Pickleball glossary
Pickleball terms, explained in plain English
The words you will hear at open play, in a league match, or from the court next door, in short definitions you can read between games.
This glossary is for new players learning the game, regulars in a rec group who want to settle a debate, and league players who need the rules and the slang straight. Each entry is short, and related terms are linked so you can follow a topic, like serving or the kitchen, from one entry to the next.
Rule definitions follow USA Pickleball's official rulebook, which is updated every year, so the entries note where a rule has changed recently. Rec groups and open play sessions sometimes use house rules, such as different game lengths or relaxed serving rules, so check with your group before the first game.
100 terms, A to Z.
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- 0-0-2
- The score called at the start of a doubles game: zero for the serving team, zero for the receivers, and server number two. The first serving team gets only one server before a side out, so play starts as if the first server has already lost serve. Some groups call it "0-0-start" instead. See also: Server number, Side out, Score call
A
- Ace
- A serve the receiver cannot touch or return, winning the point for the serving team.
- ATP
- Short for "around the post": a shot hit wide around the outside of the net post instead of over the net. It is legal, and the ball does not have to pass above net height, as long as it lands in the opponents' court. See also: Net
B
- Backhand
- A shot hit with the back of your paddle hand facing the ball, on the side opposite your dominant hand. Many players use two hands on backhand drives.
- Ball on
- A call players shout when a stray ball rolls onto their court or the court next door. Play should stop right away, and the rally is replayed.
- Banger
- Slang for a player who hits hard drives on almost every shot instead of dinking or dropping. Bangers can be tough on newer players but are often neutralized by soft blocks and resets.
- Baseline
- The line at the back of the court, 22 feet from the net. The server must stand behind it, and a ball that lands on it is in.
- Bert
- A less common cousin of the Erne, usually described as a player crossing in front of their partner and jumping around the kitchen on the partner's side to hit a volley. Players use the name loosely, so definitions vary from group to group.
- Block
- A soft, compact shot that absorbs the pace of a hard drive and sends the ball back low and short. It is a key defensive shot at the kitchen line.
- Body bag
- Slang for hitting an opponent with the ball, usually on a hard drive aimed at the body. If the ball hits a player before it bounces, that player's team loses the rally. Aiming at the body is legal, but targeting the head is considered poor sportsmanship.
C
- Carry
- Catching or slinging the ball on the paddle face instead of striking it cleanly. A deliberate carry is a fault. See also: Double hit, Fault
- Centerline
- The line that runs from the kitchen line to the baseline, splitting each side's back court into the left and right service courts.
- Chicken wing
- Slang for a shot aimed at an opponent's dominant-side shoulder or elbow, where it is awkward to swing a forehand or a backhand.
- Court
- A pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long, the same size for singles and doubles. Each side has a 7-foot kitchen next to the net and two service courts behind it. See also: Kitchen, Service court, Net
- Cross-court
- A shot hit diagonally to the opposite side of the opponents' court. Cross-court dinks are popular because the net is lower in the middle and the court is longer on the diagonal.
D
- Dead ball
- A ball that is no longer in play because a fault, a hinder, or the end of a rally has stopped play.
- Dink
- A soft shot hit from at or near the kitchen line that arcs over the net and lands in the opponents' kitchen. Dinks are hard to attack because the ball stays low. See also: Dink war, Kitchen
- Dink war
- A long exchange of dinks at the net, with each team waiting for the other to pop up a ball that can be attacked. See also: Dink, Speed-up
- Double bounce rule
- An older name for the two-bounce rule, which requires the serve and the return of serve to each bounce once before anyone hits a volley. See also: Two-bounce rule
- Double hit
- Hitting the ball twice on one swing, or a ball being struck by both partners. Under current rules an unintentional double hit during one continuous stroke is legal, but a deliberate second hit is a fault. See also: Carry
- Doubles
- The most common format, with two players on each side. Partners take turns serving, and each team usually gets two servers before a side out.
- Down the line
- A shot hit straight ahead, parallel to the sideline, instead of across the court.
- Drive
- A hard, low, flat shot hit from the back of the court, usually with topspin. Drives put pressure on opponents but are easier to block when they come from deep in the court.
