Pickleball terms and glossary
Pickleball has more slang than any sport its age deserves. Here is what people are actually saying.
Core terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Kitchen | The non-volley zone — 7 feet either side of the net. You cannot volley while touching it. |
| Dink | A soft shot that lands in the opponent's kitchen so it cannot be volleyed or attacked. |
| Volley | Hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. |
| Groundstroke | Hitting the ball after it bounces. |
| Two-bounce rule | The serve and the return must each bounce before anyone may volley. |
| Side-out | The serve passing to the other team. |
| Fault | Any rule violation that ends the rally. |
| Rally | The exchange of shots between the serve and a fault. |
Shots
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Third shot drop | The serving team's soft third shot into the kitchen, used to get to the net. |
| Third shot drive | The hard, flat alternative to the drop. |
| Erne | Jumping around the outside of the kitchen to volley near the net — legal because you never touch the zone. |
| ATP (Around The Post) | Hitting the ball around the outside of the net post. Legal, and it does not need to clear net height. |
| Lob | A high shot over opponents at the net, aimed at the baseline. |
| Overhead / smash | The put-away against a high ball. |
| Reset | Taking pace off an attacked ball to drop it back into the kitchen and neutralise the point. |
| Punch volley | A short, blocked volley with no backswing. |
Slang you will hear
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Pickled | Losing 11–0. Said with delight by everyone except the loser. |
| Banger | A player who hits everything hard and never dinks. |
| Dead dink | A dink with no purpose that sits up and invites an attack. |
| Falafel | A shot hit with far too little power, usually into the net. |
| Flapjack | A shot that must bounce before it can be hit, because of the two-bounce rule. |
| Kitchen line | The non-volley zone line — where you want to be standing. |
| Stacking | Both partners starting on the same side, then switching after the serve, usually to keep forehands in the middle. |
| Poach | Crossing in front of your partner to take a ball that was theirs. |
| Golden pickle | Winning 11–0 while never losing the serve at all. |
Ratings
Players are rated roughly 2.0 to 5.0+. A 2.0 is brand new, 3.0 can sustain rallies and is learning the drop, 4.0 controls pace and dinks with intent, 5.0 is a serious competitive player. Most social play sits between 3.0 and 3.5, and self-rating optimistically is a long tradition.