Another day, another viral video of two (or more) people on a pickleball court acting like they’re in a bar fight at 2am after drinking too much and talking too much trash with the wrong folks.

At this point, these shocking videos are becoming the norm in pickleball. I’ve seen so many clips recently where players are acting like they’re actually in a boxing gym. What starts out as a friendly neighborhood game escalates into a genuine brawl before my very eyes.

In November, Peter Shonk was violently kicked after hitting a paddle out of his opponent's hand and engaging in a little taunting. That scene alone is enough to raise the alarm bells, but why is this behavior becoming more frequent?  

This even happened at the pro level. At December's Daytona Beach Open, Mohaned Alhouni headbutted AJ Koller following a tense men’s doubles match, and the four players were audibly screaming at each other as if they were about to square off. 

In January, another video appeared in the circuit posted by @pickleballdotcom and @memesofpickleball where a multi-person brawl broke out on the court with swinging, punching, and even using paddles as weapons. 

At this point, we can only speculate as to what sparked this particular fight, but I can’t imagine a good enough reason to initiate this level of pure violence. 

Sure, the comment section can joke that it likely stems from a bad line call or that it’s what the new MLP Dreambreaker should look like. But screaming, fighting, and kicking? Is this MMA? Even hockey players who drop the gloves have their limits. And at least they have pads. 

Pickleball started as a friendly game between neighbors and friends. And while I love how the sport continues to evolve and grow, violence isn't growth.

The tricky thing is that pickleball is a competitive game. And because it’s so popular and anyone can play, it attracts a lot of people and personalities. Sometimes, you might end up on the other side of the court from someone you just don’t like. At the end of the day, though, it’s just a game. 

Even at the pro level, it’s just a game. 

I’m a big advocate of rivalries. It’s great for the sport. It builds tension, it adds entertainment value, and it’s exciting to see who’s going to come out on top. 

The minute someone starts swinging, however, is when we need to draw the line. James Ignatowich and Christian Alshon’s rivalry is fun. It’s delightful, entertaining, clever, and even funnier when they partnered up together. 

I also love this budding back-and-forth rivalry in women’s doubles between Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau and Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher, but I don’t want to see them punching each other. I’d watch boxing if I wanted to see that. 

Now that violent outbursts are becoming the norm, even at my local court I feel myself tense up when the four players on the 20x44 next to me start arguing a little too loudly about a bad line call. Is one of them going to start swinging?

Just be safe on the court. Pay attention to your surroundings and who’s on the court next to you, especially if they’re hyper-emotional. Be alert. You don’t want to be in the next viral video involving violence on the court.