IS YOUR PICKLEBALL SERVE LEGAL ?

ARE YOU EXECUTING A LEGAL SERVE MOTION?
A popular pickleball coaching service that I provide is the On-Court Player Performance Assessment (PPA). I observe the individual from various vantage points, during an 11 point doubles game. A 42 point check off skills performance sheet is used to identify and record stroke development flaws that contribute to unforced errors. Rule violation faults, foot faults,
poor shot selection, poor strategy, and inconsistent shot execution or placement are also highlighted in this assessment. A copy of the PPA is emailed to the player. The purpose of the PPA is to provide a player written blueprint for a player to independently correct specific flaws in their game.
SORRY I DIGRESS, AS YOU WELL KNOW!

SERVING! One of the heathenistical mortal sins in pickleball is "serving out of bounds.{ "One "OUT" serve a game, is one too many, especially when it occurs during a tightly contested game. The look on your partner's face, says it all.

Another "serving demon" that arises from time to time is legality of the serve. NOW THAT I GOT YOUR ATTENTION !

Since we will only be discussing the "legal serve motion" involving the upper body and appendages, I will only quote
"SECTION 4 – SERVICE RULES: 4.A Serve Motion, and 4.A.1 Underhand defined.

Before any discussion or commentary regarding the legality of a players serve, and to avoid any controversy or misquoting, herein cites the unedited version of the "IFP Pickleball RuleBook Revised 2016 Edition, SECTION 4 – SERVICE RULES: 4.A Serve Motion, and 4.A.1 Underhand defined.
4.A. Serve Motion. The serve must be made with an
underhand stroke so that contact with the ball is made
below waist level (waist is defined as the navel level).
(revised Feb. 1, 2013)
4.A.1. Underhand Defined. The arm must be moving
in an upward arc and the paddle head shall be
below the wrist when it strikes the ball (paddle
head is that part of the paddle excluding
handle. The highest point of the paddle head
cannot be above any part of line formed where
the wrist joint bends). (revised Feb. 1, 2013)

What I will attempt to do is select the key components of a legal serve motion as it relates to the upper body torso and upper body appendages.
For ease of reference and commentary, I have numbered each component of a legal serve motion.
1. "Serve must be made with an underhand stroke"
(Arm must be moving in an upward arc)
2. "Contact with ball is made below the waste (below the navel)"
3. "Paddle head shall be blow the wrist when it strikes ball"
(paddle head does not include the handle)
4. "Highest point of paddle head cannot be above where the
wrist bends, when it strikes the ball" (does not state "when it strikes ball")

Now for the "RUB!" Has anyone questioned your serve lately? If so why? Just maybe they saw something in your serve motion that violated Section 4.1 or 4.2 of the Rules. No, Impossible, not me, this is the way I always serve and no one else has complained. If the person was respectful in commenting about your serve, why not listen, and ask someone else to watch you serve. And if you are still doubtful of this accusation then get a third or even a fourth opinion.

Most questionable serves involve a sidearm or semi-sidearm forehand motion where the paddle head rises above the servers navel when contacting the ball. Item #1 leaves no doubt as to using an underhand stroke so the arm is moving in an upward arc when contacting the ball. If you want to play pickleball without cheating to win, just follow the rules.

An illegal serve by one player of a doubles team, should be called by the partner of the illegal serve. If the partner of the illegal server does not call the illegal serve, than the game win s forfeited to their opponents. Illegal serve motion seems to be a recurring problem.

No one wants to call a violation of the Service Rule. With more and more new pickleball players entering the sport from other racquet sports, they seem to be clinging to the swings and strokes of their former sports. This is Pickleball not tennis, not badminton, not squash, not racquet ball, which are all great court sports with their own rules and their own moves.

One of the other problems that well meaning players encounter when informing another player about an illegal serve is a rude, discourteous, response.

Pickleball Court etiquette has no tolerance for rudeness or discourtesy toward another player for any reason. Respect is a two way street, one way you give it, and the other way you get it in return.

What happens when an opponent calls a ball you hit, when you clearly saw it was in? And the opponent's partner confirms the call? Or suppose your opponents openly gloat, or celebrate when they score a point or you fault?

Do you object when someone calls you for being in the kitchen when hitting a volley, or stepping on the baseline when serving.

Pickleball is one of the last bastions of etiquette and courtesy. We respect and compliment our opponents good performance, good shots and good strategy. At the end of each game we thank and compliment each other for playing the game, regardless of win or lose.

A GOOD UNDERRHAND SERVE MOTION, AND GOOD MANNERS ARE IMPORTANT PARTS OF PICKLEBALL RULES