Pickleball Glossary: Terms Every Player Should Know
Pickleball has its own vocabulary, and a lot of it gets thrown around courtside before anyone explains what it means. This glossary covers the terms you'll hear most often on the court, in paddle descriptions, and in other guides on this site, grouped by category so you can jump to what you need.
Court & Rules Terms
Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)
The 7-foot zone on each side of the net. Players cannot volley (hit the ball out of the air) while standing inside this zone. See our rules guide for the full explanation.
Two-Bounce Rule
The requirement that the ball bounce once on the return of serve and once on the return of that shot before either side may volley it out of the air.
Volley
Hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. Not allowed while standing inside the kitchen.
Side Out
When the serving team loses the rally and the serve passes to the other team without a point being scored, under traditional scoring rules.
Let
A serve that touches the net but still lands in the correct service box. Lets are replayed with no penalty.
Shots & Strategy Terms
Dink
A soft, controlled shot hit from just outside the kitchen line, arcing just over the net so it lands in the opponent's kitchen. The core shot of close-range pickleball strategy.
Third Shot Drop
A soft, arcing shot hit as the serving team's third shot of the rally, meant to land in the kitchen and let the serving team advance to the net safely.
Stacking
A doubles positioning strategy where partners line up on the same side of the court before a serve or return, then move to their preferred sides once play begins.
Erne
An advanced shot where a player jumps around the kitchen, outside the sideline, to volley the ball without their feet touching the non-volley zone.
Equipment Terms
Core Thickness
The thickness of a paddle's internal core, usually 13 to 16mm. Thicker cores favor control and touch; thinner cores favor power. See our paddle buyer's guide for the full breakdown.
USA Pickleball Approved
A certification indicating a paddle meets USA Pickleball's official equipment standards for sanctioned tournament play.
Raw Carbon Fiber
An unfinished, textured carbon fiber paddle face that grips the ball longer at contact, producing more spin than smoother fiberglass or graphite faces.
Tour & Competition Terms
PPA Tour
The Professional Pickleball Association Tour, the sport's largest professional tour, featuring most of the top-ranked players in the world.
DUPR
Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating, a widely used skill-rating system (roughly 2.0 to 8.0) that many leagues and tournaments use to place players in appropriately competitive brackets.
Still feel like you're missing context for some of these terms? Our Complete Beginner's Guide to Pickleball Gear and Rules for Beginners guide walk through how everything fits together for your first few games.