Pickleball is a fast-paced, fun sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis. To play the game at a high level, it’s important to understand the key terminology that players use to communicate on the court. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, this comprehensive guide will help you get up to speed on the pickleball vocabulary.
When you first start playing pickleball, you might feel a bit overwhelmed by the new language you’re hearing on the court. But don’t worry – with a little bit of practice, you’ll be speaking the pickleball lingo in no time! Here are some of the key terms you need to know to get started.
Basic Pickleball Terms
- Ace: An ace is a serve that lands in the opponent’s court and cannot be returned, resulting in an automatic point for the serving team.
- Backhand: A backhand shot is made by swinging the paddle across your body, using the back side of the paddle.
- Dink: A dink is a soft, low shot that’s used to keep the ball in play and disrupt your opponent’s rhythm.
- Drive: A drive is a hard, powerful shot that’s used to put pressure on your opponent and end a rally.
- Forehand: A forehand shot is made by swinging the paddle on the same side of your body as your hitting hand.
- Let: A let is a legal serve that lands on the line or is touched by the net but still remains in play.
- Volley: A volley is a shot that’s hit before the ball bounces, typically at the net.
Scoring Terms
- Double Bounce: In pickleball, the serving team must make a serve that bounces on their own side of the court and then on the opponent’s side before being returned.
- Game Point: A game point is the final point of a game, with the winning team receiving a score of 11.
- Match Point: A match point is the final point of a match, with the winning team taking the match.
- Side Out: A side out occurs when a team loses their serve and the other team takes over.
- Zero: In pickleball, the score is always expressed as a number and never as “love.” The term “zero” is used to refer to a score of 0.
Court Terminology
- Kitchen: The kitchen is the non-volley zone that extends 7 feet from the net.
- Non-Volley Zone: The non-volley zone is the area of the court that extends 7 feet from the net, where volleys are not allowed.
- Service Box: The service box is the area in which the server must make the serve from.
- Service Line: The service line is the line on the court that separates the service box from the rest of the court.
- Centerline: The centerline is the line that runs down the middle of the court, separating
