Reference
Pickleball Glossary
Every term you'll hear on the court, from basic vocabulary to advanced shot names.
A
ATP (Around the Post)
A shot where the ball travels around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. Legal as long as the ball lands in the opponent's court. One of the most spectacular shots in pickleball.
B
Banger
A player who relies almost exclusively on hard, flat drives rather than soft game strategy. Often effective at lower skill levels but easier to neutralize with patient resets at higher levels.
C
Cross-court Dink
A dink shot hit diagonally across the court to the opponent's non-volley zone. The cross-court angle gives more net clearance and a larger landing zone than a straight dink.
D
Dead Ball
A ball that is no longer in play. Occurs after a fault, when the ball hits a permanent object, or when a let is called.
Dink
A soft, controlled shot that arcs over the net and lands in the opponent's non-volley zone (kitchen). The dink is the cornerstone of competitive pickleball strategy, it keeps the ball low, forces opponents into difficult positions, and sets up offensive opportunities.
Double Bounce Rule
Also called the two-bounce rule. After the serve, both teams must let the ball bounce once before volleying. The serving team must let the return bounce, and the returning team must let the serve bounce. After both bounces occur, volleys are permitted.
Drive
A hard, flat groundstroke hit with pace. Drives are used to put pressure on opponents, test their resets, and create errors. Most effective when opponents are out of position.
Drop Shot
A shot that drops softly into the opponent's non-volley zone. Often used as a third shot to transition from the baseline to the kitchen line.
DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating)
The most widely adopted rating system in pickleball. DUPR uses match results from tournaments and recreational play to calculate a rating from 2.000 to 8.000. Ratings are algorithm-driven and update after each logged match.
E
Erne
An advanced shot where a player jumps over or runs around the corner of the kitchen to volley the ball from outside the non-volley zone. Named after Erne Perry, who popularized the shot. Legal as long as both feet land outside the NVZ before contact.
F
Fault
Any action that stops play and results in a point for the opposing team. Common faults include: ball out of bounds, ball in the net, serving into the kitchen, volleying in the NVZ, or not letting the ball bounce on the serve and return.
Fifth Shot
The serving team's second opportunity to advance to the kitchen, their response after the opponent's third shot. Good players use the fifth shot to continue their transition forward.
G
Groundstroke
Any shot hit after the ball has bounced on the court. Includes drives, drops, and dinks hit after a bounce.
H
Half-Volley
A shot hit immediately after the ball bounces, before it rises. Also called a short-hop. Useful when positioned at mid-court and caught by a low ball.
K
Kitchen
Informal term for the non-volley zone, the 7-foot area on each side of the net where players cannot volley the ball. You may enter the kitchen to hit a ball after it bounces. The kitchen is the most strategically important area of a pickleball court.
L
Let
A serve that clips the top of the net and lands in the correct service box. In recreational play, lets are often replayed. In many competitive formats, lets are played as-is (no replay).
Lob
A high arcing shot intended to land deep in the opponent's court, forcing them back from the kitchen line. Effective when opponents are crowding the net, but risky if the wind or execution is off.
N
Non-Volley Zone (NVZ)
The 7-foot zone on each side of the net where players cannot volley the ball. Also called the kitchen. Players may enter the NVZ to hit balls that have bounced. Touching the NVZ line during a volley (or having momentum carry you in) is a fault.
O
Overhead Smash
A powerful shot hit above the player's head, similar to a tennis overhead. Used to finish points after a weak lob from opponents. Effective overheads are hit with pace and directed toward open court.
P
Poach
When a doubles player crosses into their partner's side of the court to hit a ball. A poach is aggressive and can catch opponents off guard, but requires coordination to avoid leaving your side open.
R
Rally
A continuous sequence of shots between players after the serve. Longer rallies are common in competitive pickleball, especially during dink exchanges near the kitchen.
Rally Scoring
A scoring format where a point is awarded after every rally, regardless of which team served. Most traditional pickleball uses side-out scoring (only the serving team can score), but rally scoring speeds up matches and is used in some leagues and formats.
Reset
A soft, defensive shot used to neutralize a fast or attacking ball and bring the rally back into a controlled dink exchange. One of the most important skills for competitive play, the ability to reset under pressure separates intermediate from advanced players.
S
Serve
The shot that starts each point. In pickleball, serves must be underhand (or drop serves), hit diagonally cross-court, and land beyond the kitchen in the service box. The ball must clear the non-volley zone line to be in play.
Side-Out
When the serving team loses the rally, resulting in a change of serve (and server in doubles). Only the serving team can score under traditional side-out scoring.
Slammers
Slang for players who hit every ball as hard as possible. Used interchangeably with 'banger.' See also: Banger.
Speed-Up
An aggressive, fast shot intended to catch the opponent off guard during a dink rally. Speed-ups are initiated when there's an opportunity to attack, typically a high or slow dink.
Spin Serve
A serve with heavy topspin or sidespin, used to make the bounce unpredictable and harder for the returner to control. Spin serves are legal but the paddle must not be spun in hand before contact.
Stacking
An advanced doubles formation where both players position on the same side of the court to keep specific players in their preferred positions (forehand side). Stacking requires coordinated switching after the serve or return.
T
Third Shot Drop
The serving team's third shot, a soft drop shot intended to land in the opponent's kitchen and allow the serving team to advance to the net. The third shot drop is one of the most important skills in competitive pickleball.
Two-Bounce Rule
The rule requiring the serve to bounce before the return team hits it, and the return to bounce before the serving team hits it. After both bounces, volleys are allowed. This rule ensures both teams get to the kitchen and prevents serve-and-volley dominance.
U
Unforced Error
A mistake made without pressure from the opponent, a ball hit into the net, out of bounds, or in the kitchen on a volley with no difficult shot preceding it. Reducing unforced errors is the fastest way to improve at any skill level.
V
Volley
A shot hit before the ball bounces. Volleys are not allowed in the non-volley zone. At the kitchen line, players engage in rapid volley exchanges called 'firefights' or 'speed-up rallies.'
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