Pickleball Terminology

Pickleball is a game that has been growing in popularity over the years, and as with any sport, it has its own set of slang terms that are commonly used among players. These terms can be confusing for beginners or those who are new to the sport, so in this post, we will explain some of the most common pickleball slang terms.

Ace

A serve that isn't returned from the opposing player or team. This can be due to a great serve or a player missing the return. Don't forget to switch sides with your team mate before the next serve.

Around the Post

An Around the Post, also known as an ATP, is a shot that does exactly what its name describes. Instead of the ball going over the net like a traditional shot, this shot is hit from outside the sidelines, travels around the post that holds the net, and lands inbounds.

Backcourt

The backcourt is a few feet behind the baseline of the court. This is where a player will stand to serve the ball and can't cross the baseline.

Backhand

A backhand is when the player hits the ball with the back of their paddle across their body. This generally happens when players are dinking, or when their opponent hits a shot at their off-hand or the hand that doesn't hold their paddle.

Back Spin

Backspin is created when a player lightly hits the ball while chopping down upon contact. This creates the ball to spin backward and once it reaches the opponent's side of the court it tends to lose momentum and speed.

Backswing

When your pickleball paddle is swinging from the ready position before following thru to the forward swing.

Banger

A banger is a hard, aggressive shot hit with power. This shot is often used to end a rally quickly or to put the opponent on the defensive.

Baseline

Line at the back ends of the court.

Bert

When you hit an erne on the other side of the court in front of your partner.

Blast Off
When the server shouts the score of 3-2-1, yell "Blast Off'' for good laughs and an automatic point (just kidding).

Body Bag

When you forcefully hit your opponent with a pickleball, most commonly in the chest.

Bounce It

Often shouted at their partner to alert them that they believe the ball is going to land out of bounds.

Carry

Hitting the ball in such a way that it does not bounce away from the pickleball paddle but tends to be carried along on the face of the paddle during its forward motion.

Centerline

The line between the Non-Volley Zone, and base line to divide the court in equal halves

Champion Shot

A shot that bounces twice in the non-volley zone.

Chop

Slice from high to low to put backspin on the ball

Cross-court

The court diagonally opposite your court.

Dead Ball

The term used to describe the pickleball ball after a fault is declared.

Dig

A defensive shot with your paddle low, a wide stance, and absorbing the power of an offensive shot to make it “unattackable.”

Dillball

A shot that is inbounds and bounces once. A live ball.

Dink

A dink is a soft shot that is hit just over the net, often used in the kitchen or non-volley zone to set up a winning shot. The goal of a dink is to make it difficult for the opponent to return the ball without hitting it into the net.

Double Bounce

A ball that bounces more than once, on one side, before it is returned. Following the serve, each side must make at least one ground-stroke, prior to volleying the ball (hitting it out of the air).

Doubles Pickleball

Pickleball game played with 4 players, two on each team. Doubles teams can be comprised of men, women, and mixed.

Double Hit

One side hitting the pickleball ball twice before it is returned over net. Double hits may occur by one player or could involve both players on a team.

Down the Line

A pickleball shot that travels parrel to the sideline, landing just in bounds

Drive

Forehand shot hit straight and low into the opposing backcourt.

Drop Shot

A groundstroke shot that falls short of the opponent’s position.

Drop Shot Volley

A volley shot that is designed to “kill” the speed of the ball and return it short, near the net, to an opponent positioned at or near the baseline.

Erne

An Erne is an advanced shot on the pickleball court and is named after Erne Perry, who elevated the shot and first brought the shot into mainstream competitive play. The Erne is a shot where you hit the pickleball either (1) in the air as you are jumping around the Non-Volley Zone (also known as the Kitchen); or (2) after you run around or through the Kitchen and re-establish your feet out of bounds, just to the side of the Kitchen.

Face

The area of the pickleball paddle that makes contact with the pickleball.

Falafel

A short shot due to hitting the pickleball with little to no power often falls much short of the net.

Fault

A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.

First Serve

To begin a new game, only one partner from the first serving side is only allowed to serve. After the first fault, the serve switches to the opposing side.

Flapjack

A midair pickleball shot that you are not able to hit, due to the pickleball not having bounced once on each side of the court.

Flat Face

When a player keeps their pickleball paddle parallel to the net.

Flick Shot

A shot where the paddle is flicked downwards as you hit a ball that would otherwise barely lay in the kitchen and be hard to hit with power or speed.

Follow Through

While swinging your pickleball paddle, the forward motion towards where you are wanting the pickleball to go.

Foot Fault

While serving a player makes contact with the baseline before making contact with the pickleball. A Non-Volley Zone Foot Fault is when a player touches the kitchen or non-volley zone during play. Both of these result in a point for the opposing team/player.

Forehand

A forehand is a shot that a player hits with the paddle facing forward. This is best used when your opponent hits the ball at your on hand or that hand that you hold your paddle with.

Front Spin

Front spin is the opposite of backspin where a player will try to hit the top of the ball. This creates forward momentum for the ball and can speed up or dive down after a bounce.

Game

A series of points in which a team accumulates 11 points. Some games are played to 15 or 21.

Golden Pickle

A variant of "getting pickled," or losing a game with no points scored. What the other team metaphorically earns when they beat you using only their first server, going from 0-0-2 to 11-0-2 without losing a point.

Grip

How a player holds their pickleball paddle or the material wrapped around the handle to provide comfort and protect the pickleball paddle.

Groundstroke

Hitting the ball after one bounce.

Half Volley

A groundstroke shot where the paddle contacts the ball immediately after it bounces from the court and before the ball rises to its potential height.

Head

Part of the pickleball paddle above the handle that includes the face.

Hinder

Any element or occurrence that affects play.

Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)

The kitchen, also known as the non-volley zone, is the area near the net where players are not allowed to hit the ball in the air. This rule is in place to prevent players from dominating the game with aggressive volleys.

Layout

When a player throws their body horizontally to return a zinger.

Let

A serve that hits the net cord and lands in the service court. Let may also refer to a rally that must be replayed for any reason.

Line Calls

If any part of the ball lands on the court lines, it is considered in (except in the case of the Non-Volley Line)

Lob

A lob is a high, arching shot hit over an opponent's head. This shot is often used to reset a point or gain time to get back into position.

Midcourt

The area between the Non-Volley Zone and the baseline.

Nasty Nelson

While serving, you try to catch the opposing team off guard, aiming to hit your opponent that is not set to receive the serve.

Non-Volley Line

The line separates the kitchen from the two service areas. This line is "out" during serves and the serve must land within the service area crosscourt to the server. This is the only line that is considered "out of bounds" during play, but only during a serve.

OPA!

It can be heard at some courts after the 3rd shot has been hit, signaling that a volley has begun

Open Face

Holding the pickleball paddle with the face tilted upwards.

Overhead Shot

Any pickleball shot that is started above your head and driven downwards.

Overhead Slam / Smash

A hard, overhand shot usually resulting from an opponent’s lob, high return, or high bounce.

Paddle

The most important piece of equipment in pickleball.

Paddy

A shortened, slang name for a pickleball paddle.

Painting the Line

A great line shot that lands right on the line.

Passing Shot

A volley or groundstroke shot that is aim

Pickle!

Warning shouted by the player serving to alert opposing players the server is soon to serve.

Pickleball Doubles

A game played between 4 total players. 2 players on each team using the entire court for play.

Pickleball Singles

Singles Pickleball is a game played between two players using the entire pickleball court.

Pickled

Equivalent to being “skunked” in other sports, scoring zero points in a game. The score would be 11-0.

Pickledome

The court where the championship match in a pickleball tournament is played.

Pickler

A pickleball addict, someone who can’t put the pickleball paddle down!

Poach

A poach is a move where one player crosses over into their partner's side of the court to intercept a shot. This move is often used to surprise the opponents and gain an advantage in the rally.

Put Away

A shot that doesn’t have a chance to be returned. The opposing team can barely put a paddle on the pickleball.

Punch Shot

A quick, short volley shot with a short backswing and follow through.

Rally

A rally occurs after both teams have successfully returned the ball back and forth multiple times. You will see rallies take place during pro tournaments when they hit the ball back and forth for several minutes without a team gaining a point or winning the serve.

Rally Score System

The side that wins the rally wins the point and the right to serve.

Ready Position

Ideal position to receive the ball for return. Paddle is in front of the player’s body at chest height with a neutral grip. Weight is evenly balanced on toes and knees are slightly bent.

Receiver

The player diagonally opposite of the server who will return the serve.

Replays

After any discrepancy, the point can be replayed without awarding the point or a side out.

Reset

To stop a rally to bring it into the kitchen for dinking

Return

The return is the 2nd hit that happens after the serve. The server will serve the ball to the opposing team and this player "returns" the serve back to the server.

Second Serve

A term used to describe the condition when a serving team begins the game or subsequently loses the first of its two allocated serves.

Serve

A serve is the first hit that puts the ball into play. A serve must be an upward motion and can't hit the ball at any angle. The serve must be below the waist level.

Serve Number

Shouted before serving, to show which server the player is, followed by the score.

Service Court

The area on either side of the centerline, bounded by the non-volley line, the baseline, and the sideline. All lines are included in the service court except the non-volley line.

Service Out Side Scoring

The current pickleball service system that indicates you need to be serving to score points.

Shadowing

A strategy used in doubles pickleball to work together as a team. In shadowing the players will move in synch to approach the net and to retreat. Imagine a rope is tied to your partner, so if one moves, the other has to move.

Sideline

The lateral border of the pickleball court.

Side Out

A "side out" occurs after both players on a team have lost their serve and turn the possession over to their opponents.

Singles

Playing pickleball with 2 players. One on each side of the court, one on one!

Skinny Singles

A game played between two players using only half of the court. The centerline is used as out of bounds.

Slice

A shot used to create a backspin on the pickleball.

Smash

An overhead shot that is hit with lots of power.

Split Step

A stance with a slight bounce to allow for a quick reaction.

Stacking

A strategy in which two players are on the same side of the court before the serve or return, and then transition to separate sides after.

Stroke

Swinging motion of striking the pickleball. Examples are backhand stroke and forehand stroke.

Technical Foul

In tournament play, a referee may add a point to a teams score when their opponent violates one of the rules calling for a technical foul, outside of standard faults of play. Such as foul language and unsportsmanlike play.

Third Shot Drop

The third shot drop is a strategic shot played by the serving team on the third shot of the game. The goal of this shot is to land the ball softly in the kitchen, giving the serving team a chance to move up to the net and gain control of the point.

Top Spin

Applying spin to the pickleball creating a downward spin on the pickleball.

Transition Zone

An area between the baseline and the non-volley zone.

Truck Driver

Your opponent asks "What's the score"? You tell them it's ''truck driver'', the score is 10-4.

Two Bounce Rule

After the ball is served the returning team must allow the ball to bounce one time before returning, and the serving team must allow the return to bounce one time before beginning a volley.

Unattackable Ball

A drop shot, dink, or reset show that doesn’t bounce high enough to be attacked and returned. The bounce height is below the top of the net.

Volley

Hitting the ball in the air, during a rally, before the ball has a chance to bounce onto the court.

Volley Llama

An illegal shot, where the pickleball player hits a volley shot in the non-volley zone.