Was that out? / Carries / Ouch-My Finger!

If you’ve been playing Pickleball for any amount of time, questions that are posed in this article have probably come up. So, let’s tackle them.

 Serves

1.          The serve hits a line (not in the non-volley zone/kitchen)…is it in?

The answer is “Yes.”  A ball contacting any part of any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in.” A serve contacting the non-volley zone line is short and a fault.

In other words, if the serve hits anywhere marked within the green lines shown below with a green check mark, it is in and should be played.  Any serve that lands on lines marked in red are out and are not playable.

2.       If my serve hits the net and lands within playable boundaries as described above, is it a let?

The answer is “No,” UNLESS you are a pro playing in the PPA. J  In rec play, a serve that hits the net and lands in-bounds IS in.

Line Calls

This is a tricky one.  Whether the ball is out or in is determined on where the ball makes contact with the court.  See graphic below. That can be hard to determine when pickleballs are hitting hard and fast on the court and you and your partner are moving to make a shot.  Best rule of thumb…if it’s close, it’s IN!  Friendly reminder…remember, although this is an amazing game and most of us like to win, it shouldn’t cost you the friends you’ve gained by playing the sport!

Catch or carry ball on the paddle

In pickleball, the ball cannot be caught or carried on the paddle for any duration of time. A "carry" is when the ball doesn't bounce away from the paddle, but instead sticks to it and carries along the paddle face. The ball must bounce off the paddle face, no matter how well controlled or soft.

A new rule states that catching or carrying the ball on your paddle is always a fault, whether you mean to do it or not. (Note that a carry is different from a double-hit. A "double-hit" occurs when you hit the ball twice in a continuous, single-direction stroke. That is still legal.)

Touching the Ball in Pickleball

The ball hits your finger as you are gripping the paddle…Is it a fault?

The answer is “No.”

Rule 7H of the official pickleball rulebook states that a fault occurs if:

After the serve, the ball contacts a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying, except the paddle or the player’s hand(s) in contact with the paddle and below the wrist. The fault is on the player who was hit by the ball. If the player is in the process of changing hands with both hands on the paddle or is attempting a two-handed stroke and either hand is hit below the wrist, as long as a player’s hand is in contact with the paddle, the ball is still in play.

The key takeaways from this rule are:

1) Any touching of the ball with your body or clothing is a fault unless

2) the ball touches a hand, below the wrist, (i.e. a finger) that is being used to swing the paddle.