All Those Special Rules!
So there you are having fun on the pickleball courts when something, we’ll say something odd, happens, and the point ends. AND play ended on one of those ‘special case’ rules.
And everyone looks to you for the ruling!
Ummmmmmm…
Most of you have reviewed my easy to follow Yes or No Ratings and Goals Guide. And many of you want to know exactly what are the ‘special case’ rules that you need to know to advance from the 3.0 Level to the 3.5 level.
So from paddle hits to posts to strings to nets to Ernes, here are the explanations to those special cases for the sport that we love!
When Hitting the Line, It’s In; Or Is It?
When the ball bounces on the line, the baseline or the sideline, the ball is in. When serving, the ball is in if it bounces on the sideline, baseline, or centerline.
So you serve the ball short, and it bounces on the Non-Volley Zone Line. The receiver can’t get to it in time.
It seems like a great serve! But it’s actually a fault because the NVZ Line is part of the Kitchen.
I Have to Get Out of the Kitchen Immediately after I Make Contact with the Ball, Right?
Nope. This rule is often misunderstood by new players. In actuality, you can hang out in the Kitchen as much as you want (and maybe fold some laundry, check your emails, fix a sandwich).
You just can’t hit the ball in the air.
For example, you step into the Kitchen to take the ball on the bounce. You don’t leave the Kitchen, and take the ball again on the bounce. Perfectly legal.
But here’s where it gets a bit tricky (or in this case, special!). If you jump out of the Kitchen, take the ball in the air, and land outside of the Kitchen, that is a fault because you started your shot in the Kitchen.
Since We’re Talking about the Kitchen, When Does Momentum End?
You and your partner are racking up points. You’ve got momentum! You don’t want it to end!
Unless momentum carries you into the Kitchen on a volley!
But when exactly does this momentum end?
Let’s say you just hit the ball in the air, and you’re standing there, windmilling your arms, trying not to let yourself go into the Kitchen. Play continues for another five, six, seven shots (it doesn’t really matter how many!) before your partner puts it away for a winner. It’s now a dead ball.
And finally, you let your momentum carry yourself into the Kitchen.
Not good!
Momentum ends when you establish yourself outside the Kitchen. There is no magical time limit or bounce number, nor does it matter if the ball is dead. Momentum ends with you getting reset outside the Kitchen.
Double Taps, Carries, and Knuckles
You know how sometimes during your swing you feel the ball bounce twice on your paddle?
That’s perfectly fine! And you should continue playing the point!
Double taps (and even ‘carries’) are perfectly legal, as long as it happens ‘during a continuous, single direction stroke.’
Just make sure that you know that it’s a continuous stroke – you can’t make the ball pop up in the air and then crush the ball with an overhead smash!
Now that you know that double-taps are okay, you should also know that it’s okay if the ball bounces off your hand that’s holding the paddle – the back of your hand, the fingers or knuckles.
In other words, below the wrist – if the ball bounces off your arm (or any other body part besides your paddle hand!), that’s a fault.You know how sometimes during your swing you feel the ball bounce twice on your paddle?
That’s perfectly fine! And you should continue playing the point!
Double taps (and even ‘carries’) are perfectly legal, as long as it happens ‘during a continuous, single direction stroke.’
Just make sure that you know that it’s a continuous stroke – you can’t make the ball pop up in the air and then crush the ball with an overhead smash!
Now that you know that double-taps are okay, you should also know that it’s okay if the ball bounces off your hand that’s holding the paddle – the back of your hand, the fingers or knuckles.
In other words, below the wrist – if the ball bounces off your arm (or any other body part besides your paddle hand!), that’s a fault.
There’s Even Special Rules Depending on the Net You Use!
Many portable net systems have a crossbar that runs along the bottom of the net. In the middle of the net, there is often a post with a foot for support.
If you hit the ball and it strikes the crossbar (or the foot) on your side of the net, and the ball bounces over the net into your opponent’s court, that would be a really cool shot!
But it would still be a fault!
Now, let’s say your shot clears the net, and then hits the crossbar or the center post foot. That would be a really cool shot, too! But in this case it’s a let, and you replay the point (at least it’s not a fault like that first example!).
More Rules about the Nets
Because the net and the wires (or strings) holding up the net are positioned mostly on the court, if the ball hits the top of the net or the top wire or string, and the ball lands inbounds, it’s still in play.
