Pickleball Glossary

APP

Association of Pickleball Players - professional pickleball tour featuring individual rankings and prize money tournaments

Ace

Any serve that is not returned by the receiver, or more specifically, a serve that the receiver's paddle never touches

Approach Shot

Shot executed while moving from the backcourt towards the non-volley zone

Around the Post (ATP)

Legal shot that travels around the net post without crossing over the net, typically used when the ball bounces wide

At the Net

Player positioned at the non-volley line; considered a strategically dominant position

Attackable Ball

Ball returned over the net in a way that allows the receiving side to make a strategic offensive shot

Backcourt

The area of the court located near the baseline

Backhand

Shot made with the palm of the hand facing away from the net

Backspin

Backward rotation on the ball causing it to 'bite' and bounce lower or shorter. Also called slice or underspin

Backswing

The backward movement of the paddle in advance of striking the ball

Bagel

Shutout game ending when one team earned no points (11-0). Also called 'getting pickled'

Bainbridge Island

Island in Washington state where pickleball was invented at Joel Pritchard's home

Ball On

Call made to alert all players that an errant ball has made its way to their court

Banger

Player who consistently hits hard shots, prioritizing power over placement

Baseline

The lines parallel to the net at each end of the court, 22 feet from the net

Bash

Hard shot that hits the top of the net and then lands in play on the opponent's side

Bert

Advanced shot similar to an Erne but executed on the partner's side of the court

Block Shot

Defensive shot with little to no backswing intended to slow down the ball

Body Bag

Intentionally hitting opponent with ball to win the point. Also called body shot or tag

Bounce It

Call made by one partner to the other instructing them to allow the ball to bounce

Carry

Fault where the ball doesn't bounce cleanly off the paddle but is carried along the face

Centerline

Line down the center of the court extending from the non-volley zone to the baseline

Chainsaw Serve

Illegal serve that starts by swiping or rolling the ball against the paddle to impart spin. Banned in 2021

Champion

The final winner in a tournament bracket

Chicken Wing

Awkward defensive shot made with the paddle arm bent and elbow extended up and away from the body

Chip Shot

Striking the ball using an open-faced paddle while moving downward to impart backspin

Closed Face

Tilting the paddle face down when striking the ball

Continental Grip

Way to grip the paddle where the index finger and thumb form a V shape on the edge

Corkspin

Rotation of the ball where the axis is parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the net plane

Crosscourt

The opponent's half of the court that is diagonally opposite the player striking the ball

DUPR

Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating - global rating system on 2.000-8.000 scale

Dead Ball

Ball that is no longer in play due to a fault, permanent object contact, or hindrance

Dillbreaker

Alternative name for Dreambreaker in Major League Pickleball

Dink

Soft, controlled shot that just clears the net and lands in the opponent's non-volley zone

Dink Rally

Series of slow dink shots where each side attempts to deny their opponent an attackable ball

Dinker

Player that is exceptionally good at dinking

Double Bounce Rule

Requirement that each side must make one groundstroke before volleying after the serve

Double Hit

Hitting the ball twice before it is returned - legal if performed as one continuous stroke

Doubles

Pickleball matches having two players per side

Dreambreaker

Major League Pickleball's tiebreaker format featuring singles play with player rotations

Drive

Hard, low groundstroke or volley hit deep into the opponent's backcourt

Drop Serve

Legal serve made by striking the ball after it bounces on the playing surface

Drop Shot

Soft shot from baseline/midcourt that lands short in the opponent's kitchen

Eastern Grip

Type of grip resulting in slightly closed face for forehands and open face for backhands

Erne

Advanced shot where a player steps outside court boundaries near the kitchen to volley while avoiding NVZ violations

Even Court

The right service area when facing the net. Also called right court

Every Pickle Point Counts

Scoring system used in some team tournaments where points won in each game are cumulative

Falafel

Weak shot with little power that doesn't reach its full potential

Fault

Rules violation that results in a dead ball and/or the end of the rally

First Server

In doubles, the player designated to serve first after a side out

Flat Face

Keeping the paddle face parallel with the plane of the net when striking the ball

