A shot hit around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. Legal under USAPA rules — the ball can pass below the net height as long as it goes around the post and lands in the opposing court. Spectacular when it works.
Slang for a player who hits hard, flat drives instead of using the soft game. A banger relies on power; high-rated players tend to neutralise them by absorbing pace and dinking.
The back boundary line of the court, 22 feet (6.7m) from the net. Serves must be hit from behind the baseline; baseline rallies are common before transitioning to the kitchen.
An aggressive variant of the Erne — the player crosses to their partner's side of the court and steps around the kitchen on that sideline to volley. Higher reward than the Erne, much higher risk.
A fault where the ball stays on the paddle face longer than a clean strike — the player has 'carried' the ball rather than hit it. Rare in normal play; more common with extreme slice attempts.
The line dividing the service courts. Serves must land in the diagonal opposing service court — across the centre line and the kitchen line from the server.
A paddle face material made from fibreglass or graphite blended with resin. Softer than carbon, more vibration-damping. Most beginner and arm-friendly paddles use composite faces.
The default pickleball grip — paddle held like a hammer, with the V-shape between thumb and index finger on the bevel between the top and one side. Used for both forehand and backhand shots without changing.
A soft, low shot landing in the opponent's kitchen designed to be unattackable. The core soft-game shot in pickleball — most points at higher levels are decided by dink rallies at the kitchen line.
Pickleball's defining rule: after the serve, both teams must let the ball bounce once before they can volley. The serve bounces, the return bounces, then volleying becomes legal. Prevents serve-and-volley dominance.
Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating — the global rating system using a 2.0–8.0 scale that updates after every recorded match. The dominant pickleball rating system worldwide and used by Pickleball England.
The protective rim around a paddle's edge. Some 'edgeless' paddles forgo it for slightly larger sweet spot. Edge-guarded paddles take longer to wear out but have a slightly smaller hitting surface.
An attacking volley played by stepping around the kitchen and outside the sideline to hit from beside the net post. Fully legal — feet must stay outside the kitchen lines. Named after Erne Perry.
The 7-foot (2.13m) area on each side of the net where players cannot volley. Volleys hit while standing in the kitchen are faults. Defines pickleball's strategic geography.
Historically, a serve that touched the net cord and landed legally was a 'let' and replayed. Removed from the rules in 2021 — net-cord serves are now in play if they land legally.
A high arcing shot designed to go over an opponent at the kitchen line. Used to push opponents back when they're hugging the net or to recover from defensive positions.
The English national governing body for pickleball. Coordinates club affiliation, tournament sanctioning, and DUPR submission for English competitive events.
When the partner of the player receiving the shot crosses to the centre to take the volley themselves. An aggressive play used to cut off cross-court rallies and put pressure on the opponents.
The most common modern paddle core material. Polymer honeycomb cells absorb vibration and provide consistent feel. The core thickness (13mm vs 16mm) affects play characteristics — thicker = more control, thinner = more pop.
Professional Pickleball Association Tour — the dominant US-based professional tour. Hosts major events globally. Most-watched professional pickleball broadcasts.
A defensive shot that takes pace off a fast incoming ball and returns it softly to the kitchen. Used to neutralise an aggressive opponent's drives and re-establish a soft-game rally.
Pickleball played with controlled, low-pace shots — primarily dinks, drops, and resets. The dominant style at higher levels because it neutralises power and forces errors. Contrasts with the 'hard game' (drives and bangs).
A doubles positioning tactic where partners line up on the same side before the serve, then move to their preferred sides after the ball is struck. Allows both players to play their stronger side every point.
A mid-rally swap of court sides between partners — typically called when a player is pulled wide for a lob or out of position. Distinct from stacking, which is pre-arranged.
A soft arcing shot hit by the serving team after the return — designed to land in the opponents' kitchen so the serving team can advance to the kitchen line. The single hardest skill to master in pickleball.
Same as the Double Bounce Rule. The ball must bounce once on each side after the serve before either team can volley. The most distinctive pickleball rule.
USA Pickleball Association — the US governing body and the source of the international rule book. Most other national federations including Pickleball England base their rules on USAPA.
Universal Tennis Rating for Pickleball — an alternative rating system derived from tennis's UTR. Limited UK adoption; DUPR is the dominant system for UK players.
A shot hit before the ball bounces. Legal anywhere except in the kitchen — see Kitchen / NVZ. Most points at the higher levels are decided by volleys at the kitchen line.