18 Positive Pickleball Etiquette Rules Everyone Should Know (But Many Players Ignore)

By Picklepedia Contributor John Zakour

As a health and happiness coach, I’ve been a proponent of pickleball for over ten years now. Pretty much anybody from eight to at least ninety-eight can grasp the game quite quickly, but it takes a lot of skill to master. Pickleball is great fun and a nice workout. Plus, the smaller court means you are close to your partner and your opponents, therefore games are filled with social interactions! Fun, exercise and social interactions are all great things for happiness and health.

That said, now being holiday season—the time of good cheer and peace and love—I thought it might be nice to review some basic pickleball etiquette in order to keep games friendly.

The Golden Rule: Don’t Be a Jerk

First off, the most basic suggestion is “be a nice human” or to put it more bluntly “don’t be a jerk.” This is especially true when playing recreational or social pickleball.

Once when browsing a pickleball forum, somebody was complaining that they were playing with a new player and a more experienced player on the other side kept nailing that new player with the ball, including a head shot. I was surprised to see people defending that action. Nope, sorry, that’s not an acceptable way to initiate new players. They are trying to learn a fun new sport, not join the navy seals.

(On a side note, my son does seem to take pride in nailing me with body shots but that’s a father-son thing and he knows after years of playing baseball and doing martial arts I’ve been hit with a lot harder things. But I digress.)

Start Every Match Right

Before a match starts, meet and greet at the net. If you don’t know another player, introduce yourself. If you or one of the other players is new to the court, go over any ground rules.

How to Handle New Players (Without Being That Person)

Speaking of new or newer players, if you are playing a pickup match against a good player and a new or poor player, please try not to target every shot at the poor player. Yes, you certainly want to hit the ball to them—they won’t learn unless they get to hit balls in play. But certainly don’t concentrate solely on them. That’s just not a lot of fun for them or their partner.

For the game to continue to grow, we need to strive to make it appealing to new players. Let them know the pickleball community is a welcoming one.

Also, please don’t Nasty Nelson a new player. In years of playing I’ve only seen that happen once. And the person who pulled off the NN justified it by saying, “I’m teaching them the rule.” It’s still not cool, unless it’s clearly explained that if you get hit with a serve it’s the server’s point.

If you are playing doubles with a weaker partner, don’t poach every shot. Your partner won’t get better if they don’t get to play points.

The Line Calling Rules Everyone Should Know

When we are playing without a ref (which is most of the time for most of us), we call our own lines on our side of the court. If you notice you’ve stepped in the kitchen and your opponents didn’t notice, be like honest Abe Lincoln and admit your mistake.

If your opponent hits a ball and you’re not sure if it was out or in, then it was in.

There’s a very simple rule to remember here: If you don’t clearly see the ball out, then it’s in. It’s that easy. You always give the benefit of the doubt to your opponent. Even if you are competitive when playing recreational (which is cool), you still don’t want to call a ball out unless you are sure it’s out. You wanna win the right way. Right?

If you and your partner disagree on whether a ball is in or not, then you always make the call that benefits the other team.

Oh, if you are on the sidelines watching a match and see the ball differently than it was called by the players, you have to remember it’s not your call. You don’t say anything unless the players ask you what you thought. Even then, tread lightly.

The Coaching Conversation Most Partners Need

Coaching your partner in doubles is something else that can come into play on a court. Some people don’t mind a friendly reminder like “keep the ball low…” or “please join me at the kitchen,” or whatever. Others do mind. (I’ve found significant others tend to really mind.)

Therefore, before giving coaching advice or tips, it’s best to ask your partner: “Can I make a suggestion?” If they say “no thank you,” acknowledge and go about your day. I’ve found most people are receptive to some casual coaching. For instance, most new players don’t mind being given the friendly reminder, “remember the two-bounce rule so let the ball bounce after the return of serve.” Just don’t go overboard. And certainly don’t scream it at them.

What NOT to Say to Your Partner

That said, there are a few gestures and statements that you probably shouldn’t say to your partner unless you know that partner very well (and even then you might want to take a breath before saying them):

• “That was yours…”
• “OMG! Why did you try to hit that??”
• “What were you thinking with that shot?”
• “Are you trying to get me killed at the net?”

It’s best not to roll your eyes or sigh after your partner misses a shot. That’s just not a positive feel-good vibe.

What You SHOULD Say Instead

It’s much more productive to reinforce the positive, saying stuff like:

• “Good shot!”
• “Nice hustle.”
• “Good job letting the ball sail out.”
• Even “nice try, we’ll get ’em next time.”

Basic Serving Protocol

When serving, remember to call the score loud and clearly before you serve. Make sure your opponent is ready before serving. (Extra player tip: Don’t go into your serving motion until after you’ve called the score.)

After the Final Point

Finally, when the match is over, remember a little good sportsmanship goes a long way, win or lose. Meet at the net, touch paddles and exchange niceties with your opponents. After all, we don’t only share a court with other players—we share a community. We want to strive to make it a welcoming community.

Quick Recap: The 18 Etiquette Rules

• Be a nice human (or more bluntly: don’t be a jerk)
• Meet and greet at the net before matches start
• Introduce yourself if you don’t know the other players
• Review ground rules with new players before starting
• Don’t target every shot at the weaker player in mixed-skill matches
• Hit to weaker players strategically so they can learn, but don’t exclusively attack them
• Don’t Nasty Nelson new players unless the rule is clearly explained first
• Don’t poach every shot from your weaker partner
• Call your own faults even if opponents don’t notice (be like Honest Abe)
• If you’re not sure it was out, it’s in—always give benefit of doubt
• When you clearly see the ball out, call it out—that’s playing fair too
• If partners disagree on a call, make the call that benefits the other team
• Sideline watchers stay quiet unless players ask for your opinion
• Ask “Can I make a suggestion?” before coaching your partner
• Never roll your eyes or sigh after your partner misses a shot
• Use positive reinforcement instead of criticism
• Call the score loud and clearly before every serve
• Wait for opponents to be ready before serving (and don’t start your motion until after calling the score)
• Touch paddles and exchange pleasantries after the match ends

John Zakour is a humorist, health educator, happiness coach, and pickleball ambassador who has been playing for over 10 years. He runs The Lighter Side of Pickleball Facebook page.