Original Scenario Posted on 20170323
The Scenario:
Team X and Team Y are engaged in a back-and-forth rally when at one point, a player from team Y hits a ball with much backspin over the net onto team X’s side of the court. A player from team X runs toward the ball, which is close to the net, but cannot quite get to it before the ball bounces back over the net onto team Y’s side.
Recap of essential points: – A player from team Y originally hit the ball with backspin and it was not touched by any player on team X before the ball bounced back over the net.
According to the official pickleball rules, what happens in the above scenario? Is there a fault? Is it a do-over? Does any team score a point?
The Answer according to USAPA Rules:
Here is the ruling from the official rule book of the International Federation of Pickleball which is also the governing document for the USAPA (USA Pickleball Association).
“12.J.4. If a player hits the ball over the net into the opponent’s court, and then the ball bounces back over the net without being touched by the opponent, the striking player wins the rally.” p. 39
In the case scenario above, the last player to touch the ball with the paddle wins the point.
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Yeah, that’s a very simple rule, hence makes the backspin very important which I am learning continuously as I do not now the use of spin effectively but Hope I will continue improving.
Beth, as you indicate, spin can be very challenging for players especially since it is hard to tell the degree to which the ball is going to “spin.” Even the person hitting the “spin shot” has difficulty controlling the amount of spin. It is best to keep your eye on the ball until the paddle hits it and, if possible, take the ball in the air.