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Pickleball Rules

Pickleball Rules

Main Rule Set = USA Pickleball

We follow USA Pickleball rules, with some adaptions. This is the need to know;

(last update 2/13/24)

LI-Kick offers two style of play, Traditional Doubles and Indy Style.

Traditional Doubles: You join with a partner and play with that partner every game for the full season. Doubles leagues play 5 games in 2 hours. Any left over time is available for open play. A doubles team may carry up to 4 players on the roster. Only two players are needed. Adding a third and/or fourth player on the roster ensures you can always field a full team, even when someone is unavailable for reasons such as work, illness or family obligations. 'In game subbing' is not allowed. Teams with more than 2 players can take turns playing later games.

Indy Style: In 'Indy' leagues you join the league as an individual and do NOT have a set partner for the season. Every week and game, you get paired with a new partner and opponent based on your standings in the league, ensuring an even matchup. Indys play 4 games in one hour.


LEVEL:

Players of all levels are allow play. All our our leagues are Ladder Style which allows for differentiated competition. This means your opponents are those who are ranked closest to you in the standings, therefore advanced players will be grouped among advanced players, and improving players will be with other improving players. The top players work their way up to court 1, while newer players are grouped on the lower courts. This allows for fair matchup and allows players of varying abilities to play in the same league.

Some leagues are designated as 'beginner friendly'. Beginner Friendly means that the people who choose to play in this league self-identify as a beginner or are comfortable playing with beginners.

Our league uses ELO to rank players. ELO is a rating that reflects skill level. When you beat a good team, your ELO rating goes up, however when you suffer an upset, your ELO rating goes down. Teams from last season have had their ELO carried forward from their last league. New teams start at the league average ELO. ELO automatically adjusts after every game.


Gender Rules:

Some leagues have designated gender rules.

Open: Any team/player is welcome to join

Mixed: Only M/F or F/F teams are allowed. No M/M teams may join

Woman Only: Only women can join.


General Rules

  • Pickleball is played on a 20-foot by 44-foot court with a net dividing the court. The court is future divided on each side into right and left service courts and the non-volley zone.
  • The ball is served diagonally across the net to the opponents receiving court using an approved serve.
  • Points are scored only by the serving side during regular play. Due to time constraints rally scoring may be implemented and players will be notified by the League Director or League Coordinator.
  • All games are scored to 11; the team that reaches 11 points first will win, there is no "win by 2" requirement. Exceptions are made for playoff and tournament play at the League/Tournament Directors' discretion.
  • Rally scoring means that every serve will score a point regardless of who the serving team is.
  • All matches are self-officiated and the player that is closest to the ball should make the call regarding in or out.
  • All players are to be respectful of all calls, whether they agree or not


Game Play

  • Two-Bounce Rule: After the ball is served, the ball must bounce on each side prior to volleying the ball.
  • Non-Volley Zone(NVZ) or Kitchen: A player is not allowed to volley the ball without it first bouncing in the NVZ


Serving:

  • The score must be called before the ball is served
  • The server must serve to the correct service court, diagonally opposite the server
  • The serve may clear or touch the net and must clear the NVZ and the NVZ lines. The serve may land on any other service court line.
  • If the serve clears the net or hits the net and then touches the receiver of the receiver's partner, it is a point for the serving team.
  • The server shall use only one hand to release the ball to perform the serve. If the ball is visibly spun by the server during the release, the part(s) of the hand contacting the ball must be bare. The server's release of the ball must be visible to the receiver.
  • The server's arm must be moving in an upward arc at the time the ball is struck and may be made with either a forehand or backhand motion.
  • The highest point of the paddle head must not be higher than the highest part of the wrist when it strikes the ball.
  • Contact with the ball must not be made above the wrist.
  • The Drop Serve
  • Servers must release the ball from one of the server's hands or dropped off the server's paddle face from any natural height and hit the ball after it bounces.
  • The ball shall not be propelled downward or tossed or hit upward with the paddle.
  • If the drop serve is used, the ball may be struck with either a forehand or backhand motion without any other restrictions ie the location restrictions of the ball and paddle do not apply.


Scoring

  • Both players of a team will serve before a side-out is declared, except at the start of each game, when only the starting server will serve.


Service Faults

  • During the service, it is a fault against the server resulting in a loss of server if:
  • The server serves from the incorrect serving area
  • The incorrect player serves the ball
  • The served ball touches any permanent object before it hits the ground
  • The served ball touches the server or their partner, or anything the server or partner is wearing or holding
  • The served ball lands in the non-volley zone which includes the NVZ lines
  • The served ball lands outside the service court
  • The served ball hits the net and lands inside the NVZ
  • The served ball hits the net and lands outside the service court
  • The server uses an illegal serve


Receiver Faults

  • It is a fault against the receiving team resulting in a point for the server if:
  • The incorrect player returns the serve
  • The receiver or their partner is touched by or interferes with the flight of the ball before it bounces


Non-Volley Zone Rules

  • All volleys must be initiated outside of the non-volley zone.
  • It is a fault if the volleying player or anything that has contact with the volleying player while in the act of volleying touches the non-volley zone.
  • The act of volleying the ball includes the swing, the follow-through and the momentum from the action
  • If the paddle touches the non-volley zone during the volley motion before or after contacting the ball, it is a fault.
  • If a player has touched the non-volley zone for any reason, that player cannot volley a return until both feet have made contact with the playing surface outside the non-volley zone.
  • A player may enter the non-volley zone at any time except when that player is volleying the ball
  • A player my enter the non-volley zone before or after returning the ball that bounces.
  • A player may stay inside the non-volley zone to return a ball that has bounced. There is no violation if a player does not exit the non-volley zone after hitting a ball that bounces.
  • There is no violation if a player returns the ball while their partner is standing in the non-volley zone.


Subbing


  • Substitute Rules for Pickleball Doubles
  • Teammate substitutions are allowed during regular-season games if teammates are unable to attend a game. 
  • Substitutes are not limited to league players.
  • At least 1 player from the rostered team must be in attendance and playing for the game to be counted.
  • Substitutes are not allowed for any A Bracket Playoff or Championship games. Substitutes will be allowed in the B and lower brackets.


  • Substitute Rules for Pickleball Individuals
  • Due to the nature of the indy league, no substitutes will be allowed at any time during the regular season or playoffs.



Pickleball Code of Conduct

  • All players agree to abide by a code of conduct and are expected to conduct themselves with the highest level of sportsmanship and respect for themselves and their fellow players.
  • All players will remember they are participating in a social sport for enjoyment and fun competition with other adults.
  • All players agree to learn the rules and play by them at all times.
  • All players, spectators, and player guests will not engage in any unsportsmanlike conduct with any player, spectator, or player guest. This included booing, taunting, refusing to shake hands, or using profane language or gestures.
  • All players agree to resolve conflict without resorting to hostility, violence, or bullying of others.