Pro pickleball catches a lot of grief over bad line calls and replay cameras that aren't high-quality enough to help referees make the correct decision.

And while line calls, good or bad, can impact a game, they're rarely match-ending. 

Since pickleball is especially quick in nature, if a ball is called “out” and it’s reviewed, overturned, and ruled “in,” players on both sides of the court have several opportunities to get the point back. 

At the rec level, if you encounter an opponent who makes questionable line calls, it’s annoying in the moment, and then you can avoid playing with them again. There are ways around it.

Sometimes, however, you simply run out of options.

While watching the NFL season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, a touchdown call sparked great debate at the last second of the fourth quarter that resulted in the same heartbreak and outrage that I’ve witnessed on the 20x44. 

Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely caught a touchdown pass where his toe barely contacted the white line in the back of the end zone, and after official review, the referees deemed it incomplete.

The Ravens lost to the two-time defending Super Bowl champs 27-20... by a literal toe touch.

Line calls are inherently difficult in any professional sport when spectators are watching, broadcasters are zooming in close, and self-proclaimed "experts" on social media are adding their two cents into the mix. 

When everyone is going back and forth over grainy camera footage of a yellow blob maybe or maybe not hitting the line in pickleball, it makes the calls even trickier.

But, calls will always feel biased no matter what the ruling is.

Case in point, as soon as the touchdown call was overturned, Ravens fans were up in arms claiming that the refs were against them. 

However, if a bad call happens in pro pickleball, players can manage the issue. Practically speaking, the pro can just place the ball further inside the baseline or closer to the middle. After all, they’re experts in power and control. And if they make more shots that are obviously in, the opponent or referee won’t have to get involved because there’s no debate about whether it's in or out.

Simply put, don’t hit the ball down the line. 

Pickleball players also have multiple chances to score or hold off their opponent from scoring when they're on serve. Double the changes when they’re playing doubles. 

And at the pro level, it’s best two of three games for a match. Best three of five on Championship Sunday. 

But in a sport like football, it’s much more difficult to get that touchdown back. And on Thursday night, the Ravens just ran out of time. 

Line calls are a never-ending source of discussion, no matter the sport. And whichever way the calls go, there will always be winners and others who get pickled from a few bad decisions.

Is pickleball actually the best sport for bad line calls because it likely won’t cost you the game? Let us know your thoughts on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).