SUGGESTED USA PICKLEBALL RULE CHANGES FOR 2024

Rule Change Process | Submit A Rule Change

Rule Submission TitleServing; Replay or Fault
USAP Board VoteFailure Confirmed
USAP Rules Committee VoteFailed
USAP Rules Committee Vote ReasonFor the same reasons as disapproval of proposal 1018.
Existing Rule #4.A.9.
Proposed Rule Change

4.A.9. Replay or Fault. In officiated matches, the referee may call for a replay if they are not certain that one
or more of the requirements of the serve has been met. The replay must be called before the return of serve. The referee shall call a fault if they are certain that one or more of the requirements of the serve, other than Rule 4.A.6, has not been met. In nonofficiated matches, if the receiver determines that manipulation of spin has been imparted prior to the serve, or the release of the ball is not visible, or there has been a clear violation of the service motion rules according to rules 4.A.5, 4.A.7, or 4.A.8, the receiver may call for a replay before the return of serve. In non-officiated matches, the receiver has no authority to call for replays or faults for service motion violations.

The table in 4.A.9.a will need to be updated as well.

Original Rule Text

4.A.9. Replay or Fault. In officiated matches, the referee may call for a replay if they are not certain that one
or more of the requirements of the serve has been met. The replay must be called before the return of serve. The referee shall call a fault if they are certain that one or more of the requirements of the serve, other than Rule 4.A.6, has not been met. In nonofficiated matches, if the receiver determines that manipulation of spin has been imparted prior to the serve, or the release of the ball is not visible, the receiver may call for a replay before the return of serve. In non-officiated matches, the receiver has no authority to call for replays or faults for service motion violations.

Reasoning Behind Suggested Change

As the volume of players is expanding exponentially, we are seeing more and more players that take advantage of this rule during recreational or non-officiated matches to gain an unfair advantage on their serve.  There is currently no remedy for the receiver of blatantly obvious service motion violations.  While I do understand USAPA not allowing the receiver to call a fault for service motion because of the distance they stand from the server and to avoid poor sportsmanship calls on excellent serves that the receiver just misses; the receiver's partner, however, if standing in the typical location at the non-volley zone line, is almost the same distance from the server as a referee would be standing and has excellent visibility of the service motion.   I believe the receiving side should be allowed to call a fault for serves that blatantly violate the service rules, because currently those that choose to violate the service rules often do so with impunity, thus gaining very unfair advantages in doing so.  I request the USAPA rules board consider modifying this rule to allow the receiving side to call a service fault when one occurs related to service motion and / or improperly dropped balls. I also propose that the remedy is a service replay, in the name of fairness, and to honor the origins of the game, where the serve was not supposed to be like tennis, but rather something to get the play in motion without unfair advantage.

Scenarios In Which the Rules Applies

All recreation and non-officiated play.

Rule Book Year2024
Rule Change ID1103
Date CreatedApril 27, 2023
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