If you're new to pickleball or just want to brush up on your knowledge of the game, it's helpful to familiarize yourself with some common terms. While many of the terms are easy to understand logically, some of them are unique to the sport and certainly require a bit of explanation. Here's a list of terms that you'll often hear on the pickleball court:
Dink: A soft shot that is hit just over the net and lands in the non-volley zone. Useful when your opponent is in the backcourt, forcing them to run forward.
Drive shot: A powerful shot hit with pace and aimed deep into the opponent's court. Like a fastball, intended to be difficult to return simply because of its speed.
Lob: A high-arcing shot that goes into the backcourt area, forcing your opponent to move back.
Volley: Hitting the ball out of the air without letting it bounce.
Third-shot drop: The strategy of hitting a soft drop shot in or near the kitchen as your team's third shot after a serve, aiming to start a rally from a favorable position near the net.
Third-Shot drive: Opposite of the third-shot drop, a strategy of hitting a drive to your opponents as the third shot after a serve.
Fault: An error made during serving or while playing that stops play and results in a loss of serve or point for the serving team.
Kitchen: Also known as the non-volley zone, this is a 7-foot area on each side of the net where players are not allowed to volley shots out of mid-air. The ball must bounce in the kitchen before hitting it.
Let: When during a serve, if the ball hits the top part of the net but still lands in play, it is considered as a let serve and can be taken again without any penalty. This rule was eliminated in 2021 and no longer applies.
Second serve: If a player fails to make their first serve within bounds, they get another chance called a second serve.
Ground stroke: A shot hit after the ball has bounced on the ground. The half-volley comes into play when you hit the ball immediately after it bounces off the ground.
Half volley: Hitting the ball immediately after it bounces off the ground.
Smash/Slam: A powerful overhead shot that is difficult to return due to the speed of the ball.
Replay: When a point is replayed due to an unforeseen interruption or interference during play.
Line call: A judgment made by players to determine if a shot landed inside or outside of the court boundaries.
Ball Out: When a ball lands outside of the playing area.
Side Out: When serving rights are lost and given to the opposing team.
Ace: A serve that lands untouched by the receiving team, resulting in fault and an immediate point for the server.
Back court: The area towards the back of the pickleball court where players position themselves during play.
Mid-court: The middle part of the pickleball court between the net and baseline, where players often transition between offense and defense.
Backhand: Hitting a shot with the back of your hand facing the direction you are hitting.
Forehand: Hitting a shot with the palm side of your hand facing in the direction you are hitting.
Double bounce: A fault that occurs when the ball bounces twice on one side before it is returned. This is not the same as the two-bounce rule.
Double hit: Accidentally hitting or touching the ball twice in succession during one swing or attempt to return the ball over the net.
Two-bounce rule: Requiring that each team allows one bounce from their opponent after the serve before they can volley (hit it out of mid-air). This prevents volleying in the first to hits after the serve.
Foot fault: When a player’s foot is in a prohibited area while striking the ball. For example, if the server’s foot is in the service area during a serve or if a player’s foot is in the kitchen when hitting a volley.
Rally: A continuous exchange of shots between players without any interruptions.
Dig: Very similar to a dig in volleyball. A dig is a quick, low shot that is hit just above the ground to return a difficult slam toward the ground by the opponent.
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