PickleBall Terminology

🏓 Dink

A soft, controlled shot hit just over the net into the opponent’s kitchen (non-volley zone). It’s meant to keep the rally slow and force your opponent to make a mistake or pop the ball up.

🔁 Rally

A sequence of shots back and forth between players after the serve until a point is won or a fault occurs.

🎯 Serves

The starting shot of a point. It must be hit underhand, diagonally cross-court, and land beyond the kitchen line on the opponent’s side.

💧 Drop (Drop Shot)

A soft shot from the back of the court that lands gently in the opponent’s kitchen. It’s used to move from the baseline to the net safely.

⚡ Drive

A fast, low, and powerful shot hit with speed, usually from mid-court or baseline, aimed to pressure opponents or cause an error.

🪂 Lob

A high, arching shot that goes over your opponent’s head and lands deep in their court — used to push them back or buy time to recover.

🔢 Point

Scored only by the serving team. A point is earned when the opposing team commits a fault (like hitting out of bounds, into the net, or into the kitchen on a volley).

🔄 Side or Serve (Side Out)

When the serving team loses the rally, the serve passes to the other team. In doubles, both players on a team serve before it switches sides (except at the start of a game).

🥒 Getting Pickled

When a team loses 11–0 — meaning they didn’t score a single point. Total shutout!

🚫 Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)

A 7-foot area on both sides of the net. Players cannot volley (hit the ball out of the air) while standing in or touching the kitchen. You can step in after the ball bounces, though.