30 Must-Know Pickleball Terms, Phrases and Slang

60 pickleball terms explained, from kitchen, dink and Erne to falafel, banger and third shot drop, plus the slang players use.

Pickleball terminology is younger than most sporting vocabularies and it shows: half of it is plain description, the other half is jokes that stuck. Below are the words related to pickleball that decide points, the pickleball jargon shouted across the net, and the words associated with pickleball equipment and scoring. The pickleball glossary below is the fast way to look up a term somebody used on court while you were still deciding whether they meant it.

Must-Know Pickleball Terms, Phrases and Slang:

Pickleball Glossary: Every Term A to Z

Term	What It Means
Ace	A serve the receiver never touches, winning the point outright.
Around the post	A shot passing outside the net post rather than over the net, legal at any height. Usually shortened to ATP.
Backhand	A stroke played across the body with the back of the hand leading.
Banger	A player who drives nearly every ball hard instead of playing the soft game.
Baseline	The back line of the court. Serves are struck from behind it.
Bert	An Erne played across the partner’s side of the court rather than your own.
Centerline	The line dividing each side of the court into the left and right service courts.
Crosscourt	A shot hit diagonally, from one side of the court to the opposite corner.
Dead ball	The ball once the rally has stopped, after a fault or between points.
Dillball	A ball that has bounced once and is still in play.
Dink	A soft shot dropped just over the net into the opponent’s non-volley zone, meant to deny any pace to attack.
Double bounce rule	The serve and the return must each bounce before being struck. Also called the two-bounce rule.
Drive	A flat, fast shot hit low over the net to put the opponent under pressure.
Drop serve	A serve hit after dropping the ball and letting it bounce, with fewer restrictions on the motion.
Drop shot	A soft shot landing just past the net, played to pull a deep opponent forward.
DUPR	A widely used rating system for pickleball players, on a scale from 2 to 8.
Erne	A volley taken beside the non-volley zone, reached by stepping or jumping around it, so the player never stands in the kitchen.
Falafel	A shot hit so softly that it falls short of the net. Named for the sound rather than the food.
Fault	Any rule violation that ends the rally, from a serve out of bounds to a foot in the kitchen on a volley.
Flapjack	A ball that has to bounce once before it can be played, because of the two-bounce rule.
Foot fault	Touching the non-volley zone while volleying, or the wrong part of the court while serving.
Forehand	A stroke played with the palm side of the hand leading, on the paddle side of the body.
Golden pickle	Winning a game 11 to 0 on the first service turn, with the opponents never scoring.
Groundstroke	A shot played after the ball has bounced, usually from the back of the court.
Kitchen	The everyday name for the non-volley zone, the seven-foot strip on each side of the net.
Kitchen fault	Volleying while touching the non-volley zone or its line, or falling into it after a volley.
Kitchen line	The line marking the back edge of the non-volley zone. Where most of a doubles rally is played.
Let	A serve that clips the net and lands in. Under current rules it is played rather than replayed.
Lob	A high shot sent over the opponents’ heads to push them back off the kitchen line.
Nasty Nelson	A serve that hits the receiver’s partner before it bounces, which wins the point for the server.
No-volley zone	The seven-foot area on each side of the net where the ball may not be hit out of the air.
Non-volley line	The line seven feet from the net that marks the front edge of the court’s no-volley area.
Overhead	A shot struck from above the head, hit downward with force.
Paddle	The solid bat used to strike the ball. It has no strings, which is what separates it from a racquet.
Pickleball	The plastic ball with holes; outdoor balls have more and smaller holes than indoor balls.
Pickled	Losing a game without scoring a single point.
Poach	Crossing into a partner’s side of the court to take a ball they would otherwise play.
Rally	The exchange of shots from the serve until a fault ends the point.
Rally scoring	A scoring system in which a point is won on every rally, whoever served.
Reset	A soft shot played out of a defensive position to take the pace off the rally and get back to the kitchen line.
Second server	The partner who serves second in a team’s turn; the score call ends with 1 or 2 for the server.
Serve	The underhand shot that starts each point, hit diagonally into the opposite service court.
Service court	The area between the kitchen line, baseline, sideline and centerline that the serve must land in.
Shake and bake	A doubles pattern in which one partner drives and the other charges the net to put away the reply.
Side out	The loss of serve, which passes the serve to the other team.
Side-out scoring	The traditional system in which only the serving team can score.
Sideline	The line running the length of the court, marking the side boundary.
Skinny singles	Singles played on half the court, often used as practice for doubles.
Smash	A hard overhead played downward to finish the point.
Speed-up	Suddenly hitting a hard ball out of a soft dink exchange.
Spin	Rotation put on the ball to change its flight and its bounce: topspin, backspin or sidespin.
Stacking	Lining up both partners on the same side before the serve so each one keeps a preferred court position.
Third shot drop	The soft shot played by the serving team after the return, to get to the kitchen line safely.
Transition zone	The area between the baseline and the kitchen line that players move through on the way forward.
Tweener	A shot hit between the legs, usually while chasing a lob.
Two-bounce rule	The requirement that both the serve and the return bounce before anyone volleys.
Unforced error	A point lost through your own mistake rather than the opponent’s good play.
Volley	A ball struck out of the air before it bounces, only legal outside the non-volley zone.
Volley serve	A serve hit out of the air, with contact below the waist and an upward arc.
Warning	A referee’s formal caution for a minor infraction, given before any penalty applies.

