Pickleball Dictionary

Pickleball terminology can be confusing and there are quite a few terms that you want to know before you start playing. Below are some terms to help you get going. 

The Dink: Softly hitting the ball so it drops to the ground right after it passes over the net landing in the kitchen.

Volley: Hitting the ball before it hits the ground, usually with extra force and velocity. Kind of like this.

The Lob: Hitting the ball so it goes high in the air, making it hard for the person receiving the ball to hit.

Kitchen: This area is also known as the non-volley zone. It is the area to the left and right of the net before the first horizontal line on each side. You cannot do any volleys in this area. If the ball bounces in this area you may step in and hit it back.

Fault: When a team or player does a foul or makes an error. Like this but hopefully a little less embarrassing. 

Double Bounce Rule: Each team returning and serving must let their initial return bounce once before hitting it back.

Sideout: When the serving team loses possession of the serve and it goes to the other team.