{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"87aa2cb2-b9b7-4f68-abc3-18aa49e9384c","tenantuid":"45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903","projectuid":"4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919","title":"Pickleball Line Call Rules: What\u0027s In and What\u0027s Out?","slug":"article/pickleball-line-call-rules-whats-in-and-whats-out","html":"\u003Cp\u003EIn pickleball, a ball is considered in if any part of it touches any part of the line bordering the court \u2014 the line is part of the court, not a boundary that the ball must clear entirely. A ball is out only if it lands completely outside every line, with no part of the ball making contact with any boundary line.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022the_core_line_call_rule\u0022\u003EThe Core Line Call Rule\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the same principle used in tennis and most other racquet sports: lines are inclusive, not exclusive. If you can see any portion of the ball touching any part of a boundary line \u2014 even the faintest clip of the edge \u2014 the ball is good. The ball must be entirely outside the line, with zero contact, to be called out.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022recommended\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003ENote\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen in doubt, the call should favor \u0022in.\u0022 If a player genuinely cannot tell whether the ball touched the line, the benefit of the doubt typically goes to the opposing team \u2014 you should only call a ball out if you\u0027re confident it missed the line entirely.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022which_lines_matter_and_when\u0022\u003EWhich Lines Matter and When\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBaseline:\u003C/b\u003E The back boundary of the court. A ball landing on or touching the baseline during regular play is in.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESidelines:\u003C/b\u003E The side boundaries of the court. Same rule \u2014 touching the sideline counts as in.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECenterline:\u003C/b\u003E Divides the service boxes on each side. Matters only during the serve, to determine which box the ball must land in.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENon-volley zone (kitchen) line:\u003C/b\u003E This line is treated differently depending on context. For a ball bouncing during play, the kitchen line follows the standard \u0022touching counts as in\u0022 rule. But for a serve, a ball landing on the kitchen line or anywhere inside the kitchen is out \u2014 the kitchen is not a legal serve landing area, regardless of the touching-line rule.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022who_makes_the_call\u0022\u003EWho Makes the Call\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn recreational and most club play, each side is responsible for making line calls on balls landing on their own side of the court. You call your own side; your opponent calls theirs. In refereed tournament matches, the referee or line judges make the calls, and players generally cannot overrule them except through a formal appeal process specific to that event.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022common_line_call_disputes\u0022\u003ECommon Line Call Disputes\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDisagreement on a close call:\u003C/b\u003E If both teams genuinely disagree and there\u0027s no valid way to confirm (no video, no neutral observer), the standard practice is to replay the point.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECalling a ball out after play continues:\u003C/b\u003E Line calls must be made promptly, before the next shot is hit. A late \u0022out\u0022 call after continuing to play the point is not valid \u2014 the point stands.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA spectator or non-playing partner makes the call:\u003C/b\u003E Only the players actively in the point (or designated officials) should make line calls. A bystander\u0027s opinion isn\u0027t an official call.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022frequently_asked_questions\u0022\u003EFrequently Asked Questions\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022is_a_serve_that_lands_exactly_on_the_kitchen_line_in_or_out\u0022\u003EIs a serve that lands exactly on the kitchen line in or out?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOut. The kitchen line is treated as part of the kitchen for serving purposes \u2014 a serve landing anywhere in the kitchen, including directly on its line, is a fault. This is the one major exception to the general \u0022touching the line is in\u0022 rule.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022what_happens_if_theres_no_way_to_verify_a_disputed_line_call\u0022\u003EWhat happens if there\u0027s no way to verify a disputed line call?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn recreational and most club play without video replay, an irreconcilable disagreement over a line call is typically resolved by replaying the point. No team should be forced to accept a call they genuinely believe was wrong without some form of resolution, and a replay is the fairest practical option.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022can_you_appeal_a_line_call_in_a_refereed_match\u0022\u003ECan you appeal a line call in a refereed match?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAppeal procedures vary by tournament and sanctioning body. Some events allow a player to request a referee\u0027s overrule of a line judge\u0027s call in specific circumstances, but generally a referee\u0027s or line judge\u0027s call is considered final during sanctioned matches. Check the specific tournament\u0027s rules document for its appeal process.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022related_articles\u0022\u003ERelated Articles\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/complete-pickleball-rules-guide\u0022\u003EComplete Pickleball Rules Guide\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/pickleball-court-dimensions-and-setup-complete-guide\u0022\u003EPickleball Court Dimensions and Setup: Complete Guide\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/what-is-the-kitchen-rule-in-pickleball\u0022\u003EWhat Is the Kitchen Rule in Pickleball?\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQuestions about pickleball rules? Email \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@pickleball.com\u0022\u003Esupport@pickleball.com\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","author":{"authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","name":"Christy Cook","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/","photo_url":"https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903/4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919/4fd2cf59-047a-4a00-8a6d-2d9c6c9f91fe.jpg?v=1114665229","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/"},"featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Pickleball line calls: Ball touching any court line is in, out only if fully outside. Key serve exceptions \u0026 common disputes explained.","keywords":"pickleball; ball in play; line call rule; baseline; sidelines; centerline; non-volley zone; kitchen line; refereed matches; disputed line calls","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"total_views":17,"date_stale":"2027-07-01T00:00:00","date_published":"2026-06-30T09:24:36.993","date_updated":"2026-06-30T09:24:37","date_created":"2026-06-30T09:22:32.973"}}}