UNFORCED ERRORS A PICKLEBALL PLAYERS WORST NIGHTMARES

MANY OPEN PLAY PLAYERS I OBSERVE ARE HITTING AN ILLEGAL SERVE OR VIOLATING ONE OR MORE OF THE OTHER SERVICE RULES ! ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?  SPECTATORS WHO CALL BALLS IN OR OUT FROM THE SIDE LINES ARE ALSO IN VIOLATION OF THE RULES.

PLAYERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CONSULT WITH SPECTATORS FOR LINE CALLS. THE CALL IS SETTLED BY THE RULES NOT THE SPECTATORS.

Remember: you cannot pick and choose the rules you want to play your game, recreational or competitive. If one rules applies to your game, than all the rules are in effect. Even if games are not governed by a referee, the players have assigned responsibilities to comply with the rules as written.

You should not be rejoicing over winning a game, if you are violating the rules in the process. This is part of pickleball etiquette, and individual self respect.

USAPA & IFT OFFICIAL RULE BOOK 2018 EDITION

USAPA & IFP OFFICIAL PICKLEBALL RULE BOOK

2018 EDITION ~Referee Copy

SECTION 4: SERVICE

4..A.1. ~ Entire score must be called before serve begins.  

4.A.2.~ Serve motion begins with arm movement swing, backward or forward to contact ball.    

4.A.3. ~ Server must sever to correct service court (diagonally opposite server). Serve may land on any service court line.  round behind baseline (other foot is in air). And servers feet may not touch the playing surface in area outside confines of serving area.

• 3.A.32. ~ Serving Area - Area behind the baseline and on or between the imaginary lines extended from the court centerline and each sideline.

4.A.4. ~ Ball must be struck without bouncing it. Disability exception.

4.A.5.~ Serve must be made with underhand stroke whereby server's arm must be moving in an upward arc. 

4.A.6. ~ Paddle head must be below server wrist when striking ball. Highest point of paddle head cannot be above highest part of wrist where joint bends.

4.A.7. ~ Contact with ball is made below waist level (defined as navel level).

4.A.8. ~ Server must sever to correct service court (diagonally opposite server). The serve must clear the net and the NVZ. The serve may land on any service court line.

4.E.1. If the server exceeds 10 seconds to serve, a fault will be declared.

4.M.6. ~ Service Faults: The ball lands in or on the NVZ line.

4.M.11. ~ Service Faults: The server uses an illegal service motion.

6.C. - Line call Rules: A ball contacting the playing surface outside of the baseline or sideline, even though the edge of the ball overlaps the line, is considered out of bounds.

6.D.1. ~ Line Call Rules: Players will call the lines on their side of court (excluding service foot faults and all NVZ lines, if not called by a referee.

6.D.4. ~ Spectators should not be consulted on any line calls.

BELOW YOU MAKE THE CALL

Image with balls on line show serves in or out.

image with figure and red horizontal red lines illustrate various points of paddle ~ wrist position considered a legal serve when ball is contacted. Is the Image of man in tee shirt hitting ball demonstrating a legal or illegal serve  ?