You Make the Call!
Here’s the Scenario:
You attempt the serve, but swing and miss. Try again? What’s the call?
In both tennis and ping-pong, if you swing at the serve and completely miss the ball, it’s a point for the receiving player or team. In ping-pong, even the act of tossing the ball and letting it harmlessly fall to the table without swinging at it results in a point for the receiving player or team. But what about in pickleball? Does a swing-and-a-miss constitute a fault when playing pickleball? A replay? What about letting the pickleball bounce to the court without attempting the swing?
It’s a scenario that will occur with some regularity for beginning pickleball players. According to the “International Federation of Pickleball Official Tournament Rulebook,” a swing-and-a-miss on the serve will result in a fault. However, if the server does not attempt the swing, it is not a fault. Now keep in mind this is according to the 2019 “Official Tournament Rulebook.” My guess is in rec play, you may just want to give this beginning server another chance. 🙂 After all, we were all beginners at one time! 😉
2019 International Federation of Pickleball — Official Tournament Rulebook
Rule #4.M:
Service Faults. During the service, it is a fault if:
4.M.3. The server misses the ball when trying to hit it. If the ball lands on the ground without the server swinging at the ball, it is not a fault.
2020 Rule Change
According to the 2020 Rules Change Document, “The 2019 Rule 4.M.3 (server misses the ball when trying to hit it) was removed due to inconsistency in determining precisely when the ball passed the front plane of the paddle.”
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If I swing at a overhead volley and miss it can I still let it bounce and then return it? I read that if you attempt to hit a ball and miss it is a fault . Is this true?
Absolutely, you can. I would call that a great shot.
I am very unclear about the effect of the rule change you discuss. On my serve, I at times do not like my toss, as an old tennis player I just let it drop and make no attempt to hit it. Does the rule change make this a fault? I take my paddle back but do not start forward at all. Under the 2019 rules that is not an attempt, does removing #4M make that an attempt?
Rule #4.M:
Service Faults. During the service, it is a fault if:
4.M.3. The server misses the ball when trying to hit it. If the ball lands on the ground without the server swinging at the ball, it is not a fault.
2020 Rule Change
According to the 2020 Rules Change Document, “The 2019 Rule 4.M.3 (server misses the ball when trying to hit it) was removed due to inconsistency in determining precisely when the ball passed the front plane of the paddle.”
The way I interpret the removal of Rule #4.M.3. is that if the server misses the ball when trying to hit it, it is no longer considered a fault. Similarly, if you tossed the ball on your serve and let it drop without attempting a swing, it also would not be a fault. Hope that helps.
If other than the serve a player is hit on the foot out of bounds what is the call on that?
Hi Mike, A ball (that hasn’t yet bounced — a live ball) that strikes a player standing out-of-bounds (on the serve, or otherwise) would result in a fault against the team that was hit by the ball on the foot.
Hope that helps.