- Drop serve
- A serve where the server drops the ball from their hand, lets it bounce, and then hits it. The drop serve is legal under the official rules and is exempt from the waist and wrist restrictions of the volley serve. See also: Serve, Volley serve
- Drop shot
- A soft shot hit from deep in the court that arcs over the net and lands in or near the opponents' kitchen, giving the hitter time to move forward. See also: Third-shot drop, Reset
- DUPR
- A rating system many clubs, leagues, and tournaments use to rate players from match results, with ratings on a scale that runs roughly from 2 to 8. It is one of several rating systems in use. See also: Skill rating
E
- Erne
- A volley hit from outside the court next to the net, after the player jumps over the corner of the kitchen or runs around it. It is legal as long as the player does not touch the kitchen or its lines before or during the shot, and does not land in it afterward. See also: Kitchen, Bert, Momentum
F
- Falafel
- Slang for a weak shot that comes off the paddle with little pace and falls short, often into the net or the hitter's own kitchen.
- Fault
- Any rule violation that ends the rally, such as hitting the ball out, into the net, volleying in the kitchen, or breaking the two-bounce rule. The team that commits the fault loses the rally. See also: Foot fault, Side out
- Firefight
- A fast exchange of volleys between players at or near the kitchen line, usually after someone speeds up the ball. Also called a hands battle.
- First server
- In doubles, the player who serves first after a side out. Under the official rules, it is the player standing in the right-side service court when the team gains the serve.
- Flick
- A quick wrist-driven shot, often a backhand, that turns a dink into an attack aimed at an opponent's body or an open gap.
- Foot fault
- A fault for illegal foot placement. On the serve, the server must keep at least one foot behind the baseline and both feet off the baseline and court until the ball is hit, within the extensions of the sideline and centerline. Stepping into the kitchen while volleying is also a foot fault. See also: Baseline, Kitchen
- Forehand
- A shot hit on your dominant-hand side, with the palm of your paddle hand facing the ball.
G
- Game
- Most games are played to 11 points, and a team must win by 2. Tournaments sometimes play games to 15 or 21. See also: Side-out scoring, Rally scoring
- Golden pickle
- Slang for winning a game 11-0 without the serving team ever losing the serve, so the first server scores every point. Usage varies, and some players use it for any 11-0 shutout.
- Grip
- How you hold the paddle, and also the wrapped handle itself. Most players use a continental grip, with the paddle held like a handshake, so they can hit forehands and backhands without switching.
H
- Half volley
- A shot hit just after the ball bounces, before it rises much. It is common when a ball lands at your feet in the transition zone.
- Hinder
- Something outside the players' control, such as a ball rolling onto the court, that interferes with play. A hinder stops play, and the rally is replayed.
I
- Indoor ball
- A ball made for gym play. It is usually lighter and softer than an outdoor ball, with fewer and larger holes, so it bounces slower and is easier to control.
K
- Kitchen
- The common name for the non-volley zone, the area that extends 7 feet from the net on both sides of the court. You may stand in it or step into it to play a ball that has bounced, but you may not volley while touching it or its lines. See also: Non-volley zone, Kitchen line, Momentum
L
- Ladder league
- A league format where players or teams move up and down a ranked list based on their results, so each round they face opponents of similar skill.
- Let
- A rally that is replayed instead of scored. Service lets were removed from the official rules in 2021, so a serve that clips the net and lands in the correct service court is now in play. Lets still happen for hinders, such as a ball rolling onto the court. See also: Hinder, Re-serve
- Line calls
- Players call the lines on their own side of the net in rec play and in most matches without referees. A ball touching any part of a line is in, except a serve that lands on the kitchen line, and if you are not sure, the ball is in.
- Lob
- A high, deep shot hit over opponents who are at the kitchen line, forcing them to retreat. A good lob can win the point outright, while a short one often gets smashed.
M
- Mixed doubles
- Doubles with one man and one woman on each team. Many leagues and tournaments offer it as its own division.
- Momentum
- If the motion from hitting a volley carries you into the kitchen, it is a fault, even if the ball is already dead or you land after the rally ends. You must regain your balance outside the kitchen. See also: Kitchen
N
- Nasty nelson
- Slang for a serve that hits the receiver's partner before it bounces. The serving team wins the point under the rules, but most players consider doing it on purpose poor etiquette.
