Featured Story By Rachael James

THE Unwritten Pickleball Rules (etiquette) 📝🫢

January 21, 2025 10 min watch
Pickleball Etiquette Tournament Preparation Line Call Rules Score Reporting

Hello, pickleball enthusiasts! In this insightful video, professional pickleball player Rachel James shares her expert knowledge on the unwritten rules of pickleball etiquette at tournaments. Drawing from her extensive experience at countless tennis and pickleball tournaments, Rachel provides nine essential tips that will improve your comfort and performance on the court.

The first tip emphasizes the importance of contacting your partner at least one week prior to the tournament. This approach facilitates scheduling a practice session and ensures that there are no unexpected no-shows at the tournament. Rachel suggests using social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram for this purpose, armed with your partner’s first and last name, age, and location, which can be sourced from their duper or utr account.

Bringing a chair to the tournament is the second tip. Given the large number of participants, seating may not be adequately catered for by the tournament. Additionally, bringing the right balls for the tournament, as specified on the tournament’s info page, can give you an edge over your competitors. For example, the PPA tournaments use the Vulcan V Pro, which is slightly heavier.

Arriving early at the tournament site is the third tip. Rachel recommends getting there a day before to practice with your partner and arriving at least two hours early on the day of the tournament. This ensures you get parking and have time to be shuttled from the off-site parking to the tournament site.

Checking in and charging your phone is the fourth tip. The check-in desk is located at the front of the tournament site. The tournament communicates with you through their text messaging system, which confirms your phone number and provides you with a wristband. Court assignments are also sent via text message.

The fifth tip is about court hopping. Due to the large number of participants, practice courts may not be available. Therefore, you and your partner can hop on a court as soon as a match finishes and continue practicing until the players assigned to that court arrive.

The sixth tip involves deciding who serves and who returns if there’s no referee to flip a coin. Rachel describes a unique method using a paddle flip. The seventh tip discusses line call etiquette, stressing the importance of making accurate calls and using hand signals to communicate the calls in a loud tournament environment.

Reporting your score is the eighth tip. Rachel explains the process of receiving your match court assignment, picking up your match basket, and recording the score after each set. When the match is over, you will return the match balls, scorecard, and writing tools to the front desk or referee desk.

The final tip encourages taking notes and self-reflecting after each match. This practice will help you identify areas for improvement and, if you have a coach, provide valuable insights for developing a lesson plan.

These nine unwritten rules of pickleball tournaments are essential to know for any player wishing to participate in these events. Stay tuned for more informative videos from Rachel James!

Key Points

Essential takeaways from the video

  • Professional pickleball player, Rachel James highlights the importance of contacting your partner at least one week prior to the tournament for a practice session.
  • She advises bringing your own chair to the tournament as the event can be crowded and may not provide sufficient seating for all players.
  • Rachel emphasizes on the importance of bringing the appropriate balls as specified on the tournament info page. For instance, PPA tournaments use the Vulcan V Pro.
  • The professional player suggests arriving at the tournament site early, preferably a day before the tournament starts for practice and at least 2 hours prior on the day of the tournament.
  • Rachel recommends checking in at the front of the tournament site to avoid disqualification and ensure communication through their text messaging system.
  • She describes a technique called “court hopping” where players move to an available court for practice once a match ends.
  • Rachel explains how to decide who serves and returns when there is no referee present to flip a coin. This is done by flipping a paddle and asking the opponents to guess if the logo is backwards or not.
  • She discusses line call etiquette, where the player who is not hitting the ball should make the call as they have a better view of the ball.
  • Rachel outlines a procedure for challenging line calls and how to request a line judge if necessary.
  • She explains the procedure to report scores at the end of a match and the importance of self-reflection and note-taking after each match for improvement.

Detailed Comparison

Understanding the key differences

Understanding Tournament Brackets and Draws

A tournament bracket or draw is essentially the roadmap of the competition. It outlines the teams (or individuals in singles) that will be competing against each other, showing their progression through different rounds until a winner is determined.

Main Draw (Front Draw)

  • Starting point for all players
  • For undefeated players only
  • Path to tournament victory

Back Draw (Consolation)

  • Second chance bracket
  • For players with one loss
  • Chance to win prizes

PPA + DUPR + UPA Format

Professional tournaments with high stakes and no back draws.

  • Single elimination format
  • Higher pressure matches
  • Elite competition level

APP + UTR + USAP Format

More opportunities with back draw system.

  • Back draw available
  • More matches guaranteed
  • Prize opportunities in back draw

Whether you’re playing in the main draw or back draw, every match is an opportunity to improve and showcase your skills. Understanding these tournament structures helps you better prepare for competition.

Common Questions About Pickleball Organizations

What is the importance of contacting your partner prior to the tournament?
Contacting your partner at least one week prior to the tournament is crucial to ensure that you can schedule a practice session together. It also helps confirm their presence on the day of the tournament and avoid any last-minute surprises such as a no-show or flight delays.
Why is it recommended to bring a chair to the tournament?
Bringing a chair to the tournament is recommended because the event may see a large gathering of people, making it difficult for the organisers to provide seating for everyone. Having your own chair ensures that you have a comfortable place to sit.
Why is it crucial to know the type of ball being used at the tournament?
Knowing the type of ball being used at the tournament is important because practicing with that specific ball can give you an advantage during the games. It helps you get used to the weight and feel of the ball, putting you in a better position to win the match.
What is the recommended way to decide who serves and who returns if there is no referee?
If there is no referee present, you can flip your paddle to decide who serves and who returns. The opponents will guess if the logo on the paddle is backward or the right way when you stop flipping. If they guess right, they choose whether to serve or return. If they are wrong, you and your partner get to choose.
How can I challenge a line call during a tournament match?
If you believe an opponent’s line call is unfair, you can challenge it by questioning them. If you’re certain the call was incorrect and this happens twice, you can request a line judge from the front desk. Requesting a referee not only ensures fair line calls but also puts pressure on your opponent to make fairer calls.