What Happens When You Fault in Pickleball?

A fault in pickleball is any action that stops play and results in a dead ball, ending the rally in favor of the team that did not commit the violation. Faults can happen on the serve, during a rally, or due to rule violations like illegal kitchen entry. Understanding the full range of faults helps you avoid unnecessary errors and know what to expect when a rally ends unexpectedly.

What Happens When a Fault Occurs

When a fault is committed, the rally ends immediately and the result depends on which team committed the fault and whether they were serving:

If the serving team faults: They lose their serve (a side out, or in doubles, the serve passes to the second server or to the opposing team if both partners have served).
If the receiving team faults: The serving team scores a point and continues to serve.

Common Types of Faults

Serving Faults

Serving the ball into the net.
Serving the ball out of bounds or into the kitchen (including its line).
Stepping on or over the baseline before contacting the serve.
Serving out of turn or out of sequence (in doubles).
An illegal serve motion — such as contacting the ball above the waist with an overhand-style swing under certain serve rules.

Volley and Kitchen Faults

Volleying while any part of your body or paddle touches the kitchen or its lines.
Volleying the serve or the return of serve before its required bounce (two-bounce rule violation).
Momentum carrying a player into the kitchen immediately after a legal volley.

Ball-In-Play Faults

Hitting the ball out of bounds.
Hitting the ball into the net on your side.
Allowing the ball to bounce twice on your side before returning it.
Touching the net or net post with your body or paddle during a live rally.
Carrying or double-hitting the ball (an extended scoop or two distinct hits with the same swing).
The ball touching a player's body or clothing (other than the paddle in hand).
Reaching over the net to hit the ball before it crosses to your side (except in narrow follow-through circumstances permitted by some rule sets).

Note

A ball that touches any part of a player's body — even a graze on the leg or arm — is a fault, even if the player didn't intend the contact and even if the ball would have gone out anyway. This surprises a lot of players who assume only paddle contact matters.

Fault vs. Let: What's the Difference?

A fault ends the rally with a result (point or side out). A let, by contrast, simply requires the point to be replayed with no penalty to either side — lets are now rare in pickleball since the let-serve rule was removed from most sanctioned play, but they can still occur for outside interference, like a ball rolling onto the court from an adjacent game.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if both teams fault on the same rally?

In the rare case where faults from both sides are identified, the general principle is that the first fault to occur ends the rally, and that result stands. Simultaneous or ambiguous double-fault situations are uncommon and usually resolved through replay if there's genuine doubt about sequence.

Does a fault always result in losing the point?

Not exactly — it depends on who's serving. If the serving team faults, they lose their serve but don't necessarily give up a point (the receiving team doesn't score from the serving team's fault; they simply gain the serve in side-out scoring, or score in rally scoring). If the receiving team faults, the serving team always scores a point.

Is touching the net with your paddle always a fault?

Yes, if it happens while the ball is still in play (live). Touching the net or net post with your body, clothing, or paddle during a live rally is a fault, regardless of whether it affected the outcome of the point. Once the ball is dead (the point has ended), touching the net no longer matters.

Questions about pickleball rules? Email [email protected].