Glossary

A

Ace

A serve the receiver cannot touch. Rare in pickleball because serves must be hit underhand and land deep.

ATP (Around the Post)

A shot hit around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. Legal as long as the ball lands in, and it does not need to clear net height.

B

Backhand

A stroke hit with the back of the hand facing the direction of the shot. Many players use two hands on the backhand for stability.

Banger

A player who hits hard drives whenever possible instead of playing the soft game. Beating bangers is a classic strategy topic.

Baseline

The line at the back of each side of the court, 22 feet from the net. You serve from behind it.

Block

A soft, compact volley that absorbs a hard drive and drops the ball into the kitchen.

C

Carry

A fault where the ball rests on or is slung by the paddle rather than being struck cleanly.

Centerline

The line that divides each service area into left and right halves, running from the non-volley line to the baseline.

Core thickness

The depth of a paddle's honeycomb core, measured in millimetres and usually between 12 and 19. A thicker core absorbs more of the ball's energy, which softens feel and widens the sweet spot; a thinner core returns more energy for extra pop. 16mm is the current default.See also: Thermoformed

Counter (Counter-attack)

Returning an opponent's speed-up with your own aggressive shot instead of blocking it.

D

Dead ball

A ball that is no longer in play, for example after a fault.

Dink

A soft shot hit from at or near the non-volley line that arcs over the net and lands in the opponent's kitchen. The heart of the soft game.

Dinking

A rally of dinks, where both teams wait for a ball high enough to attack.

Doubles

The most common format: two players per side.

Drive

A hard, low, fast groundstroke, usually hit from the baseline or transition zone.

Drop (Third-shot drop)

A soft shot hit from deep in the court that lands in the opponent's kitchen, letting your team move to the net. The third shot of a rally is the classic moment for it.

DUPR

Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating: a widely used rating system that updates from match results.

E

Erne

A volley hit from outside the court beside the kitchen, by jumping around or stepping outside the non-volley zone. Named after Erne Perry.

F

Fault

Any rule violation that ends the rally, such as hitting the ball out, into the net, or volleying from the kitchen.

Foot fault

Stepping on or over the baseline while serving, or touching the non-volley zone while volleying (including your momentum carrying you in).

G

Groundstroke

Any shot hit after the ball bounces.

H

Half volley

A ball hit immediately after it bounces, often from the transition zone as a reset.

K

Kitchen

The nickname for the non-volley zone: the 7-foot area on each side of the net where you may not volley.See also: Non-volley zone (NVZ)

L

Let

A replayed point. Under current rules a serve that clips the net and lands in the service court is played, not replayed.

Lob

A high, deep shot hit over the opponents' heads to push them off the net.

N

Non-volley zone (NVZ)

The area within 7 feet of the net on each side, including the line. You may not volley while touching it. Commonly called the kitchen.See also: Kitchen

O

Open play

Drop-in sessions at a court or club where players rotate in without pre-arranged games.

Overhead (Smash)

A hard shot hit from above the head, usually to punish a short lob.

P

Paddle

The solid racket used in pickleball, with a honeycomb core and a composite, fiberglass or carbon face.

Poach

In doubles, crossing into your partner's side to take a ball, usually an aggressive volley.

Punch volley

A short, firm volley with minimal backswing, used to keep opponents back or attack their feet.

R

Rally

The continuous play from the serve until a fault.

Rally scoring

A scoring variant where a point is scored on every rally regardless of who served. Used in some leagues and MLP; traditional side-out scoring is standard in recreational play.

Raw carbon

A paddle face made of unpainted carbon fiber, whose natural texture grips the ball for spin.

Reset

A soft shot that neutralizes an opponent's attack by dropping the ball into the kitchen, turning a defensive position into a neutral one.

S

Serve

The shot that starts a rally. Must be hit underhand (or dropped and bounced), from behind the baseline, diagonally into the opposite service court.

Side-out

When the serving team loses its serve and the other team begins serving.

Side-out scoring

Traditional scoring: only the serving team can score. Games are typically to 11, win by 2.

Speed-up

Turning a dink rally into an attack by hitting a fast ball, usually at an opponent's body or a gap.

Stacking

A doubles positioning strategy where partners line up on the same side before the serve or return so each ends up on their preferred side.

Sweet spot

The area of the paddle face that gives the cleanest, most consistent response. Wider paddles tend to have larger sweet spots.

Swingweight

A measure of how heavy a paddle feels when swung, which depends on where the weight sits, not just the total weight. Higher swingweight adds power and stability but slows hand speed.

T

Thermoformed

A paddle construction where the face and core are heat-pressed into one piece with foam-injected edges. Typically adds power and durability.

Third shot

The serving team's first shot after the return of serve. Usually a drop or a drive.

Transition zone

The mid-court area between the baseline and the kitchen line, sometimes called no man's land. Move through it with purpose.

Twistweight

A measure of a paddle's resistance to twisting on off-center hits. Higher twistweight means a more forgiving, stable paddle.

Two-bounce rule

After the serve, the ball must bounce once on each side before anyone can volley. Also called the double-bounce rule.

V

Volley

Hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. Not allowed while touching the non-volley zone.

Want to hit it, not just define it? The shot library covers every stroke.