Flat Shot

Shot with minimal spin, usually hit hard

Follow Through

Continual swing of your arms after it has made contact with the ball

Foot Fault

Fault for violating foot placement rules during serve or volleying in the NVZ

Forehand

Shot made with the palm of the hand facing towards the net

Freeze

In rally scoring, when a team reaches a certain score and must win subsequent points while serving

Game

Individual scored competition within a match, typically played to 11, 15, or 21 points

Game Point

Situation where a player/team needs one more point to win the game

Golden Pickle

Winning 11-0 without any side-outs, same server throughout

Golden Ticket

Automatic qualification to enter National Championships granted to gold medal winners

Grip

The manner in which a player holds a pickleball paddle or the material covering the handle

Groundstroke

Ball that is struck after it bounces

Half Stack

When a team stacks only prior to serving

Half Volley

Groundstroke made immediately after the ball bounces, before it rises to full height

Hammer Grip

Alternative name for Continental grip

Hand Signals

Non-verbal physical gestures used to communicate during the game

Handshake Grip

Alternative name for Eastern grip

Hinder

Interference of play by something outside the game, resulting in a dead ball and replay

I-Formation

Doubles serving strategy where the non-serving player starts at the net

In

Line call made when a ball lands within or on the court lines

Indoor Ball

Ball designed for indoor play with fewer, larger holes for slower play and less noise

Into-the-Post (ITP)

Shot that results in the ball hitting the post, usually when attempting an ATP shot

Joey

Hitting an ATP shot directly back at the opponent that made the ATP shot. Named for Joe Valenti

King of the Court

Competition format where one side is designated the 'king' and faces rotating challengers

Kitchen

Colloquial term for the Non-Volley Zone (NVZ)

Left Service Court

The service court to the left of the centerline when facing the net. Also called odd court

Let Serve

Served ball that hits the net but still lands in the correct service court - valid in USAP rules

Line Call

Determination whether a ball has landed inside or outside the court lines

Lob

High, arching shot hit over the opponent's head to the backcourt

Major League Pickleball (MLP)

Team-based professional league featuring roster drafts and team competitions

Match

Complete competition between players/teams, typically consisting of multiple games

Match Point

Situation where a player/team needs one more point to win the entire match

Medical Time-Out

15-minute break each player is permitted once per match for medical issues

Midcourt

Area of the court between the non-volley zone and backcourt

Mini-Singles

Version of singles pickleball where only half of each player's court is used

Misdirection

Strategy where a player deceives their opponent by preparing to hit one way but hitting another

Mixed Doubles

Doubles format with one male and one female player per team

Momentum

Player's forward motion after a shot; can result in fault if it carries player into kitchen

Nasty Nelson

Serve that intentionally hits the non-receiving player closest to the net

No Man's Land

Area midway between baseline and non-volley zone, considered strategically vulnerable

Non-Volley Line

Court lines parallel to the net and 7 feet back that define the non-volley zone

Non-Volley Zone (NVZ)

7-foot-by-20-foot area adjacent to the net where volleys are prohibited

Odd Service Court

The left service area when facing the net

Open Face

Tilting the paddle face up when striking the ball

Out

Line call made when a ball lands outside the court lines

Outdoor Ball

Ball designed for outdoor play with smaller, more numerous holes for wind resistance

Overgrip

Thin secondary binding used to cover the primary grip on the paddle handle

Overhead

Powerful shot made while the ball is above the player's head, typically in response to a lob

PPA

Professional Pickleball Association - individual rankings-based professional tour

Pace

Speed and power imparted to the ball when struck by the paddle

Paddle

Equipment used to strike the ball; maximum combined length and width of 24 inches

Paddle Tap

Courtesy performed at the end of each game where all players meet at the net

Pantry

Unofficial area outside the court on either side of the kitchen

Passing Shot

Low shot that passes outside the reach of an opponent and lands inbounds

Permanent Object

Any object on or near the court that can interfere with play

Pickle Point

Game point that would end the game with the other side having zero points

Pickled

Losing a game without scoring any points (11-0)

Pickler

Person obsessed with pickleball

Plane of the Net

Imaginary vertical planes extending beyond the net system on all sides

Poach

Doubles strategy where one player crosses into partner's territory to intercept a shot

