LIST OF SUGGESTED USA PICKLEBALL RULE CHANGES FOR 2023

Rule Change Process Search For Any VariableRule Change ID

Displaying 1 – 25 of 78

Existing Rule #	Rule Change ID	Rule Submission Title	USAP Board Voting Status	USAP Rules Committee Voting Status	Link to Single Entry
Unknown	369	One-handed pre-spin serves	Failed	Failed: Replaced by rule suggestion 524	View Details
The Players Section on Page 1	521	Guidance on clothing color	Passed	Passed. This doesn’t add any additional punative result. This just clarifies that the Tournament Director can choose to request apparelA paddle listed as Pass on the USAPA/IFP Approved Paddle List without penalty. More changes due to the clothing matching the ball color. It also suggests to players that they should not intentionally choose clothing that is the same color as the tournament ball.	View Details
Serving Section 4A and 4C	320	Serving Sequence in Pickleball	Failed	Failed. There are already expectations the serverThe player who initiates a rally. Depending on the team’s score, it is possible that the player who serves may not be the correct server. More has to wait for the receiverThe player who is positioned diagonally opposite the server to return the serve. Depending on the team’s score, the player who returns the serve may not be the correct receiver. More to be ready and call the score so that they can hear. Also, that players will accommodate hearing impaired players. It is not appropriate to require this for all play.	View Details
Section 1	572	The Game	Failed	Failed. Not needed because the refereeAny object on or near the court, including hanging over the court, that can interfere with play. Permanent objects include the ceiling, walls, fencing, lighting fixtures, net posts, net post legs, the stands and seats for spectators, the referee, line judges, spectators when in their recognized positions, and all other objects around and above the court. More duties are clearly defined in 13.C.	View Details
Rule 9C	283	Modification of Rule 9C	Failed	Failed. NoA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More. This an integral part of the game.	View Details
None	275	Head Targeting	Failed	Failed. This is part of the game. Wear protection. Difficult to enforce.	View Details
None	372	3rd and 4th shot Rule	Failed	Failed: 1) Unenforceable 2) Impractical to expect all players to have complete control over where their shot goes. 3) There are many trainers who teach effective, safe ways to respond to lobs	View Details
N/A	367	Indoor CeilingAny object on or near the court, including hanging over the court, that can interfere with play. Permanent objects include the ceiling, walls, fencing, lighting fixtures, net posts, net post legs, the stands and seats for spectators, the referee, line judges, spectators when in their recognized positions, and all other objects around and above the court. More height	Failed	1) Where did 39 feet come from. 2) This is just recommendation, what happens if you can’t meet it? 3) Rules outA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More a lot of existing venues. 4) Failed. Recommended height (19ft) is already recommended in the USAP construction manual.	View Details
Many	513	RallyContinuous play that occurs after the serve and before a fault. More scoring option for singles and doubles	Failed	Failed. USAP not ready to incorporate this as a rule. A task force will be formed in 2023 to investigate the details of how to implement this.	View Details
In the area of 4.K Wrong Score Called. and 4 D. Calling the Score	286	Something to the effect of better saying the score clearly, slowly, and loudly. . Also, a two second pause between the last number spoken and the beginning of the serveThe initial strike of the ball to start the rally. More motion. Also the correction of the score	Failed	Failed. Unnecessarily cumbersome. Overkill.	View Details
8D,	266	Remove determination of winner of rallyContinuous play that occurs after the serve and before a fault. More for dead ballA ball that is no longer in play. More rule	Failed	Failed. Unnecessary edit	View Details
7.H.	342	Replace “below the wrist” with “excluding the wrist”	Failed	Failed. There isn’t a problem with interpreting this rule	View Details
7.H and 7.I	347	Player hit by ball	Passed	Passed. Editorial change	View Details
7.D.	567	Ambiguous wording	Passed	Passed. Wording was modified by the rules committee.	View Details
6.d.9	281	Line CallA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More Rules	Failed	Failed. The committed felt that this already an option for players	View Details
6.D.8	219	Line callA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More editorial change	Passed	Passed. Editorial change	View Details
6.D.7.	389	The “out” debacle and contradiction	Failed	Passed 1) Passed last year by the rules committee but overridden by the board	View Details
6.D.7	501	6.D.7. Players shall not call a ball “out” unless they can clearly see a space between the line and the ball as it hits the ground.	Failed	Failed. Same as rule suggestion 389	View Details
6.D.5.	268	Questioning an opponents call	Passed	Passed: Moved guidance to start of rulebook. There is a concern that any ‘should’ rule is not enforceable and has noA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More penalty, so this is just guidance.	View Details
6.D.5	324	Appeals to referee	Failed	Failed. The edit is redundant and attempts to address something that isn’t an issue	View Details
6.D.11.	561	OutA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More balls-partner communication	Failed	Failed. Reason same as 277.	View Details
6.D.1.1	277	Use of the word “OUT” during a volleyDuring a rally, a strike of the ball out of the air before the ball has bounced. More	Failed	Failed. Well known player communication. What other ‘out’ variations would also be prevented?	View Details
6.A.	290	All Lines In	Failed	Failed. Also, technically the way this is written would mean a ball hitting the NVZThe 7-foot-by-20-foot area adjacent to the net and specific to each team’s end of the court relating to NVZ faults. All lines bounding the NVZ are part of the NVZ. The NVZ is two-dimensional and does not rise above the playing surface. (See Figure 2-1 and Section 2.B.3.) More sideline would be in.	View Details
5.A.1 (or new rule)	582	Game Ball Selection	Failed	Failed: Game ball selection is adequately covered in the refereeAny object on or near the court, including hanging over the court, that can interfere with play. Permanent objects include the ceiling, walls, fencing, lighting fixtures, net posts, net post legs, the stands and seats for spectators, the referee, line judges, spectators when in their recognized positions, and all other objects around and above the court. More handbook.	View Details
4B10	404	Incorrect player or position	Failed	Failed. 1) We’d be asking every single match to change the end of match procedure ( requiring all teams to sign the scoresheet) for a relatively rare occurrence. 2) This drastically reduces the amount of time that they identify an outA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More of position error. 3) We don’t want a referee error to substantially affect the outcome of the match 4) If passed, the change about referees correcting players outA loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not touched in the required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”. Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also... More of position would address this.	View Details