levels. The system helps to provide a unique and accurate measure of a player's skill level, irrespective of age, gender, or location. This rating is dynamic, meaning it can change with every game played and reported. This provides a real-time reflection of a player's ability and is useful for tournament ranking, seeding, and even friendly games between casual players. D

Erne

”Erne”, named after ”Erne Perry” who brought the shot to prominence, refers to a special play where a player leaps over the kitchen/NVZ and lands outside of the court, next to the net. During this maneuver the player is able to smash the ball out of mid air because they are technically not standing in the kitchen/NVZ. A ”Bert” is an Erne that is performed on your partners side of the court. D

Fast Hands

“Fast Hands” is a complement given to players that can defend against fast shots. D

Fault

A ”Fault” is any action that stops play because of a rule violation. D

Forehand

“Forehand” refers to a shot/position where the front of your hand is facing forward. In this case the paddle is usually away from the body with the dominant hand extended to the side. For most people this is an easier shot than the backhand shot. D S

Golden Pickle

a “Golden Pickle” refers to a game where a team wins the game on its first server, never allowing their opponent to serve. D

Grip Styles

There are many different grip styles, and it’s up to each individual to find the grip that feels comfortable and suits their play style. The following graphic represents the 8 sides of the paddle handle. When you grasp the handle each number corresponds to the location of the side that aligns with the lower knuckle of the index finger. Some of the common grip styles are Continental, Eastern, and Western. Some players choose to grip the paddle with both hands when performing the backhand hit, resulting in more control and power. D

Inside Out Shot

The “Inside Out Shot” Is an advanced shot that lets you trick the opponent by making it look like you are hitting a regular forehand shot, but right before you make contact with the ball you angle the paddle back, sending the ball in the opposite direction. D S

Joey

“Joey”, named after "Joe Valenti" is a shot where you defend against an ATP by hitting the ball back at the opponent who initiated the ATP. D S

Kitchen / Non Volley Zone (NVZ)

The kitchen is the area next to the net that is usually delineated by a different color and includes the kitchen line. The “Kitchen” nomenclature is widely used during recreational play, while “Non Volley Zone” or “NVZ” is the official pickleball terminology. D  

The “Kitchen” area is mainly used for 2 rules:

1. The serve must clear the kitchen and the kitchen line for it to be valid. R

2. You are only allowed to volley the ball if your feet are firmly planted outside of the kitchen and the kitchen line. Furthermore, you are not allowed to volley the ball if you are moving out of the kitchen or into the kitchen. For example, if you lose your balance during the volley and you end up stepping into the kitchen, then the play is considered dead. The “standing in the kitchen rule” does not apply if the ball bounces on your side before you hit it. R

Let

Officially a “Let” no longer exists in pickleball. A serve is automatically valid if the ball hits the top of the net as long as the ball lands withing the bounds of the receiving half of the court and beyond the kitchen line. R

Lob

A “Lob” Is a strategic shot that is meant to be high enough to clear your opponents and land in the back of the court. This tends to put the pressure on your opponents to move back from the kitchen. D S

Nasty Nelson

“Nasty Nelson” refers to a situation where a serve hits the opponent who is standing at the kitchen line. This usually happens during a miss-serve or a serve that is curving through the air due to spin. D

Open Play

“Open Play” or “Rec Play”refers to an agreed upon game style where everyone can play and rotate into games. D

Whenever possible, It is best to join games with people who are close to your rating. Pickleball is meant to be fun, so remember to adjust your intensity to fit the level of the other players. C

Paddle

Pickleball “Paddles” come in different shapes and at different price points. Some of the paddle characteristics that people look for are: D

        

• Dimensions
• Material
• Power
• Control
• Sweet Spot
• Spin
• Balance
• Weight
• Brand

When playing in a sanctioned tournament, it is required to have a paddle that is USAP tested and approved. R

Pickled

The term “Pickled” refers to a team/individual that has zero points at the end of the match. D

Poaching

”Poaching” refers to a play where the person at the net swoops across to the partner’s side and intercepts the partner’s ball. This is a strategy that is meant to surprise and overpower the opponents. D S

Points

When the team/individual who served the ball makes the winning shot, they win the rally and are awarded a point. The games are played until one of the teams/individuals score at least 11 points and have 2 points more than the opponent. So if the score is 11-10, then the game continues as the team that has 11 points does not have a 2 point lead. R

Pop-Up

A “Pop-up” refers to an unintentional shot that sends the ball up and makes it easy for the opponents to slam or easily direct the ball to a strategic spot, putting you at a disadvantage. D S

PPA

The ”PPA” stands for the Professional Pickleball Association. It is a global governing body of men’s and women’s professional pickleball, the PPA Tour’s mission is to serve pickleball. The PPA entertains millions of spectators, showcasing the sport’s top athletes at the most prestigious tournaments, and inspires the next generation of fans and players. D

Protective Gear

Protective gear is optional and may include such items as knee/elbow sleeves to help reduce joint strain and goggles to prevent eye injury. C

Rally

A “Rally” is a series of shots hit back and forth between players before a point is won. D

Calling out “Nice Rally” at the end of a challenging rally is a great way to compliment your partner as well as the opposing team. C

Rating (Player)

A “Rating” is a number value that represents the player's pickleball expertise level. This allows players to participate in games that are fun and well balanced. A higher player rating denotes a player who is more advanced. D

        Here is a guideline for determining a players potential rating:

Reset

The “Reset” is usually performed at the kitchen and is used to defend against a fast moving shot while dampening the ball, letting it bounce to the other side. This shot is the opposite of a “Speedup” and is used to slow down the pace of the game. D S

Return

The “Return” or “Return of Serve” is the first shot after the serve where the player returns the serve. It is recommended to make this shot bounce deep on your opponents side, pushing your opponent back and giving you time to come up to the kitchen line. D S

Serve

        

You can perform the serve using the “Volley Serve”, or the less common “Drop Serve”. It is up to each player to decide which serve type is more advantageous for their play style.

