• Work with Us
  • Blog
  • Pickleball Clinics
  • Private & Group Lessons
  • Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
  • User Reviews

PickleballMAX

Maximize your Pickleball Potential

  • Home
  • Pickleball 101
    • Pickleball Rules
  • Strategy
  • Shots
  • Tournaments
  • Wellness
  • Gear
    • Pickleball Accessories
    • Pickleball Bags
    • Pickleball Clothing
    • Pickleball Glasses
    • Pickleball Machines
    • Portable Nets
    • Pickleball Paddles
    • Pickleball Sets
    • Pickleball Shoes
  • Shop
    • Cart
    • Checkout
You are here: Home / Rules / Hitting the Pickleball Twice on the Same Shot — The Double Hit — What’s the Rule?

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

Hitting the Pickleball Twice on the Same Shot — The Double Hit — What’s the Rule?

pickleball double hit

You Make the Call!

Here’s the Scenario:

You hit a groundstroke but hit the ball twice (a double hit) during the shot. What’s the call?

This “double-hit” scenario rears its ugly head every-so-often on the pickleball courts. Intuitively, it seems like it’s an illegal shot that should result in a fault for the person striking the ball. However, before calling a fault on yourself for a “double-hit” or “carry,” understand this: If the “double-hit” or “carry” was a result of one continuous motion — without a second intentional swing or push — then it is, indeed, a legal shot even if it hit your paddle twice in the one swing.

So in interpreting this rule, “one continuous motion,” is the operative concept. Here is what the applicable rule about the double hit in the 2019 International Federation of Pickleball Official Tournament Rulebook has to say about carries and double-hits.

Double Hit according to the 2019 International Federation of Pickleball — Official Tournament Rulebook

Rule #11.A:

Double Hits. Balls can be hit twice, but this must occur during an unintentional, continuous, single-direction stroke. If the stroke is not continuous or not in a single direction, the hit is not allowed and a fault will be declared.

Need More Pickleball Rules Clarifications & Interpretations?

Please reference our pickleball rules page and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so that you receive additional pickleball rules clarifications and interpretations for many of the common — and not-so-common — scenarios that happen on the pickleball courts. By subscribing to the newsletter you will also receive pickleball tips, strategies, tournament recaps, and more.

>>READ NEXT: The Pickleball Hits You, Goes Over the Net and Lands In — What’s the Call?<<

Article by PickleballMAX / Filed Under: Rules 4 Comments

Doubles Strategy Blueprint

Paddles, Shoes, Bags & More!

Fromuth Pickleball – Use Code “10MAX” for 10% Off!
  • Hundreds of pickleball paddles, court shoes, and bags in stock now and ready to be shipped.
  • Free Shipping on orders of $75+
  • Use Discount Code 10MAX for 10% off your purchase. (some exclusions apply)

Fromuth Pickleball
Order your favorite pickleball gear today!

Performance Eyewear (Sunglasses & Eye Protection)

RIA Eyewear
  • 100% UVA/UVB protection
  • Impact-resistant & shatterproof lenses
  • Lightweight, anti-fogging, and vision-enhancing (contrast of the ball to the court)

pickleball glasses
Order your RIA Performance Eyewear Today!

It’s Fun to Feel Good!

Jigsaw Health – Discount Code!
Use Code “PickleballMAX10” at Checkout for $10 off your Jigsaw Order.

Jigsaw Health

  • Relax your legs, muscles, and brain for better sleep with Jigsaw MagSoothe™.
  • Stay hydrated and energized with Jigsaw Electrolyte Supreme™.
  • Prevent muscle cramping with Pickleball Cocktail®.

Order Jigsaw Health Today!

About PickleballMAX

Tennis player turned pickleball player. I blog about how one maximizes their picklebility. Picklebility is simply defined as an embodiment of one's passion, ability and addiction to #pickleball. See you on the courts!

Comments

  1. Debra says

    July 13, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    Whose call is it – player A returns a ball. The opponent, player B, thinks the ball that player A hit actually hit twice before player A returned it. Player A says that the ball did not hit twice before he hit it. Who gets to make that call?

    Reply
    • PickleballMAX says

      July 15, 2019 at 3:21 pm

      Hi Debra, Great question. In non-officiated play, the only calls one can make on the opposite side of the net (and are enforceable without needing agreement from the offending party) are service foot faults and NVZ infractions. Because this is not a service foot fault or NVZ infraction question, Player A has to actually “admit” that it bounced twice. If there is no agreement, player A “wins” the argument and, therefore, it would NOT be ruled as a fault on player A. Hope that helps.

      Reply
  2. Neil Power says

    August 2, 2018 at 2:01 pm

    Who is responsible for determining whether the serve is in or out in doubles? Can the team that’s serving make the call for their opponents…….obviously this can be a very contentious rule for players. The receiving team should make their own calls in my opinion.

    Reply
    • PickleballMAX says

      August 9, 2018 at 8:02 am

      Hi Neil,
      Rules #6.D.1 and #6.D.2 address your question and the responsibility of calling lines on your side of the court.

      Rule #6.D.1. Players will call the lines on their side of the court (excluding service foot faults and all non-volley-zone lines, if being called by a referee).

      Rule #6.D.2. Players’ only line call is the centerline on the serve in matches that have line judges.

      Hope this helps!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search this website

Guides

  • Pickleball for Beginners
  • Pickleball Clothing
  • Pickleball Court
  • Pickleball Equipment
  • Pickleball Net
  • Pickleball Paddles
  • Pickleball Ratings
  • Pickleball Rules
  • Pickleball Shoes
  • Pickleballs
  • Tournament Pickleball
  • What is Pickleball

Online Store

  • Bags
  • Ball Accessories
  • Ball Machines
  • Balls
  • Eyewear
  • Gloves
  • Hats and Visors
  • Hydration & Recovery
  • Jewelry
  • Men's Apparel
  • Miscellaneous
  • Nets
  • Online Pickleball Courses
  • Paddle Accessories
  • Paddles
  • Prevention and Recovery
  • Printables
  • Shoes
  • Socks
  • Tournament Products
  • Training Aids
  • Wellness
  • Women's Apparel
  • Home
  • Pickleball 101
  • Strategy
  • Shots
  • Tournaments
  • Wellness
  • Gear
  • Shop

PickleballMAX | PO Box 813| Mason, OH 45040
PickleballMAX participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program
Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Disclosure