Ask the Ref
Jo Honeycutt, a Kissing Tree pioneer, has been playing pickleball for 11 years. She has been a certified referee for 7 years. She and her husband Larry have been instrumental in beginning and sustaining the pickleball program here at Kissing Tree. She was the founding president of the Kissing Tree Pickleball Association, giving many hours and a lot of effort to get a great program established and able to continue for the long term.
If you have questions about pickleball rules or procedures, she will periodically answer them in a column in this website. Send your questions to texmom50@gmail.com. When appropriate, we will have another column with answers from Jo.
By Jo Honeycutt
Most every sport has its unwritten rules and unspoken etiquette when it comes to play. Let’s explore a few of those that pertain to pickleball.
BALL ETIQUETTE
Stray balls from another court are a fact of life. If your ball rolls onto the playing surface of an adjoining court, do not chase after it. Call “Ball” or “Ball on Court” to alert the players of a possible hazard. If the ball is at the back of the fence on an adjoining court and not posing a safety hazard, wait until the rally is over and then retrieve it, or ask the other players to retrieve it if they are closer. A quick “Thanks” for the person retrieving your ball is nice. If you are retrieving the ball for another court, gently roll or toss it back to the player waiting on it. Don’t create another safety hazard by launching a Hail Mary for the end zone! And please, don’t exchange your old ball for a new shiny one, or an indoor ball for an outdoor ball-not cool! If your play is interrupted by a stray ball, immediately stop play, call “Ball” and replay the point. You can’t call a ball hinder if you continue play and then commit a fault. Also, be honest if the “Ball” call comes AFTER you hit a shot that results in a fault. Just admit the call did not affect your hit and move on to the next point.
SHARE THE COURT
KT has a 4-on, 4-off policy when the courts are full and players are waiting. This generally works very well. To keep things moving, immediately vacate the court when your game is over, saying “Court Open”. If you are next up in the paddle rack, pay attention and try to have all four players enter and leave the courts together. You should wait for an adjoining court to finish their point before walking behind them to enter or leave courts. More skilled players can generally keep the ball in play for longer rallies, which sometime results in a game taking more time than one where rallies are shorter. Be fair-don’t start another game or “adjust” your scores downward to extend your game, when others are waiting for a court.
MAKING THE CALL
The USAP Official Rulebook states “A sense of fair play from giving the opponent the benefit of any doubt is essential in maintaining the game’s underlying principles of fun and competition.” When that pickleball lands very close to a line, be sure you see that it’s clearly out before you make that call. You don’t want to be a student of the “When in doubt, call it out” school of line calling! If your opponents are unsure about a line call and you know your ball landed out, say so. After a volley, if you look down and see yourself or your partner’s foot in the kitchen, call the non-volley zone fault on your team. Be honest and be a good sport. Also remember to call the complete score-3 numbers-before every serve. We’re all 55+ and it’s easy to lose track of the score.
SPORTSMANSHIP VS GAMESMANSHIP
Tournament play is competitive play. You employ all your best skills and attack your opponent’s weaknesses. In recreational play, common courtesy should prevail. Don’t bring your hardest overhead smash at the beginner/newbie. Don’t continually lob a player with limited mobility. Yeah, you could win the point, but maybe take the opportunity to work on those dinks or 3rd shot drops. Congratulate your opponents’ and partner’s good shots, but refrain from the chest bumps, fist in the opponent’s face and loud exclamations of “Yeah!” when you hit a winning shot. We all know the pain or joy of that ball that hits the top of the net and dribbles over. Most players acknowledge their good luck with a raised hand or a “Pickleball Sorry”. In rec play, don’t play “keep away” from the best player on the court, or hit every ball to the weaker player just so you can win. Be a good partner, too. Eye rolls, shaking your head when your partner makes an error or constantly offering unsolicited instruction isn’t fun for anyone. There’s no place in rec play, or competitive play either, for cursing, paddle throwing or any other John McEnroe type of temper tantrums. If you are a spectator at a pickleball match, remember it’s good sportsmanship to acknowledge great shots, but don’t cheer when a team commits an unforced error. Lastly, it is also common practice in pickleball to tap paddles across the net at the end of every game and say “Good Game”.
So, here’s a paddle tap and I look forward to seeing all of you well-behaved and polite pickleball players on the courts!