New to pickleball, or just tired of nodding along when someone mentions the third-shot drop? Here is a plain-English guide to the terms you will hear most often on the court.
The court
What is the kitchen in pickleball?
The kitchen is the common name for the non-volley zone: the area that extends 7 feet from the net on each side of the court. You cannot volley (hit the ball before it bounces) while standing in the kitchen or touching its line. You can step in to play a ball that has already bounced.
What is the baseline?
The baseline is the back line at each end of the court. Players start most points near the baseline when serving and returning.
How big is a pickleball court?
A standard court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long, the same size as a doubles badminton court.
Shots
What is a dink?
A dink is a soft shot, usually played from near the kitchen line, that arcs over the net and lands in your opponent's kitchen. Long dink rallies are where many points are won and lost.
What is a third-shot drop?
The third shot of a rally is the serving team's first chance to attack after the serve and return. A third-shot drop is a soft shot into the opponent's kitchen that gives the serving team time to move up to the net.
What is a volley?
A volley is any shot hit out of the air before the ball bounces. Volleys are not allowed from inside the kitchen.
What is an Erne?
An Erne is an advanced move where a player jumps over or steps around the corner of the kitchen to volley the ball close to the net without touching the non-volley zone.
Rules
What is the two-bounce rule?
After the serve, the ball must bounce once on each side before either team can volley. That means the return of serve and the third shot must both be played after a bounce.
How do you serve in pickleball?
Serves are hit underhand and diagonally into the opponent's service court. The ball must clear the kitchen and land beyond the kitchen line.
How is pickleball scored?
In traditional scoring, games are usually played to 11 points and must be won by 2. Only the serving team can score a point.
Off the court
The other half of the game happens after the last point: the coffee, the debrief and the plans for next week. That is where Weftelle comes in. Explore our men's and women's pickleball-inspired clothing, or read our story.