A Comprehensive Guide to Pickleball Words, Sayings, and Definitions
A
ACE
A serve that is not returned by the opponent. The point is won on the serve without being returned.
“ATP” AROUND THE POST
A legal shot whereby the ball is returned from outside the court and into the opposing team’s court, never passing over the net. May pass below the level of the top of the net.
B
BACKHAND
A shot made with your paddle arm across your body.
BACKHAND ROLL
A backhand, low-to-high stroke made on a ball that lifts the ball and applies a large amount of topspin while keeping the shot low.
BACKSPIN
Spin applied to the ball by hitting it while the paddle is moving from high to low, causing the bottom of ball to rotate away from the hitter while in flight. A ball with backspin will have a tendency to slow or even stop forward motion once it contacts the ground.
BALL ON!
A shout indicating that an errant ball has entered the court, typically while some players are unaware.
BANGER
A player who typically hits every possible shot very hard, often from the baseline.
BASELINE
The line marking each end of the court.
BEER BRACKET
When you’re knocked out of the tournament early, you join the “beer bracket”.
C
CARRY
Paddle contact with the ball whereby the ball doesn’t immediately leave the face of the paddle during the hit, but instead the ball and paddle remain in contact during a significant part of the stoke.
CENTER LINE
Extends from the Non-Volley Zone to the baseline and divides the service court into two equal halves.
CHAINSAW SERVE
A nickname for a serve popularized in 2021 by Zane Navratil, the serve involves pinching the ball between one hand and the paddle handle then tossing the ball in the air, imparting dramatic spin the process. Then as the ball drops, striking it with as much topspin as possible. Note, this serve was banned by USA Pickleball for 2022.
CHALLENGE COURT
During social play or a large group practice, a court where the winner(s) of a match stays and takes on the next challenger(s). Since there is no rule regarding this, variations abound, such as limiting a winning player to a set number of games on the challenge court.
CONTINENTAL GRIP
Holding the paddle in your hand as you’d hold a hammer, the most common grip. This grip can be used for forehands and backhands.
CROSSCOURT SHOT
To hit the ball to the opponent’s portion of the court diagonally opposite from your own.
D
DEAD BALL
A ball is declared after a fault, the point is over.
DILLBALL
Shot that is in bounds and has bounced once. A live ball.
DINK
A soft shot that goes over the net and lands in the opposing Non-Volley Zone (“the Kitchen”).
DOUBLE BOUNCE RULE
After each serve, the ball must bounce once on each side of the net before it can legally be volleyed.
E
ERNE
A volley from immediately left or right of the no-volley zone (outside of the court).
F
FALLAFEL
A shot that doesn’t reach its full potential, due to the player hitting the ball without any power.
FLABJACK
A shot that must bounce once before it can be hit.
FOOT FAULT
When a player’s foot illegally touches the Non-Volley Zone while volleying or when both feet are not fully behind the server’s service court during the serve.
FOREHAND
Hitting the ball on the same side of the body as the hand holding the paddle.
G
GOLDEN PICKLE
Winning a game using solely the very first server, with the opposing team never serving.
H
HALF VOLLEY
Hitting a ball almost instantaneously after it bounces and well before it reaches its full bounce height. Sometimes called a short hop.
I
INDOOR PICKLEBALL
Softer and lighter plastic with larger holes to provide more accurate shots and a better bounce on indoor surfaces.
K
KITCHEN
Technically called the No-Volley Zone, or NonVolley Zone, the Kitchen is a 7-foot area on both sides of the net that the players cannot make contact with unless the ball bounces.
KITCHEN LINE
The line that extends seven feet from both sides of the net and from sideline to sideline that the players cannot contact unless the ball bounces.
L
LOB
A shot high over an opponent’s head, forcing him or her back from the net.
M
MXD
An abbreviation sometimes seen for mixed doubles.
N
NASTY NELSON
Serving into the body (or paddle) of the partner of the receiver which results in a point for the server due to interference rules.
NICE GET!
Affirmation to your partner or opponent after returning a tough shot.
NO-VOLLEY ZONE
Also known as the Kitchen, the No-Volley Zone is the 7-foot area on both sides of the net that the players cannot make contact with unless the ball bounces.
O
OPA!
Continuous play that occurs after the serve and before a fault.
OUTDOOR PICKLEBALL
Heavier with harder plastic and smaller holes. These features allow for increased durability, wind resistance, and bounce.
P
PADDLE
The thing you’re hitting a pickleball with. Don’t call it a racquet. The right term is pickleball paddle.
PICKLEBACK
The matches that occur in the loser’s/consolation bracket of a standard double elimination tournament. (Or a shot of your favorite spirit followed by a shot of pickle juice.)
PICKLEBALL
A paddleball sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis. Played indoors or outdoors on a level court with short-handled paddles and a perforated plastic ball volleyed over a low net by two players or pairs of players.
PICKLEBALLER
A person who plays pickleball or is involved in the pickleball community.
PICKLED
When a team scores zero points in a whole game.
PICKLEDOME
The court where the championship match in a pickleball tournament is played.
PICKLER
The shorter, “cooler” version of pickleballer.
POACH
Poaching is where one team member will take the shots going toward their partner, instead of letting the partner play.
R
RALLY
Continuous play that occurs after the serve and before a fault.
RESET SHOT
Wherever you are in the court, you hit a soft shot that drops into the Kitchen in much the same way as you would try to hit a 3rd shot. You are going for the same effect, which is to hit an unattackable ball and follow it into the net.
S
SERVICE LINE
A line on a court marking the boundary of the area in which the server must be standing when serving.
SMASH
The most aggressive offensive shot in pickleball. The smash is a forceful hit executed as high in the air as the player can reach and directed downward at a sharp angle into your opponent’s court. A well-executed smash is almost impossible to defend.
T
THIRD SHOT DRIVE
A driving shot that gives the opponent a much harder hit 4th shot that does not drop in the Kitchen. The goal is to then receive a more favorable 5th ball that allows you to approach the Kitchen safely.
THIRD SHOT DROP
A shot or long dink performed at or near the baseline that lands softly in the opponent’s Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone). This shot is designed with mostly one thing in mind, to allow your partner/team to get to (or at least move toward) the net.
TOPSPIN
A ball that rotates forward as it is moving. Topspin on a ball propelled through the air imparts a downward force that causes the ball to drop.
V
VOLLEY
This shot picks the ball out of the air before it bounces. This move is not allowed when the player is in the Kitchen or before the first 3 rallies.