Pop-up

Ball that is hit high enough that it is easily attackable by an opponent

Punch Volley

Quick volley with minimal backswing and 'punching' motion for precision

Put-away

Offensive shot that the opponent cannot react fast enough to successfully counter

Questionable Call

Call that appears to one team that it may have been incorrect by the other team

Rally

Continuous play from serve until a fault occurs or ball becomes dead

Rally Scoring

Scoring method where a point is awarded after every rally regardless of serving team

Ranking

Player or team's position within a hierarchical achievement-based list

Rating

Numeric score assigned to a player indicating their skill level

Ready Position

Optimal stance with paddle chest-high, weight on balls of feet, facing the ball

Receiver

Player positioned diagonally opposite the server to return the serve

Reset

Neutralizing a fast-paced rally by returning the ball softly to the kitchen

Right Service Court

The service court to the right of the centerline when facing the net. Also called even court

Round Robin

Tournament format where each player/team plays every other participant

Score Freezing

In rally scoring, when a team can only score the game-winning point when serving

Scorpion

Overhead shot taken by a player while in a squatted position

Second Server

In doubles, the first server's partner who serves after the first server loses serve

Self-Rating

Player's own assessment of skill level using published criteria

Serve

Initial strike of the ball with the paddle to start a rally

Service Court

Area beyond the NVZ on either side of the centerline where serves must land

Shake and Bake

Doubles strategy where one player drives the third shot while partner rushes net

Side Out

Transfer of serving privileges to the opposing team after losing a rally

Sidelines

Lines perpendicular to the net on each side of the court

Singles

Pickleball matches having one player per side

Skinny Singles

Playing singles using only the right or left side of the court

Slice

Shot hit with backspin where the ball spins backward

Smash

Powerful shot made while the ball is above the player's head

Speed Up

Quickly increasing the pace of the ball to end a slow dink rally

Spin

Any rotation imparted on the ball by the strike of the paddle

Split Step

Small hop into ready position as opponent strikes the ball

Stacking

Doubles strategy where both players line up on the same side before serve/return

Starting Server

Designated player who serves first at the beginning of each game in doubles

Technical Foul

Behavioral penalty resulting in one point being removed from the offending team's score

Third Shot

Third shot of a rally after the receiving team returns the ball to the serving team

Third Shot Drop

Essential strategic shot that arcs upward and lands softly in the kitchen

Time-Out

Break in play during a game - three types are permitted in official rules

Tomahawk

High overhead shot where player begins in backhand position but rotates wrist to hit forehand

Topspin

Forward rotation causing the ball to dive down after crossing the net

Tournament Director

Official responsible for tournament operations and rule enforcement

Transition Zone

Area between baseline and non-volley zone, considered strategically vulnerable

Triple Crown

Winning singles, gender doubles and mixed doubles all in the same tournament

Tweener

Shot hit between the player's own legs, often when chasing down a lob

Two-Bounce Rule

Requirement that each side must make one groundstroke before volleying after the serve

Twoey

Two-handed shot, most often referring to a two-handed backhand

USA Pickleball

National governing body for pickleball in the United States

UTR-P

Universal Tennis Rating - Pickleball: official USA Pickleball rating system on 1.0-10.0 scale

Underspin

Another term for backspin, produced by high-to-low paddle motion

Unforced Error

Mistake made on a shot that is not considered difficult to execute

Volley

Strike of the ball out of the air before it has bounced

Volley Serve

Serve made by striking the ball without bouncing it off the playing surface

Western Grip

Grip resulting in closed face for forehands and open face for backhands

Win by Two

Requirement that the winning score must exceed the opponent's by at least 2 points

World Pickleball Day

October 10th of each year, established by the World Pickleball Federation in 2020

World Pickleball Federation

Federation of national pickleball organizations founded in 2018

Yips

Mental state in which a player loses routine muscle memory and consistently fails to make shots

You

Common exclamation used in partner communication telling partner they should return the ball

Zero-Zero (0-0)

Starting score for a game of singles pickleball

Zero-Zero-Two (0-0-2)

Starting score for a game of doubles pickleball