- Net
- The net stands 36 inches high at the sidelines and dips to 34 inches at the center. That lower middle is why many shots, especially dinks, go over the center. See also: Court, ATP
- No man's land
- Another name for the transition zone, the area between the kitchen line and the baseline where balls often land at your feet. See also: Transition zone
- Non-volley zone
- The official name for the kitchen: the area 7 feet deep on each side of the net, including its lines, where you may not hit a volley. See also: Kitchen
O
- Open play
- Drop-in pickleball where players show up, rotate partners, and play games against whoever is waiting. It is the most common way new players get into the game.
- Out ball
- A shot that lands outside the court lines. Partners often shout "out" or "bounce it" to warn each other to let a ball go that looks like it will land out.
- Outdoor ball
- A ball made for outdoor courts. It is harder and heavier than an indoor ball, with more and smaller holes so the wind affects it less.
P
- Paddle
- The solid, flat racket used to hit the ball. The official rules limit its length to 17 inches, with length and width combined no more than 24 inches.
- Paddle stack
- A system at open play where waiting players put their paddles in a rack or line, and the next four paddles go on the next open court. Also called a paddle rack. See also: Open play
- Pickled
- Slang for losing a game without scoring a point. A team that loses 11-0 got pickled.
- Poach
- In doubles, moving across into your partner's side of the court to take a ball they would normally hit, usually to volley it away.
- Pop-up
- A ball that rises too high over the net, giving the opponents an easy chance to attack it.
- Punch volley
- A short, firm volley with almost no backswing, used to push the ball deep or at an opponent's feet.
R
- Rally
- The exchange of shots from the serve until a fault ends play.
- Rally scoring
- A scoring system where a point is scored on every rally, no matter which team served. USA Pickleball has allowed it as an experimental or alternative format for some events, and some leagues use it, but traditional side-out scoring is still the standard in rec play. Check the rules for your event. See also: Side-out scoring
- Re-serve
- A serve that is taken again without penalty, for example because the receiver was not ready or a hinder interrupted the serve.
- Ready position
- A balanced stance with knees bent and the paddle held up in front of you, so you can react to a shot on either side.
- Receiver
- The player diagonally across from the server who must return the serve. The return has to bounce before it is hit.
- Reset
- A soft shot that slows the rally down, usually by dropping a hard-hit ball into the opponents' kitchen so you can recover or move forward.
- Return of serve
- The receiver's first shot. It must be hit after the serve bounces, and most players hit it deep to keep the serving team back.
- Roll volley
- A volley hit with an upward brushing motion that adds topspin, so the ball dips down at the opponent's feet.
- Round robin
- A format where every player or team plays each other, or rotates partners, over a set number of games. Winners are decided by wins or total points.
S
- Score call
- The server announces the score before each serve. In doubles it has three numbers: the serving team's score, the receiving team's score, and the server number, such as "4-2-1". See also: 0-0-2, Server number
- Serve
- The shot that starts each rally, hit underhand and diagonally into the opponents' service court past the kitchen line. The server gets one attempt, and must hit within 10 seconds of the score being called. See also: Volley serve, Drop serve, Service court
- Server number
- In doubles, each player on the serving team is server 1 or server 2. When server 1 loses a rally, the partner serves; when server 2 loses a rally, it is a side out. See also: First server, Side out
- Service court
- The area on each side of the centerline, between the kitchen line and the baseline, that a serve must land in. Serves go diagonally, from your right court to their right court or left to left.
- Shake and bake
- A doubles pattern where one player hits a hard third-shot drive and the partner rushes the net to put away a weak reply.
- Side out
- When the serving team loses the serve and it passes to the other team. In doubles this happens after both partners have lost a rally on serve, except at the start of the game. See also: Server number, Side-out scoring
- Side-out scoring
- The traditional scoring system, where only the serving team can score a point. If the receiving team wins the rally, they only win back the serve or move to the next server. See also: Rally scoring, Game
- Sideline
- The lines that run the length of each side of the court. A ball that lands on a sideline is in.
- Singles
- Pickleball with one player on each side. There is no server number, and the server serves from the right when their score is even and from the left when it is odd.
