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.
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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.
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.
Hope this helps!
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?
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.