Pickleball Etiquette 101: What works and what doesn't
DALLAS, TX – Alright class, gather 'round for an important lesson in pickleball etiquette.
Pinkies up when you sip out of your water bottle and bring a towel to delicately dab off your perspiration after a match. It’s time to learn a thing or two.
With more and more people flocking to their local courts and fighting over playing time, we must remember that this is - and will always be - a community sport. We need to treat each other with respect. Remember, sharing is caring.
These rules are mostly for overcrowded courts in suburbia where people are always waiting in line for a chance to enjoy America's fastest-growing sport.
Pickleball Court Etiquette
1. Don’t be a court hog. Wait to play until you have four players present.
Warming up and drilling is important, but don’t take up an entire court to simply dink back and forth while you wait for your fourth player to show up when there are groups with all four players there waiting. Respect other people’s court times as much as your own.
2. Wait to open the court gate or pass behind the court until the point is over.
Don’t be a distraction. That’s just rude. If there’s a men’s doubles match underway with guys playing like Ben and Collin Johns against Gabe Tardio and Andrei Daescu on Championship Sunday, don't open the court gate and walk behind them in the middle of a point.
It’s obnoxious and unsafe. Some of those rec players are aggressive and a little unpredictable, so let’s avoid the drama and potential injuries. Just don’t do it. Be polite.
3. If your ball rolls onto a neighboring court, yell “ball.”
We all think we're basically perfectly players, but sometimes we inadvertently lob or whack a ball in the wrong direction and it soars into a neighboring court.
When that happens, call “Ball!” to alert players nearby.
Otherwise, it’s a safety hazard. Now, they should calmly halt their point and either roll or toss it back to you. That's how you should react under the circumstances. Some people, however, are less gracious.
But be the bigger person.
That concludes today’s lesson. Please remember that pickleball is a wonderfully diverse sport that should be accessible to all. Be polite to others. Be aware of your surroundings and use sound judgement. We all want court time and we all want to play.
Let’s make our community courts a fun-filled, drama-free zone.
What pickleball etiquette did I miss? Leave us a comment on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Related articles
Upset Alert: Staksrud, Wright knock out the Johns brothers in two games
Staksrud and Wright dominate the Johns brothers.
8 hours ago
-Victoria Radnothy
Koop, Kawamoto into finals after three-game thriller
Saturday afternoon gave pickleball fans one of the most intense matches of the year, along with one of the most fiercely contested endings of all time.
9 hours ago
-Will Daughton
Ignatowich, Bright put a stop to Rohrabacher, Staksrud’s run
Ignatowich and Bright are back.
12 hours ago
-Victoria Radnothy
Johns downs McGuffin to set finals clash with Staksrud
The No. 2 seed will have a chance to capture his fourth singles title of the year on Championship Sunday.
13 hours ago
-Will Daughton