24 Essential Pickleball Terms and Definitions You Should Know

The experts at Easy Pickleball Guide have created a comprehensive alphabetized list of pickleball terms. See below.

Everything from slang, court positioning, and equipment.

Any pickleball terms that we missed?

Let us know! As pickleball grows so does the lingo.

• A – Ace: A serve that lands in the opponent’s court without being touched.
• B – Baseline: The back boundary line on the pickleball court.
• C – Crosscourt: Hitting the ball diagonally across the net.
• D – Dink: A soft shot that just clears the net and lands in the non-volley zone.
• E – Erne Shot: A shot where a player jumps or leans over the non-volley zone to hit the ball before it bounces.
• F – Fault: An infringement of the rules, resulting in the loss of a point.
• G – Granstander: A player who stands near the center of the court, trying to cover both sides.
• H – Half Volley: Hitting the ball immediately after it bounces.
• I – Inside Out: Hitting the ball in the opposite direction to where the body is facing.
• J – Jumping Shot: Taking a shot while jumping to reach a ball.
• K – Kitchen: Another term for the non-volley zone, a seven-foot area on both sides of the net.
• L – Let: A serve that hits the net but lands in the correct service court.
• M – Midcourt Line: The line dividing the left and right service courts.
• N – Non-Volley Zone: The area within 7 feet of the net where players cannot volley the ball.
• O – Overhead Smash: A powerful shot hit from above the head, often to end a point.
• P – Pickleball: The sport itself, played with a paddle and a perforated plastic ball.
• Q – Quick Return: A fast and immediate response to an opponent’s shot.
• R – Rally: A sequence of continuous shots between opposing sides.
• S – Serve: The opening shot of a point, hit diagonally into the opponent’s service court.
• T – Topspin: A shot with forward rotation, causing the ball to dip quickly.
• U – Underhand Serve: A serve executed with an underhand motion, a key aspect of pickleball.
• V – Volley: Hitting the ball before it bounces, usually executed near the net.
• W – Wide: A shot that lands outside the boundary lines.
• X – X-shot: A versatile shot that can be played in various directions.
• Y – Yellow: The color of the standard pickleball ball.
• Z – Zero-Zero: The score at the beginning of a game or match.

Reference to these terms can be found at Wikipedia.

Remember, these terms provide a general overview of pickleball vocabulary, and there may be additional terms used by players in different regions or communities. Below are another list your may be interested in…you may see duplicates. Thank you.

More Pickleball Terms

1. Carry
   • Hitting the ball in such a way that it does not bounce away from the pickleball paddle but tends to be carried along on the face of the paddle during its forward motion.
2. Cross-court
   • The court diagonally opposite your court.
3. Dead Ball
   • The term used to describe the pickleball ball after a fault is declared.
4. Dink Shot
   • A soft shot that is intended to arc over the pickleball net and land within the non-volley zone. A dink refers to a soft shot that is aimed at dropping the ball just over the net and close to the opponent’s side. This shot is often employed during a slow-paced rally, requiring precision and control.
5. Double Bounce
   A ball that bounces more than once, on one side, before it is returned. Following the serve, each side must make at least one ground-stroke, prior to volleying the ball (hitting it out of the air).
6. Double Hit
   • One side hitting the pickleball ball twice before it is returned over net. Double hits may occur by one player or could involve both players on a team.
7. Drop Shot
   • A groundstroke shot that falls short of the opponent’s position.
8. Drop Shot Volley
   • A volley shot that is designed to “kill” the speed of the ball and return it short, near the net, to an opponent positioned at or near the baseline.
9. Fault
   • A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation.
10. First Serve
    • To begin a new game, only one partner from the first serving side is only allowed to serve. After the first fault, the serve switches to the opposing side.
11. Groundstroke
    • Hitting the ball after one bounce.
12. Half Volley
    • A groundstroke shot where the paddle contacts the ball immediately after it bounces from the court and before the ball rises to its potential height.
13. Hinder
    • Any element or occurrence that affects play.
14. Let
    • A serve that hits the net cord and lands in the service court. Let may also refer to a rally that must be replayed for any reason.
15. Line Calls
    • If any part of the ball lands on the court lines, it is considered in (except in the case of the Non-Volley Line)
16. Lob
    • A shot that returns the ball as high and deep as possible, forcing the opposing side back to the baseline.
17. Non-Volley Zone (“The Kitchen”)
    • The section of court adjacent to the net. A player cannot volley a ball while standing within the non-volley zone. It includes all lines surrounding the zone.
18. Second Serve
    • A term used to describe the condition when a serving team begins the game or subsequently loses the first of its two allocated serves.
19. Overhead Slam / Smash
    • A hard, overhand shot usually resulting from an opponent’s lob, high return, or high bounce.
20. Passing Shot
    • A volley or groundstroke shot that is aimed at a distance from the player and is designed to prevent return of the ball.
21. Rally
    • Continuous play that occurs after the serve and before a fault.
22. Replays
    • Any rallies that are replayed for any reason without the awarding of a point or a side out.
23. Service Court
    • The area on either side of the centerline, bounded by the non-volley line, the baseline, and the sideline. All lines are included in the service court except the non-volley line.
24. Side Out
    • Declared after one side loses its service and other side is awarded service.
25. Volley
    • Hitting the ball in the air, during a rally, before the ball has a chance to bounce onto the court.