What Is It Called When…? Pickleball Terms by Situation

Know what happened but not the word for it? Find the situation on the left and the pickleball term on the right.

When…	It Is Called
A player volleys while standing in the non-volley zone	Kitchen fault
A player jumps around the kitchen to volley near the net	Erne
The ball is hit around the net post instead of over the net	Around the post
A soft shot drops into the opponent’s kitchen	Dink
The serving team’s third shot lands softly in the kitchen	Third shot drop
The serve passes to the other team	Side out
A team loses a game 11-0	Pickled
The serve hits the receiver’s partner before bouncing	Nasty Nelson
A player crosses to the partner’s side to take a ball	Poach
A ball has bounced once and is still live	Dillball
A shot has almost no pace and barely clears the net	Falafel
A player hits the ball between the legs	Tweener
A player hits everything as hard as possible	Banger
One partner drives and the other crashes the net to finish	Shake and bake
Partners line up so each stays on their preferred side	Stacking
Singles is played on half the court	Skinny singles
A player softens a hard ball back into the kitchen	Reset
Both teams must let the ball bounce once after the serve	Two-bounce rule

#1 Ace

A serve the receiver cannot return at all. Aces are rarer than in tennis because the serve has to be hit underhand, and since only the serving side scores under traditional scoring, an ace is one of the few free points in the game.

In a sentence: “She caught the baseline with a deep serve for an ace.”

#2 Backhand

A shot hit on the non-paddle side of the body, so a right-hander hits it from the left. Many players use two hands for backhand drives and one hand for dinks and resets.

In a sentence: “Attack his backhand, it breaks down in fast exchanges.”

#3 Baseline

The back line of the court, 22 feet from the net. The server has to keep both feet behind it, and within the extensions of the sideline and centerline, until the ball is struck.

In a sentence: “Stay back on the baseline until the return bounces.”

#4 Dink

A soft shot hit from at or near the kitchen line that drops into the opponent’s kitchen. The opponent cannot volley it from there and has to hit up on it, so long dink rallies become a test of patience until someone pops a ball up.

In a sentence: “Keep dinking crosscourt until someone pops one up.”

#5 Double bounce

The two-bounce rule: the return of serve has to bounce before it is hit, and the serving team’s next shot has to bounce too. Only after that may players volley. It keeps the serving team from rushing the net and makes the third shot so important.

In a sentence: “Remember the double bounce, let the return land before you hit it.”

#6 Drive

A hard, flat shot hit low over the net, usually from the baseline or midcourt. Drives are used to attack or to keep opponents back, and a player who drives everything is called a banger.

In a sentence: “He drove the third shot right at her feet.”

#7 Erne

A volley hit close to the net by a player who has gone around the kitchen, stepping or jumping outside the sideline so that no foot touches the non-volley zone. It is named after Erne Perry, the player who made it popular.

In a sentence: “She saw the dink drift wide and ran around for the Erne.”

#8 Fault

Any rule break that ends the rally: hitting the ball out or into the net, volleying from the kitchen, breaking the two-bounce rule or an illegal serve. A fault by the serving side loses the serve, a fault by the receiving side gives the server a point.

In a sentence: “Fault, your foot was on the kitchen line when you volleyed.”

#9 Forehand

A shot hit on the paddle side of the body, the strongest shot for most players. In doubles a common rule is that the player whose forehand is in the middle takes the balls hit down the center.

In a sentence: “Forehand in the middle, so that ball is yours.”

