Author: Al Hausmann

“Code of Ethics” for Line Calls in Pickleball

1. Only make line calls on your side of the pickleball court and always strive for accuracy.
2. Only call ‘”out” balls when space is clearly visible between the line and where the pickleball lands.
3. Call “out” ball promptly.
4. Use voice and/or hand signals to call “out” balls.
5. Give the benefit of doubt to your opponents.
6. If you and your partner disagree, then the ball is “in”.
7. Spectators should not make any line calls, especially if this is at a match.
8. Do not question opponents’ line calls unless there is a referee.
9. You may ask your opponents to make a line call (but then you give up your right to make the call and, if you opponents cannot make the call, the call is automatically ruled “in”.
10. AN “out” call prior to the pickleball bouncing will be deemed partner communication and not a line call.
11. You may overrule a line call that is to your disadvantage (and in favor of your opponents) at any time.

Well, that is a good question, but could require a long answer. Let’s start with a few basic rules and then you can build on these.

10 Must Know Pickleball Rules

1. The serve must be underhand.
2. Both the serve and the return of serve must bounce.
3. The first side to serve in doubles pickleball only has one serve: then, each side has two serves.
4. Only the serving team can score points, and the serving team switches side of the court after each point won.
5. The serve must call the score loudly before each serve.
6. No volleys are allowed in the Non-Volley Zone (also known as the Kitchen).
7. Shots after the pickleball bounces are allowed in the Non-Volley Zone.
8. Shots on the lines of the pickleball court are generally “in”, with one exception – the Non-Volley Zone line on the serve (because it is considered part of the Non-Volley Zone).
9. “Out” calls are made by the pickleball players on the side of the pickleball court where the pickleball bounces.
10. If the pickleball hits you, then you lose the rally.

The #1 Move to AVOID in Pickleball

Court Sign-up

If you are not using a court you reserved, remember to delete your sign up.  Folks are complaining about empty courts that are reserved.  Your friends are also trying to organize a time to play.

Participating in Events

Events are planned based on your committed registration. If you cannot make this commitment for the full 1.5 hours due to scheduling or for health reasons, please cancel your registration.

Good question, one Bob spoke these divine words:

1. Thou shalt have no other sport before it. Thou shalt not make for thyself a softball diamond, a football field, a basketball court, a ski run, an ice-hockey rink or any likeness of any sport that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not admire them or train for them; for Pickleball is a jealous sport, punishing for generations those who confuse it with tennis but showing steadfast improvement to those who love it and keep its commandments.
2. Thou shalt not curse thy opponent nor hold him in contempt for placing the ball out of thy reach; neither shalt thou blaspheme thy partner for missing the shot down the middle, which was clearly his forehand.
3. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it fun. six days you practice, and do all your drills; but the seventh day is an amusement day to Pickleball; in it thou shalt not beat thyself up nor allow thy sons or daughters or spouses or the new person who joined the Church just this week to force feelings of inadequacy upon you; for, while for six days Pickleball may have handed thee thine buttocks upon a platter, it has blessed the sabbath day and made it blissful.
4. Honor thy coach and his spouse, that your invitations to return may be plentiful.
5. Thou shalt not kill the pickleball either by striking it too high and thus sending it to the neighbor’s yard or too low and propelling it mightily into the net; for the pickleball is a marshmallow and must be dinked with softness and suppleness and, above all, self-control.
6. Thou shalt not commit schadenfreude; neither openly by shouting “YES!” and pumping thy fist when thy opponent blunders his return, nor in thy heart, nor even in a small, gleeful upturning of the corners of thy mouth.
7. Thou shalt not poach from thy backhand position.
8. The shalt not bear false witness against the landing of the ball on the wrong side of the line; neither shalt thou bear ANY witness to its placement if thou be on the other side of the net.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy opponent’s partner. Be thee satisfied with whosoever has been randomly paired with you and communicate often with them.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy opponent’s paddle, or his shoes, or his coordinating clothing ensemble, or his ox or ass, or anything that is your opponent’s. These earthly things will not make purchase of thy game; keep thy head clear, thy feet emancipated, and thy paddle prepared.

This scenario plays out seemingly all the time on the pickleball courts. Luckily it is explicitly addressed in the pickleball rulebook where it states that calling the ball out before it bounces is considered partner communication. Therefore, the ball can still be played if it lands in.

Yelling “out” after the ball bounces, on the other hand, is considered a line call that ends the rally.  In this case, the “out” call was made before it bounced. Therefore, the rally continues. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

We always hear people complain when their excellent return hits the net and does not make it over, “the net is too high.” Or adversely, you hit the ball, it hits the top of the net and always drops on the other side. Your opponent complains, “the net must be too low.” So what is the correct height?

Pickleball nets should have a height of 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches high in the middle. The top of the net should be covered with a 2 inch wide binding over the net cord. The net posts should be at least one foot outside of the sidelines.