Yes, one of those awwwwwww, man! Shots! (If you are the one on the wrong side of the net!)
Now here’s where it get confusing. First, if the ball hits the post, it’s a fault (that’s because the post is always out of bounds). If the ball goes between the net and the post, it’s a fault.
BUT, and here’s where it quite frankly doesn’t make any sense, “A ball contacting the net, the net cable, or rope between the net posts remains in play.”
So here’s my interpretation: if the ball hits that cable or rope between the post and the net, goes over the net and falls inbounds, the ball is still in play. If the ball hits that cable or rope and proceeds in play through the opening between the post and the net (in other words, does not go over the net), it’s a fault.
But I’m sure that doesn’t happen often!
A Final Note about Nets (and Perhaps the Rarest of Shots)
You can’t touch the net. Period. It’s a fault.
But you can pass over the net.
Here’s an example to illustrate – your opponent hits it (really) high, and it drops a couple of inches on your side of the net. It’s a nice high bounce, so you crush it with your forehand, and the momentum of your swing carries your paddle over the net into the plane of your opponent’s court.
As long as you didn’t touch the net, GREAT SHOT!
Now, perhaps the rarest of all shots – the backspin that carries the ball back into the striker’s court.
There’s a lot that has to go on for this shot to happen, but it happens enough that there’s an actual rule for it!
Picture this: there’s a pretty good breeze coming towards you. You strike the ball; intentionally or not, you put a lot of backspin on the ball. It bounces in the Kitchen, and the combination of wind and backspin carries it back into your court and your opponent didn’t hit it.
And you want to know what’s really cool? IT’S YOUR POINT!
Now, your opponent may be grumbling about this, but there’s also a special rule that he could have used.
You are not allowed to strike the ball when it’s on your opponent’s side of the court except when backspin carries the ball back over the net.
So what your opponent could have done was reach over the net to strike the ball so that it bounced into your court.
Provided he never touched the net when he did this! OR, because he’s sooooo close to the net, his foot (or feet!) doesn’t move under the net onto your side of the court – you guessed it – a fault!
Exploiting the Special Case Rules; Part I: Going Around the Post
I know you love making that around the post (affectionately known as the ATP)!
The conditions have to be just right – your opponent makes a crosscourt dink that’s so wide that it forces you well off the court. There’s almost no way that you’ll be able to get that back over the net.
But you don’t have to!
See, the rules don’t say you have to get the ball over the net, you just have to get the ball into your opponent’s court.
And that’s where the ATP comes into play.
While you’re pulled wide out of bounds, you strike the ball at an angle into your opponent’s court. It doesn’t come anywhere near going over the net.
And that’s what’s AWESOME because you went around the net, or more specifically, AROUND THE POST!
Exploiting the Special Case Rules; Part II: The Erne Shot
The Erne Shot is named after the player that invented it – Erne Perry. You see a lot of the pros pull this one off.
I’m warning you now, it’s a difficult shot to pull off, plus it could easily result in a fault (that’s why I don’t recommend it!).
Now, you know that you can’t hit the ball in the air while in the Kitchen. That means you have to be behind the NVZ Line to volley the ball.
But the out of bounds area at the left and right of the court is also NOT in the Kitchen. So you can take the ball in the air there, too.
If you want to pull off an Erne, when dinking at the sideline, if you’re quick enough, if you can recognize it in time, rush out of bounds to the side, and as your opponent’s ball just clears the net, reach out and smash it.
Like I said, it’s a difficult shot to pull off, and you could easily lose the point if you don’t execute it perfectly.
First, you may not strike the ball correctly – you could put it into the net, or you could touch the net, both faults! And like all the other rules about the NVZ, both feet must be established outside the Kitchen when you make contact with the ball.
Or your opponent may recognize that you’re about to try an Erne. And your partner probably didn’t move over to cover for you now that you’re off the court, which gives your opponent LOTS OF REAL ESTATE for an easy winner.
Lastly, there’s a special case rule about crossing the plane of the net onto your opponent’s side of the court. If you successfully pull off the Erne and your momentum carries to the other side of the net (out of bounds, of course!), you successfully pulled off an Erne!
But if you miss the Erne, meaning you don’t hit the ball, and your momentum carries to the other side of the court, you just lost the point!
Anything Else?
Now you’re the authority when these special cases come up on the court!
If I missed anything, or you just need a bit more clarification, don’t hesitate to comment on this post!
Warmly,
Prem