Rules

Referees and Rules Summary

Player Instructions

! Please carefully read this important information in its entirety.

All 2025 USA Pickleball Rules Apply

Key points of the 2025 USA Pickleball rules are summarized below for your convenience. However, as a player, you are responsible for being familiar with the rules in their entirety.  The 2025 Rulebook Change Document is at https://usapickleball.org/docs/2025-USA-Pickleball-Rulebook-Change-Document.pdf.   The full 2025 rulebook is at https://usapickleball.org/docs/2025-USA-Pickleball-Rulebook.pdf

MAJOR NEW RULES FOR 2025

1. ‍Penalties after the match is over.
   If a player misbehaves on court after the match is over, the Tournament Director/Head Referee now has the ability to apply a penalty for that behavior that will carry over to the next match.
   
   13.G.4 Behavior raising to the level of a warning or foul after the match is over while a player is still on court shall be brought to the attention of the Tournament Director. Based on this information, the Tournament Director may impose a Verbal Warning, Technical Warning, or Technical Foul that will be applied to the offending player’s next match at the tournament.

2. Plane of the net faults.
   This modification clarifies that the plane of the net can only be crossed during the execution of the current strike of the ball.
   
   11.I. Plane of the Net. Crossing the plane of the net prior to striking the ball is a fault. Immediately after striking the ball, a player or anything the player is/was wearing or carrying may cross the plane of the net. The player may not touch any part of the net system, the opponent’s court, or the opponent while the ball is still live. After striking the ball, the allowance to cross the plane of the net only applies in the course of executing the current strike of the ball and for continuation specifically associated with the current strike of the ball.

3. Defining the Act of Volleying
   The act of volleying has been redefined to start at the strike of the ball, not at the start of the swing.
   
   9.B.1 The act of volleying begins when the ball is struck out of the air before bouncing (volleyed) and ends when the player’s movement from the follow-through action (momentum) stops.  
   9.B.2 (Deleted)  
   9.H There is no violation if a player returns the ball while their partner is standing in the non-volley zone as long as the partners, including anything the partners are wearing or carrying, do not contact each other during the act of volleying.  

4. Rally Scoring
   Rally scoring is now an option for doubles.  See the rulebook or the change document for details.
   

5. Not Ready Signals / Getting Opponent or Referee’s attention
   Verbal indicators to stop play are not technically ‘not ready’ signals, so they will be recognized by the referee even after the start of the score call.
   
   4.C.2. After the start of the score being called, “not ready” signals will be ignored, unless there is a hinder. A player or team out of position is not considered a hinder. Verbal indicators to stop play such as "stop" and "wait" will be recognized.
   

6. Wrong Receiver fault
   As the receiver’s partner, it is a fault to poach the serve. See the rulebook for details.

Pre-Match Briefing

Before play begins for each match, the referee or a match starter will hold a briefing with all players to:

• Inspect player paddles.

• Inform players of the match format.

• Identify starting servers and ensure visibility of the starting server identification.

• Use a fair method for players to choose service and ends to start the match.

• Remind players to make loud, clear, and prompt calls. (Line calling responsibilities covered in #2 and #3 above so they are not required to be covered in the briefing.)

• Notify players of any court abnormalities and approved rule modifications.

• Answer questions about player instructions and rules.

• Allow players to warm up as time permits.