USAPA Official Rulebook

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!

**********

 

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)


**********

 

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: Foot Position When Serving

Jeff

Recently two people approached me to ask about foot alignment when preparing to serve the ball. Let’s take a look at the pickleball court layout and make sure we understand the terms used.



When standing on the court, the right-hand side is often referred to as the “even” side and the left hand side is often called the “odd” side. We won’t go into the reason for this terminology now.

The line at the very bottom of the court is referred to as the Baseline and in the diagram above, it is being pointed to by the red arrows. Likewise, the corresponding lines on the other side of the court have the same names and distinctions. The line dividing the even and the odd courts is called the Centerline for obvious reasons.

The two double-headed purple arrows mark the right and left Sidelines.



Now let’s take a look at the pickleball court and let’s assume you are Server A in the diagram above. As you know the server has to hit the ball within the rectangle, diagonally cross court, which is represented by the point of the blue arrow.

Server A is standing in a legal position in the diagram above.

Let’s consider a slightly different position for Server A.



What if server A wants to get a better angle and he or she stands outside the sideline when they hit the ball?. Well, that would be an illegal position and thus an illegal serve.

Let’s take a look at the rule governing this situation.

At the beginning of the service motion, both feet must be behind the baseline and the imaginary extensions of the baseline. At the time the ball is struck, the server’s feet may not touch the court or outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or the centerline and at least one foot must be on the playing surface or ground behind the baseline. Page 17 of the 2020 USAPA Official Rulebook, section 4.A.3

If you notice the rule says “At the time the ball is struck.” When player A hits the ball, his or her feet may not touch the court our outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or the centerline…

The sidelines and centerline theoretically are infinite and the server is obligated to stay within the appropriate boundaries created by these lines when the ball is struck.



Server A then must be standing within the blue shaded area at the time the paddle hits the ball to deliver the serve (see the diagram below).


This applies to both the even and the odd courts on both sides although only the A court is addressed in the diagram.

One last requirement is that “at least one foot must be on the playing surface or ground behind the baseline.”

Summary:

When the ball is struck to deliver the serve, the server must stay with in the corridor formed by imaginary boundary lines that define the appropriate court side (even or odd) as indicated above

**********

 

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)


**********

 

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