The Ultimate Guide to Pickleball Terminology

The world of pickleball is exciting! Do you want to dive into the excitement of the Pickleball Craze but, you don’t speak the language of pickleball? In this blog, we will cover key terms every pickleball player should know to help you navigate the court with confidence.

Basic Terms

Ace: A successful serve that lands in the opponent's court that the receiving player is unable to return, resulting in an immediate point for the serving team. Aces are a powerful way to score and can shift the momentum of a game.

Backhand: A shot that is hit on the opposite side of your body with the back of your hand leading the paddle to the ball. Usually, this is used to return a ball that approaches your non-dominant side. It's considered one of the weakest shots for most players, and can be challenging to hit consistently with power.

Dink: A dink in pickleball is a soft, controlled shot that's hit from the non-volley zone (NVZ) known as the kitchen and lands just over the net in the opposing kitchen. The goal of a dink is to make the ball land in a low, unattackable position making it difficult for the opponent to return.

Drop Shot: A soft, controlled shot that lands in the opponent's non-volley zone (NVZ), or kitchen, just over the net. Unlike a dink shot that is hit from the non-volley or kitchen line, the drop shot is hit from the baseline. The goal is to catch the opponent off guard and make it difficult for them to return the ball.

Forehand: A shot that uses the dominant hand and arm to hit the ball with the palm of the hand leading the paddle. It's considered one of the most important shots in pickleball and is essential for advanced players to master.

Punch: Keeping one's paddle up covering the chest area, a punch is when a player returns the ball by simply punching the ball with the paddle in a high speed rally.

Paddle Up: Phrase that is used to remind players to keep their paddle ready at chest level and to not drop their arms to be caught off guard. 

Top spin: Adding topspin to a return shot by swinging from down to up and "brushing" the ball to add spin. 

Court Terms

Kitchen: The area within 7 feet of the net on both sides, where players cannot hit the ball in the air (volley) unless the player is standing outside this zone.

The seven-foot zone on each side of the net is known as the non-volley zone, but more commonly referred to as “the kitchen” of a pickleball court. Players are not permitted to volley while standing in it. The kitchen rule exists to prevent a player from standing at the net and smashing every hit.

Non-Volley Zone (NVZ): Another term for the kitchen. This is the area that prohibits volleys to prevent aggressive play near the net.

Service Box: The area where the server must stand behind to serve the ball. The court is divided into two service boxes and then the non-volley zone (kitchen). To start a point the ball is served underarm into the opposite service box, clearing the kitchen. In singles play, the server serves from the right-hand court when his or her score is even and from the left when the score is odd.

Gameplay Terms

Fault: A mistake made during play that results in a point for the opposing team, such as hitting the ball out of bounds or into the net.

Rally: The sequence of play from the serve until a point is won, characterized by a series of exchanges between players.

Volley: When a player hits the ball in the air without letting it bounce. Volleys are often made near the non-volley zone (NVZ) line, which is the area within 7 feet of the net on both sides of the court.

Side Out: When the serving team fails to score a point and the serve goes to the opposing team.

Double-Bounce Rule: When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces. After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke). The double bounce rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage and extends rallies.

Groundstroke: A shot where the ball is hit after one bounce.

Erne: An aggressive shot played from the air over the non-volley zone (kitchen). This daring move is executed when a player jumps outside the court, strikes the ball mid-air, and lands outside the kitchen. This shot allows the player to attack close to the net.

Bert: Like the Erne, it is when a player crosses to the opposite side of their court and jumps outside the court, striking the ball mid-air, and the player lands outside the kitchen. 

Nasty Nelson: When the serve hits the opponent positioned at the kitchen line instead of landing in the correct court quadrant. It is a point for the server. Lesson is to not let the ball hit you on the serve.

Second Serve: The second serve by one team after having faulted on their first serve.

Scoring Terms

Game Point (or match point): The point that, if won by the leading player or team, will end the match in their favor, therefore winning the game.

Set: A series of games that must be won by a player or team in order to win the match.

Points: The basic unit of scoring; players earn points when their opponents fail to return the ball properly or hit the ball out of bounds or into the net. You or your team must be serving in order to earn points.

Getting Pickled: When a team loses a game with zero points scored. For example, if the score is 11-0, the losing team was pickled.

Golden Pickle: A variant of "getting pickled" where the winning team beats the other team 11-0 without losing the serve (starting and finishing with the same server.)

Doubles Terms:

Service Sequence: In doubles play, both players on the serving team have the opportunity to serve and score points until they commit a fault (except for the first service sequence of each new game). The first serve of each side-out is made from the right-hand court. If a point is scored, the server switches sides and the server initiates the next serve from the left-hand court.

As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is made. When the first server loses the serve the partner then serves from their correct side of the court (except for the first service sequence of the game). The second server continues serving until his team commits a fault and loses the serve to the opposing team.

Once the service goes to the opposition (at side out), the first serve is from the right-hand court and both players on that team have the opportunity to serve and score points until their team commits two faults.

Poach: In doubles, intercepting a ball that your partner would otherwise return, typically executed near the NVZ line to accelerate pace and take opponents by surprise.

Understanding pickleball terminology is essential on the court. With these terms in your vocabulary, you're ready to step onto the court with confidence and engage in your favorite sport. See you on the court!

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