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Pickleball: Calling the Lines – No Do-overs!

Jeff

Almost weekly I will be watching a pickleball game and a ball is hit that is very close to the boundary line. That is to say, the ball is barely “in” or barely “out. The team receiving the shot does not seem to be able to make a definitive call and a meeting at the net of all players ensues.

Humorously, at this point someone might yell “open court,” thinking that the game is over. Waiting players scurry towards the court with the committee meeting taking place only to realize that the game is not over and they dissappointedly head back to their previous spots.

Meanwhile, the players at the net decide that the call could not be conclusively made by any of the players and thus they declare a do-over!

I have seen this scenario numerous times. There are very few do-overs in pickleball and the above situation would definitely not be one of them.

Let’s quickly take a look at the rule:

6.D.3. The opponent gets the benefit of the doubt on line calls made. Any ball that cannot be called “out” will be considered “in.” A player cannot claim a “let” because the ball was not seen or there is uncertainty. A player who does not make a call may appeal to the referee to make the call if they did not clearly see the ball land. If the referee is unable to make the call, the ball is “in.” The moment the receiving player/team appeals to the referee, they lose their right to make any subsequent “in” or “out” call. pp. 28 – 29, USAPA & IFP Official Rulebook

As stated above, according to the official rulebook, any ball that cannot be called “out” will be considered “in” and thus if there is doubt that the ball was out, then it must be considered in. There should not be a do-over.

For certain nobody is going to call the police or escort the players off of the court, but if you are like me, I like to stick to the official rules. The rules provide a “fairness framework” and facilitate a smoother level of play.

Line calls are very important and if you are not sure of the nuances of calling balls in or out and which lines are valid or not, I suggest you read the article linked below courtesy of the Charlotte Dilly News, Feb 1 2020.

Line Calls by Dick Osman

 
NOTE: Pay close attention to Dick Osman’s last paragraph – the bottom line!

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More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Information and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2020 – JBRish.com



Pickleball – Let’s Talk Etiquette

Jeff

Line Calls

Over the last several weeks at our community center’s recreational pickleball program, I have heard some players make line calls by saying: “I think the ball was out!” We can probably all agree that on some courts the lines are difficult to read and calling balls correctly may be a bit tricky at times, but let’s examine the sentence above.

It seems to imply that there is some doubt as to whether the ball was “in” or “out!” In such an instance, we can look to the official rulebook to learn how to deal with this situation.

Here is what the rulebook states:

“6.D.3. The opponent gets the benefit of the doubt on line calls made. Any ball that cannot be called “out” will be considered “in.” A player cannot claim a “let” because the ball was not seen or there is uncertainty. A player may appeal to the referee to make the call if he or she did not clearly see the ball land. If the referee is unable to make the call, the ball is “in.” [ USAPA & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook (2018), p. 31 – Emphasis added by me]

The remedy to “thinking” the ball was out, in my opinion, lies in the first sentence, i.e. the benefit of the doubt goes to the opponent. Secondly, “Any ball that cannot be called ‘out’ will be considered ‘in’.” Careful reading of that sentence suggests that if the ball cannot definitively be called “out” it is considered to be “in.”

When playing recreational pickleball, we should always be in a position to give the opponents the benefit of the doubt. After all, isn’t that what sportsmanship is?

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Balls Coming on to the Court

At the community centers or churches where I play pickleball there is an attempt to share the fun of pickleball with as many people as possible. To accommodate a large number of pickleballers, these facilities generally squeeze in as many courts as feasible; within reason. There are times, of course, when balls come rolling or flying onto a court of play from a nearby game.

At that point someone yells “ball” or “pickle” and then play stops. The reason for this procedure is to avoid someone stepping on the ball and getting hurt by twisting an ankle or falling.

At the time the words “stop” or “pickle” are shouted, all play should stop and the point should be replayed from the beginning with the same server initiating the point as before. I often call the score and use the word “over” (2-2-1, over) to review that this is a replay of the previous point.

Naturally there will be times when the stoppage of play is called and you may be just short of making a great shot and your opportunity is removed because of the stoppage. This can be frustrating, but over the long haul those kinds of breaks seem to even out and the other team may likewise lose opportunities for a winner. [On a side note here – there really is no thing as a sure winner. If you have ever hit an easy ball into the net, you know what I mean!]

There will be times when the call for the stoppage of play will be close to a swing at the ball or during a swing. It would seem to me that if a player indicates that hearing the call caused them to react in such a way that they did not play the ball effectively because of it, I offer to play the point over. Once again, I offer the opponent the benefit of the doubt. Even if the ball is not on the court on which I am playing, if the shout affects play, let’s start the point again.

If the play is just over when the call is made, then the play stands because it “was over.” If we are going to offer each other the benefit of the doubt in the cases above, then we need to be as consistent and honest as we can be. Few people will want to play with someone they cannot trust to reciprocate in giving the benefit of the doubt.

I have tried my best to lay out my thoughts about the scenarios above. I think they make sense!

What are your thoughts?

UPDATE – 1/17/19 – Frank asks a good questions which leads to some more thoughts for consideration. Read the comments below and chime in if you so choose!

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More Pickleball Videos and Information

To See additional Pickleball Videos & Information Click Here (primarily for beginners and less experienced players)

Check out Additional Pickleball Information and Videos! (for all players including average to more experienced players)


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross 2014 – 2019 – JBRish.com



Pickleball: The Importance of Partner Communication

Jeff

After playing Pickleball for a year and a few months, I have learned a few things that have helped me (and whoever my partner may be) quite a bit and one of them is to have someone on the team call every shot.

We have all seen a team watch the ball go flying by because each person thought the other was going to go for it; especially down the middle. This can be avoided most of the time.

When I watched the women’s doubles championship last year in Surprise, AZ, I noted that many of the winning teams called every shot or nearly every shot. When a player wanted to signal their partner to take the ball, they called “you.” When one of the players wanted the shot, they then called “me.”

Calling the shot is fine, but there is one caveat that goes with it. Whether or not it is a good call, if someone calls the shot for themselves, let them take it otherwise chaos will reign.

I like the use of the word “no” when a player wants to signal to their partner that they think a ball will be out. Some players shout “out,” but I am not sure how well using the word “out” for partner communication works in an official tournament.

One other call that is sometimes used is “bounce it.” If you think a ball may be close to landing out of bounds, this will announce to the person going after the ball to let it bounce first to see if it is out of bounds, i.e. a fault.

Partner communication can make the difference in close games!

What do you think? Are there any other ways you communicate with your partner?