#10 Groundstroke

Any shot hit after the ball has bounced, usually from the back of the court. Because of the two-bounce rule, the serve return and the third shot of every rally are always groundstrokes.

In a sentence: “Hit a deep groundstroke and get to the kitchen line.”

#11 Kitchen

The common name for the non-volley zone, the seven-foot area on each side of the net. Players cannot volley while standing in it or touching its line, though they may step in to play a ball that has bounced. Where the nickname comes from is not documented.

In a sentence: “Get out of the kitchen before you volley.”

#12 Lob

A high shot sent over opponents standing at the kitchen line, landing deep behind them. It works when opponents crowd the net, but a short lob is an easy smash.

In a sentence: “They were both leaning in, so she lobbed it over them.”

#13 No-volley zone

The official name of the kitchen: a rectangle extending seven feet from the net on both sides, across the full width of the court. A volley is a fault if the player touches the zone or its line during the shot or afterward because of momentum.

In a sentence: “His momentum carried him into the no-volley zone after the volley, so it’s a fault.”

#14 Overhead

A shot hit from above the head, usually on a lob or a high bounce. It is often played close to the kitchen line, so players have to watch that their momentum does not carry them into the kitchen afterward.

In a sentence: “Back up for the overhead and put it in the middle.”

#15 Poach

In doubles, crossing into the partner’s half to take a ball, usually with a volley. A well-timed poach wins the point, a badly timed one leaves half the court open.

In a sentence: “She poached the crosscourt dink and put it away.”

#16 Rally

The exchange of shots from the serve until a fault. Under traditional side-out scoring only the serving side can win a point in a rally, while under rally scoring, which some events use, either side can.

In a sentence: “That rally went 40 shots, most of them dinks.”

#17 Serve

The shot that starts every rally, hit underhand and diagonally into the opposite service court beyond the kitchen. In the volley serve the paddle meets the ball below the waist with an upward arc; the drop serve lets the ball bounce first. Each server gets one attempt.

In a sentence: “Get your serve deep so they can’t attack the return.”

#18 Sideline

The lines along the long sides of the court. The court is 20 feet wide for singles and doubles alike, so unlike tennis there are no separate doubles alleys.

In a sentence: “That drive landed right on the sideline, it’s in.”

#19 Smash

A hard overhead hit downward to finish the point, usually on a high ball or a short lob. It is the reward for making the opponent pop the ball up.

In a sentence: “He popped it up and she smashed it at his feet.”

#20 Spin

Rotation on the ball. The plastic pickleball has holes and a smooth surface, so it takes less spin than a tennis ball, but topspin drives and slice dinks are part of the game at higher levels, and the roughness of paddle faces is regulated.

In a sentence: “Put a little slice on the dink to keep it low.”

#21 Side Out

The call when the serve passes from one team to the other. In doubles both partners usually serve before a side out, except at the start of the game, when only one player on the first serving team serves.

In a sentence: “Side out, your serve.”

#22 Unforced Error

A missed shot the opponent did not force, such as a dink into the net or a routine drive hit out. With side-out scoring, unforced errors on the serve and the return are especially costly.

In a sentence: “Most of their points came from our unforced errors.”

#23 Volley

A shot hit out of the air before it bounces. Volleys are the core of play at the kitchen line, and the rules forbid them only when the player is in or touching the non-volley zone.

In a sentence: “Block the volley back low, don’t swing at it.”

#24 Warning

An official notice from the referee, for example for unsporting behavior or for delaying the game. Further offenses can lead to technical fouls, which cost points.

In a sentence: “The referee gave him a warning for his language after the missed volley.”

#25 Third Shot Drop

A soft shot by the serving team on the third shot of the rally, arcing so it lands in the opponent’s kitchen. The receiving team is usually already at the kitchen line, and the drop gives the serving team time to move forward.

In a sentence: “Hit the third shot drop and follow it in.”

#26 Crosscourt

A shot hit diagonally to the opposite side of the court. Crosscourt dinks travel over the lowest part of the net and have the most room to land, so most dinking battles are played crosscourt.

In a sentence: “Keep the dinks crosscourt and wait for a high one.”

#27 Dead ball

A ball that is out of play after a fault or a stop in play. Once the ball is dead, nothing that happens afterward changes the result of the rally.

In a sentence: “It was already a dead ball when it hit the fence.”

#28 Drop shot

A soft shot from deep in the court that lands in or near the opponent’s kitchen. The third shot drop is the best-known version, but a drop works whenever a team needs time to get forward.

