Pickleball Terms

Pickleball is a unique cross between tennis, badminton, and ping pong, and it’s the best sport in the world! While the rules of the game itself are extremely simple, the lingo can be difficult to learn when you’re just starting out. So, how can you become fluent in pickleball?

Girl, we’ve got you! We have compiled a list of basic pickleball terms to help you hit the court with confidence. You’ll be speaking the language in no time!

Ace: A serve that is not returned by your opponent, resulting in a point.

Carry: A hit that results in the ball being “carried” along the face of the paddle rather than bouncing away from the paddle.

Dead Ball: A ball that is no longer considered in play due to a fault being declared.

Dink Shot: A soft, controlled shot that is intended to land within the non-volley zone, or “the kitchen.”

Double Bounce: A ball that bounces twice on one side of the court, resulting in a fault.

Double Hit: A hit that involves a player’s paddle hitting the ball twice before going over the net. As long as the double hit is the result of one continuous swing, a fault is not earned.

Drop Shot: A groundstroke shot that falls short of your opponent’s position on the court.

Fault: Any action that stops play due to a rule violation. A fault by the receiving team leads to a point for the serving team, while a fault by the serving team results in the server’s loss of serve or a side out.

Groundstroke: Hitting the ball after just one bounce.

Half Volley: A groundstroke where the paddle contacts the ball immediately after it bounces from the court but before the ball reaches its potential height.

Let: A serve that hits the net and lands in the service court, resulting in a replayed serve.

Lob: A powerful, deep shot that forces the opposing side back to the baseline.

Transition Zone (“No-Man’s Land”): The area on the court between “the kitchen” and the back of the court; standing in this area leaves players vulnerable to being hit by their opponents from many different angles.

Non-Volley Zone (“The Kitchen”): A 7-foot section at the front of each side of the court. A player cannot volley a ball while standing in this zone.

“Pickle!”: A player may shout “Pickle!” to let other players know they are about to serve.

Rally: Continuous play that occurs after the serve and before a fault.

“Nice Get!”: A compliment meaning that you hit a ball that was difficult to reach or return.

“Nice Rally!”: A compliment to all players, expressing excitement over a long streak of shots before a fault occurs.

Side Out: When one side loses its service and the other side is awarded service.

Volley: Ball in the air, during a rally, before the ball hits the ground.

Now it’s time to put all of these new terms into practice; get out on the court and have some fun!

If you’re already a pickleball fanatic, please share any other terms you think all new players should know in the comments.

Let’s get out and play some pickleball, y’all!