Pickleball Etiquette

Pickleball is a social sport that is supposed to be fun, fast, and friendly. But as you’ll learn, it can be a frustrating game, especially if you’re not playing well. Good sportsmanship is more than just encouraged. It’s expected in this fast growing and popular sport. In this blog post we’ll go over proper pickleball etiquette so you can feel comfortable jumping in and playing with anyone.

Line Calls

The last thing you want in pickleball is to be known by other players as the person who makes bad line calls. If the ball lands close to the line and you can’t tell if it was in or out, you should call it in. This is a rule in both tennis and pickleball and its important to not call balls out unless you’re 100% sure it landed out.

Some players are known to “hook” their opponents with bad line calls. This is when they take advantage of their opponents mental toughness, or lack there of, and call a ball that lands close to the line out. This is especially frustrating if it happens during important point. One bad line call can dramatically change the momentum of the match.

During casual play, If you and your opponent cannot agree if a ball was in or out, you can always play the point over. Pickleball is supposed to be fun. Don’t let a bad call get on the way of having a good time on the court.

Serving When Your Opponent Isn’t Ready

It is definitely frowned upon to serve when your opponent isn’t ready. Some players like to do a “sneak attack” serve if the returner isn’t paying attention. Pickleball rules do state that the score must be called out before serving. Avoid doing this at public courts so you don’t get a bad reputation.

Lucky Shots

Lucky shots are apart of the game, and it’s important not to gloat when they go in your favor. The most common lucky shot is a ball that rolls along the top of the net and drops over into your opponent’s side of the court. It’s nearly impossible to defend against and almost a guarantee to win the point.

Similar shots happen frequently in tennis and the best practice is to put your hand up and acknowledge you didn’t mean to hit that shot. It’s great that you won the point, but no need to rub it in your opponent’s face since you both know you didn’t intentionally hit that shot.

With that being said, don’t be afraid to celebrate if you hit an amazing shot. Hitting a shot around the post or winning a long point with a net battle is a great time to pump your first and celebrate with your partner.

Encourage Your Partner

Everyone can have an off day on the pickleball court. It’s important not to get frustrated with your partner if they’re missing easy shots. They are more upset than you are and don’t want to let you down.

Instead, pump them up and be encouraging. “Nice try” or “You’ve got the next one” is a lot better than an eye roll. A simple paddle tap after the point will also get the job done. Positive attitudes go a long way in an team sport. It’s important not to let your opponents know that you’re frustrated or they will keep attacking your weaknesses.

Giving The Ball to Other Players

If you’re playing at public courts, you might hear the word “Pickle!” or “Ball!” be yelled out during game play. Players do this when a ball is hit to another court or if someone else’s ball rolls on to your court and interferes with the point. If you need to give another court their ball back, make sure someone is ready to receive the ball. Don’t just hit it over to a court that you think it came from.

When passing the ball to your opponents when it’s their turn to serve, make sure they’re alert and ready to catch the ball. If you can, hit the ball in the air to them rather than kicking or hitting the ball so it rolls under the net. If you’re not confident with your aim and hitting the ball back to them sounds scary, you can always toss it by hand.

Playing on the Right Courts

Public pickleball courts are typically divided by skill level. You might see a sign that says 3.5, 4.0 or 4.5+ near a certain section of courts. If you’re a beginner, make sure you stick to the beginner or 3.5 level courts. Once you feel like you’re ready and are consistently winning most matches, you can move up to the next level of courts.

There might not always be signs to make it clear which courts are for beginners and which courts are for more advanced players. Take a few minutes to see if you can figure it out just by watching a few points. It should be easy to figure out! If that doesn’t work, you can always ask someone who looks like they’ve played there before. They’d be happy to point you in the right direction.

Taking Turns

If you’re casually playing with friends with nobody else waiting to get on the court, you should make it a habit of switching up the teams. This keeps the game interesting and prevents strong teams from dominating the weaker players. A round robin format where you play which each player at least once is a good way to start.

Public courts will typically have a rotation system to figure out which players are up next on the court. There will be a rack hanging from a fence that has an identifying marker for each court. The rack will typically have holes or a spot to place your paddle to let everyone know that you’re up next.

If the courts aren’t busy and nobody is waiting to jump on, feel free to keep playing or invite another team to play with you. No need to switch up the teams if you’re playing with a consistent partner at public courts unless someone suggests it.

Walking to the Court

When its your turn to get on the court, be aware of your surroundings. Most public pickleball courts don’t have a way to get to each court without walking through another court. Do not walk behind players that are in the middle of a point. If you need to walk behind another court where people are currently playing, patiently wait for them to finish the point and then quickly walk behind them.

Dress Code

Pickleball typically doesn’t have a dress code that players need to stick to. It’s probably a good idea to not wear offensive clothing with profanity when playing at public courts since many people go as a family. Normal athletic wear is totally acceptable. It is a good idea to get yourself a pair of tennis shoes or pickleball shoes since they come with non-marking soles. Regular sneakers, running shoes or hiking shoes can leave marks on the court that are difficult to remove.

Certain tournaments might have rules relating to the dress code but this is rare. The most common dress code would be that players must wear all white, similar to Wimbledon. You can always double check tournament rules if you plan on entering, but it isn’t something to worry about.

Switching Sides

It’s common to switch sides after every game during a pickleball tournament. This keeps the game fair for both teams or players since the sun may be impacting a certain side of the court more than the other. If your eyes are sensitive to the sun, you can always wear sunglasses when you play. Just remember that pickleball rules do say that if any article of clothing, including sunglasses, falls into the kitchen during a volley that team loses the point.

In casual play, teams could switch more frequently during the game if the sun is making gameplay difficult. Switching sides every 6 points works well in most circumstances, and everyone could use a quick break to switch sides.

Spectating Pickleball

When going to a pickleball tournament, it’s important to be a respectful spectator. Do not try and heckle a player or team you don’t like. This is not like yelling and screaming during a basketball game when the other team is shooting a free throw. Being quiet during the points is encouraged by the players and other spectators.

With that being said, it is absolutely encouraged to cheer and clap after a great point or when someone hits an amazing shot. The players do appreciate the cheers and clapping. You should avoid cheering when players make a mistake or miss a serve.

Conclusion

Athletes appreciate good sportsmanship on and off the court, and pickleball is no different. Having a good attitude on and off the court is what keeps this a friendly and social game. Pickleball can be frustrating, and losing is never fun. Try to remember that most people are there to have a good time and get some exercise.

Try to remember these tips and tricks about pickleball etiquette the next time you head to the courts. If you’re new to pickleball , be humble and friendly with the locals. They’re more than willing to help you learn the game and navigate the unwritten rules of the court!