         Volley Serve:

The volley serve is more popular, but comes with more rules and may be harder to execute and judge. The serve must be hit with an underhand stroke so that contact with the ball is made below the waist. The arm must be moving in an upward arc and the highest point of the paddle should be below the wrist joint when it contacts the ball. R

         Drop Serve:

A drop serve is a serve where the player releases the ball from any height, letting it bounce off the ground before hitting it with the paddle. The only rule of a drop serve is that you can not impart any upwards momentum, downwards momentum or spin to the ball. You should simply open your stationary hand at any height, letting gravity propel the ball downwards. There is no limit to how many times the ball can bounce before you hit it. R

The serve rules and strategy vary between singles and doubles games.

         Doubles:

Each player on the team gets to serve, with each player continuing to serve until the ball is dead due to the serving team’s fault. Each turn starts with the partner that is on the right side of the court, serving to the opponent who is diagonal from the server. Before each serve the server calls out the score which follows the following format. First you say your team’s score, then the opposing team ’s score, followed by the server count. So if your team has 10 points and the other team has 8 points and you are the 2nd server, you would call out “10 8 2”. For the very first round of serving, only one player gets to serve, hence the player starts the serve by calling “0 0 2” or “0 0 Start”. When your team is done serving, the other team gets their turn.

         Singles:

The server begins the game from their right side of the court. If the server scores a point, they switch sides and serve from the left side of the court. This way when the server’s score is even, the server will serve from the right side of the court. When the server’s score is odd, the server will serve from the left side of the court. The player continues to serve until the ball is dead due to the serving player’s fault. R

         Doubles &Singles:

The server position must be so that the feet are positioned behind the “baseline” as well as between the “sideline” and the “centerline” of the server’s side of the court. R

If the ball lands outside the court and beyond the “baseline”, “sideline” and the “centerline” then the serve is considered bad and the play is dead. R

If the serve lands in the kitchen or on the kitchen line, the serve is considered bad and the play is dead. R

If the serve clips the net but proceeds to bounce beyond the kitchen line and inside the court positioned diagonally from the server, then the serve is considered good and the play continues. R

During the serve and the serve return, the ball must bounce before it can be hit back. For this reason it is strategically advantageous for the server’s partner to stay back at the service line. On the receiving side, it is advantageous for the receiver to stay back behind the service line, and for their partner to be at the kitchen line. I should reiterate that the only rule is for the server to be behind the service line, the rest of the positions are established for strategic purposes. R S

Shadowing

“Shadowing” refers to a strategy where you follow your partner and the “action” to help cover the court. This is especially crucial when a well placed dink pushes your partner to the outer limits of the court. D S

Singles

“Singles” is a game where 1 person is playing on each side. In this type of game the whole court is utilized. Singles is usually a highly dynamic, fast paced game. D

Skinny Singles

“Skinny Singles” is a game where 1 person is playing on each side. In this type of game only one side of each court is utilized. You can choose to play on courts that are diagonally or directly across from each other. D

Smash / Slam

A ”Smash” is a powerful hit that occurs with a downwards trajectory. This usually happens when an opposing player returns a pop-up or a lob. D S

Speedup

A ”Speedup” is a forceful shot that speeds up the ball. This shot is the opposite of a “Reset” and is used to speed-up the pace of the game. Players often use speed-ups to catch their opponents off guard, which can be especially important in close-matched games. D S

Spin

A “Spin” occurs when a specific motion is applied to the paddle, causing the friction between paddle surface and the ball to impart a spinning rotation to the ball. This causes the ball to travel and bounce in unexpected ways. The spin can be described as top-spin, back-spin, and side-spin. A shot that produces spin can be referred to as a ”Slice”, ”Cut”, ”Chop” or ”Chip”. Spin should only be imparted by your paddle. D S

Stacking

“Stacking” is a serve position strategy that is usually used by advanced pickleball players. It is especially useful if a team has players with different dominant hands, or if a player prefers to play on a particular side of the court. Stacking allows players to follow the alternating serving side rule, while serving from a position that is optimal for moving to their preferred side of the court. D S

Switch

A “Switch” occurs when players move to their partner 's side. This move can happen to gain a tactical advantage or when a player is forced to defend a shot. It is common for the player initiating the switch to call-out “Switch” to your partner. D S

Third Shot Drop

A ”Third Shot Drop” is a return that drops softly in the kitchen where your opponent is forced to run up to the kitchen and challenged to slow their game down. D S

Tweener

A ”Tweener” is an advanced shot where the player hits the ball between their own legs. D

USAP

“USAP” or USA Pickleball is the national governing body for the sport of pickleball in the United States. It was the world's first national pickleball organization established when it was formed in 1984 as the United States Amateur Pickleball Association. D

Volley

A “Volley” is when a player hits the ball in the air before it bounces on the court. Players can hit volleys forehand or backhand, but using backhand is more common. D