The Official Rulebook is reviewed and, to the extent necessary, revised and updated every year, as pickleball rules continue to evolve as the sport evolves. As a result, it is important to stay up-to-date on pickleball rules changes so that you know the right call on the pickleball court (especially if you plan to play a pickleball tournament).
For the 2022 calendar year, there are some important additions, deletions, and other revisions to the rules of pickleball that you should be aware of. These include the following:
- Chainsaw Serve Outlawed – The 2022 pickleball rule changes largely focus on the hottest topic around the courts in 2021 – the serve. The 2022 pickleball rule changes start with outlawing the chainsaw serve. In other words, a player may only use his or her non-paddle hand to toss the pickleball for the serve (unless a player does not have use of their non-paddle hand, at which point the player may use the paddle to flick up the pickleball and serve). No player may use the paddle or paddle hand to toss or otherwise impart spin on the pickleball. However, a player may use his or her non-paddle hand (as long as it is only the non-paddle hand) to impart spin on the pickleball. So, beware of the one-handed spin serve, which will surely make waves in 2022.
- Drop Serve Is Here to Stay – The drop serve was made as a provisional rule in 2021. After a year of probation, the drop serve is here to stay and is a full rule. Learn more about the drop serve in pickleball with the video below.
- Visibility Is a Must – On the serve, the referee (if there is one) and the receiving player must be able to see the pickleball on the toss or drop. If the pickleball was not visible, then there will be replay.
The full article can be found here
Courtesy of The Pickler https://thepickler.com/