- Skill rating
- A number that describes a player's level, typically on a scale from about 2.0 to 5.0 and up. A 3.0 player can sustain a rally and knows the rules, a 3.5 player is building consistent drops and dinks, and 4.0 and above are advanced. See also: DUPR
- Skinny singles
- A practice game where two players use only half the court, usually one service court on each side, and play dinks and drops as in doubles.
- Slice
- A shot hit with backspin by swinging high to low across the ball. Slices stay low after the bounce and are common on returns and backhand resets.
- Smash
- A hard overhead shot hit down into the opponents' court, usually off a lob or a pop-up.
- Speed-up
- Suddenly hitting a soft ball hard, usually during a dink exchange, to catch the opponents off guard.
- Spin serve
- A serve that puts spin on the ball. Spin from the paddle is legal, but recent rules ban spinning the ball with your hand before a serve, a move once called the chainsaw serve.
- Split step
- A small hop to land balanced on both feet just as your opponent hits the ball, so you can move in either direction.
- Stacking
- A doubles strategy where partners line up so each player stays on their preferred side, often keeping a forehand in the middle. It is legal as long as the right player serves and receives from the right court.
- Sweet spot
- The center of the paddle face, where the ball comes off with the most control and least vibration.
T
- Third shot
- The serving team's first shot after the return of serve. Because the serving team starts at the back, the third shot decides whether they can get to the kitchen line. See also: Third-shot drop, Third-shot drive
- Third-shot drive
- A hard, low third shot meant to force a weak reply that the serving team can attack.
- Third-shot drop
- A soft third shot that lands in the receiving team's kitchen, buying time for the serving team to move up to the kitchen line. See also: Third shot, Drop shot
- Timeout
- A short break a team can call between rallies. Under the official rules each team typically gets two one-minute timeouts in a game to 11 or 15 and three in a game to 21.
- Topspin
- Forward spin that makes the ball dip down quickly and bounce forward. It helps keep hard drives in the court.
- Transition zone
- The area between the kitchen line and the baseline. Players try to move through it quickly because balls tend to land at their feet there. See also: No man's land, Half volley
- Tweener
- A shot hit between your legs, usually while running back to chase a lob.
- Two-bounce rule
- The serve must bounce before the receiver returns it, and the return must bounce before the serving team hits it. After those two bounces, players may volley or play off the bounce. Also called the double bounce rule. See also: Double bounce rule, Third shot
U
- Unforced error
- A missed shot that was not caused by pressure from the opponent, such as dumping an easy dink into the net.
V
- Volley
- Hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. Volleys are not allowed while touching the kitchen, or before the two-bounce rule has been met.
- Volley serve
- The traditional serve, hit out of the air. The arm must move in an upward arc, the paddle must contact the ball below the server's waist, and the top of the paddle head must be below the wrist at contact. See also: Serve, Drop serve
FAQ
Common questions
What is the kitchen in pickleball?
The kitchen is the nickname for the non-volley zone, the area that extends 7 feet from the net on each side of the court. You cannot hit a volley while standing in it or on its line, and if your momentum carries you into it after a volley, that is a fault too. You can step in at any time to play a ball that has bounced.
What is the two-bounce rule?
The two-bounce rule says the serve must bounce before it is returned, and the return must bounce before the serving team hits it. After those first two bounces, either team can volley. The rule keeps the serving team from rushing the net and slamming the return.
How do you keep score in pickleball?
In traditional scoring, only the serving team can score, and games are played to 11, win by 2. In doubles the server calls three numbers before each serve: their team's score, the opponents' score, and the server number (1 or 2). Games start at 0-0-2 because the first serving team gets only one server. Some events and leagues use rally scoring instead, where a point is scored on every rally.
What is a dink in pickleball?
A dink is a soft shot hit from near the kitchen line that drops over the net and lands in the opponents' kitchen. Because the ball stays low, it is hard to attack, so players trade dinks until someone hits one too high and gives the other side a chance to put it away.
What is an Erne in pickleball?
An Erne is a volley hit from outside the sideline next to the net, after the player jumps over or runs around the corner of the kitchen. It is legal as long as the player never touches the kitchen or its lines before or during the shot and does not land in the kitchen afterward, even once the ball is dead. It is usually used to cut off a ball hit down the line.
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