Pickleball Terminology You Need to Know
Pickleball is quickly gaining in popularity, making it one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. People of all ages want to play it, and while it’s easy to learn, some of the terminologies can be confusing for first-time players. To help, Jax Pickleball Store has compiled pickleball terminology you need to know.
Ace
An ace is when the serve isn’t returned by the opponent. The point is won without the receiver hitting the ball.
ATP (Around the Post)
In pickleball, you don’t have to pass the ball over the net. With around the post, players can return the ball around the net into the opposite court if the opportunity occurs.
Ball
The type of ball used in pickleball is plastic with holes. Any other type of ball is illegal.
Bert
When an Erne (see below) is executed in front of a player’s partner. This move is performed when the player jumps over the kitchen and hits the ball out of the air in front of the partner.
Body Bag
When a ball strikes the opponent without them getting a paddle on it.
Dink
This shot is unique to pickleball. With the player and opponent standing at their kitchen lines, they hit the ball softly so it bounces in the opponent’s kitchen.
Erne
A move named after Erne Perry, where a volley is hit close to the net by a player positioned outside of the boundary or the non-volley zone.
Fault
A fault is usually a serve that goes out of bounds or into the net.
Foot Fault
Foot fault occurs when the server’s foot is inside the court before they serve the ball.
Game
A regulation pickleball game goes to eleven points, with the winning team having to win by two points. If this doesn’t occur, the game continues until one team is two points ahead. Variations are acceptable, games can be played to any agreeable number and the win by two provisions can be eliminated in the interest of time.
Kitchen
Also known as the non-volley zone, this area stretches seven feet on both sides of the net. Here, you can’t volley a ball when any body part is inside the kitchen, including the kitchen line.
Nasty Nelson
A Nasty Nelson is a shot on the pickleball courts where the server serves the pickleball to intentionally hit the opposing player nearest to the pickleball net (in other words, the opposing player is not receiving the serve).
No Man’s Land
Another term for midcourt, the transition area between the non-volley line and the baseline.
Paddle
The paddle is what you use to hit the ball. All paddles should have a flat surface and must follow set design rules to be used in legal play.
Pickle
A pickle is an 11-0 shutout victory. If it’s completed without side outs, then you’ve got yourself a “Golden Pickle.”
Poach
The act of moving across and/or in front of your partner to volley the ball out of the air. See Bert above.
Rally
A rally is a continuous play, starting from the serve and ending when a fault or point occurs.
Receiver
This is the player diagonally opposite the server who will return the serve.
Scoring Sequence
When serving, it’s the rule to say three numbers before the serve. The first number is the serving team’s score, the second is the receiving team’s score and the third is whether they are the first or second server.
Serve
In pickleball, a serve is an underhanded shot that starts the rally. Each player gets 2 serves, and the ball must be served below waist level.
Server Number
When playing doubles, each server must call out their number, one or two, depending on if they served first or second. Players call this number out along with the score.
Side Out
When the serving team loses the second serve point, the serve moves from one side of the court to the other. This is called a side out.
Stroke
A stroke is when you hit the ball.
Two Bounce Rule
The two bounce rule helps differentiate pickleball from other paddle sports. This is where the ball must bounce twice before a player can hit it out of the air. The first bounce has to occur in the required service square, while the second bounce needs to be on the server’s side of the court after the serve return.
Volley
A volley is hitting the ball before it bounces. When playing pickleball, there is the non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen, where it’s illegal to volley the ball. Anywhere else is fair game. You can’t volley before the first two shots.
Hopefully, this terminology expose makes it easier to understand the game and get out there! If you have any questions regarding pickleball, don’t hesitate to reach out to Jax Pickleball Store. Along with carrying everything you need to play beside a court and an opponent, we’re huge pickleball fans who can answer your questions. We also offer an introduction class to help you learn the ins and outs of the sport. Let’s play some pickleball!