In a sentence: “Drop it in and come up together.”

#29 Foot fault

Stepping on or over the baseline, or outside the extended sideline or centerline, while serving. Volleying while touching the kitchen line is a separate fault, often called a kitchen fault.

In a sentence: “Foot fault, you were on the baseline when you served.”

#30 Non-volley line

The line marking the front edge of the kitchen, seven feet from the net. The line is part of the zone, so a player with a toe on it cannot volley. Getting both partners to this line is the goal of most points.

In a sentence: “Both of you need to be on the non-volley line by the fifth shot.”

Pickleball Slang Players and Fans Actually Use

Slang	What It Means
Banger	A player who hits everything hard instead of dinking.
Dillball	A ball that has bounced once and is in play, a pun on dill pickles.
Falafel	A shot with no power that falls short, said to be named because it is “awful”.
Pickled	Losing a game without scoring a point.
Golden pickle	Winning 11-0 with the first server never losing the serve.
Nasty Nelson	A serve aimed at the receiver’s partner, which wins the point if it hits them. Legal, but seen as poor form in casual play.
Volley llama	A player who volleys from inside the kitchen, which is a fault.
Flapjack	A ball that has to bounce before it can be hit, usually because the player is standing in the kitchen.
Bert	An Erne done on the partner’s side of the court.
ATP	Around the post: a shot hit around the net post instead of over the net, which is legal.
Shake and bake	A drive by one partner while the other rushes the net to finish the point.
Hand battle	A rapid exchange of volleys between players at the kitchen line.
Chicken wing	A ball hit at the opponent’s paddle-side shoulder, where it is hard to play.
Body bag	Hitting an opponent with the ball, usually with a hard drive.

Pickleball Expressions and Sayings in Everyday English

Zero, zero, start: The score called before the first serve of a doubles game, also said as zero-zero-two. The first serving team gets only one server in its first turn, so the game starts as if that player were already the second server.
Stay out of the kitchen: The most repeated piece of advice in pickleball, and a favorite slogan on shirts because it plays on the old saying “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”.
Dink responsibly: A slogan seen on shirts and paddle covers, a play on “drink responsibly” that tells players to stay patient in dink rallies.

FAQ

What are phrases used in playing pickleball?

The ones you hear every game are calls and shot names: “kitchen” for the non-volley zone, “dink” for the soft shot into it, “side out” when the serve changes hands, and “out” or “in” called on a ball near the line. Scores are called in three numbers: server’s score, receiver’s score, server number.

What are some pickleball slang terms?

Banger for a player who hits everything hard, dillball for a live ball, falafel for a shot with no power, pickled for losing without a point and volley llama for volleying from the kitchen. The slang table above has more.

Why is the non-volley zone called the kitchen?

The kitchen is the nickname for the seven-foot strip on each side of the net where volleying is not allowed. Where the nickname came from is not documented, and the rulebook itself only uses the term non-volley zone.

What do you call a soft shot that just clears the net in pickleball?

A dink. It is played with almost no pace so it drops into the opponent’s non-volley zone, where it cannot be volleyed and cannot easily be attacked.

What is it called when a player jumps around the kitchen to hit a volley?

An Erne. The player moves outside the non-volley zone, by stepping around it or jumping across the corner, and volleys the ball close to the net without ever standing in the kitchen.

What are some words related to pickleball?

They fall into court terms (kitchen, non-volley line, baseline, sideline), shots (dink, drive, lob, third shot drop, Erne, smash) and scoring terms (side out, fault, ace, pickled). The pickleball glossary above defines each one.

What are some pickleball terms for beginners?

Start with the kitchen and the two-bounce rule, because they shape every rally, then the shots dink, drive, lob and third shot drop, and the score words side out and second server. With those a first game makes sense.

What are some funny pickleball terms?

Falafel for a shot with no power, dillball for a live ball, volley llama for volleying in the kitchen, Nasty Nelson for a serve that hits the receiver’s partner and pickled for losing 11-0.

Why are so many pickleball terms about food?

Mostly because of the name: pickled, dillball and golden pickle all play on pickle, and the kitchen fits the same theme. None of them appears in the official rulebook, which uses non-volley zone and fault instead.

Why is it called pickleball?

The game was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island near Seattle by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. Joan Pritchard said she named it after the pickle boat in rowing, a crew put together from leftover rowers; the popular story about the family dog Pickles came later, as the dog arrived after the name.