Whatever Happened to Pickleball Etiquette?


When I first started playing pickleball over 3 years ago, I was quickly taught both the rules of the game but also the etiquette of the game.

When I played my first tournament nearly 3 years ago, I felt most opponents followed those rules of etiquette well.

Maybe that's because I was not very good at the time.

My partner and I didn't win a single game. 

Were opponents just feeling sorry for us?  Therefore, they were nice to us?

We had no bad line calls.

No one "tagged" me or my partner.

Again, maybe that's because the games weren't very competitive.

Then, 2 years ago, in another tournament, which my partner and I won, there were a few issues.

There were a couple of very questionable line calls.

However, we kept our composure and determined not to let a couple of bad calls ruin our day.

Recently, however, things seem to have changed in tournaments.

It's almost like etiquette went out the window.

That was true in some of our recent games.

But, it was also true in games of some of our friends, as well games of some opponents we just met at the tournament.

There have been way more questionable line calls.

I was "tagged" hard several times.

Players on adjacent courts, whose errant ball ventured near our court, loudly called ball interference in our game, even when their ball wasn't affecting our play.

There have been a number of players "playing down" below their reported skill levels.

Am I the only one who has noticed this trend?

Isn't it true that, if you question whether a ball is in or out, you are to call it in?  That you only call it out if it is clearly out?

Is it because we are playing in higher skill level brackets?

Or are people just ignoring the etiquette of the game?

What has your experience been?

Now, I will quickly say that not all opponents have exhibited poor etiquette.

One doubles team we played in a recent tournament actually called some balls in that I was pretty sure were out. 

After the match, I purposely complimented them on such generous line calls.

Their comment was they love to play pickleball and want to win honestly, and not win because of questionable calls.

What a refreshing attitude!

Too bad their attitude seems to be the exception.

So, what can be done?

Just exhibit great pickleball etiquette yourself. 

Be the best player you can be.

And trust that, in the end, whatever the outcome, you know you played well, and you know you played fair.

I believe fair and honest will win more often than not.

Good luck!

Here is a link to a good video on this subject of pickleball etiquette:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hgiExFGnOA



Ben Holt

​CEO, Pickleball Living