SUGGESTED USA PICKLEBALL RULE CHANGES FOR 2024
| Rule Submission Title | Change Non Volley Zone size to 8ft |
|---|---|
| USAP Board Vote | Failure Confirmed |
| USAP Rules Committee Vote | Failed |
| USAP Rules Committee Vote Reason | Increasing the depth of the NVZ will completely change the game with a negative impact on the dynamic of play. It will make the game easier for everyone, which is not an improvement. With an additional one foot of depth, players would not have to be as careful in making a third shot drop that their opponent cannot volley. The challenge in making a good third shot drop makes the game exciting. Also, adding depth to the NVZ would be a disadvantage to smaller players who will be further away from the the net. If this had merit based on the reach of bigger players, the logical extension would be to increase the width of the court. This would also cause significant expense to repaint lines for all existing courts. |
| Existing Rule # | 2.B.3. |
| Proposed Rule Change | 2.B.3. Non-Volley Zone (NVZ). The area of the court, specific to each team, on either side of the net bounded by a line between the two sidelines (nonvolley zone line) parallel to and 8 |
| Original Rule Text | 2.B.3. Non-Volley Zone (NVZ). The area of the court, specific to each team, on either side of the net bounded by a line between the two sidelines (nonvolley zone line) parallel to and 7 feet (2.13 m) from the net. All NVZ lines are part of the NVZ. |
| Reasoning Behind Suggested Change | As the game of Pickleball has evolved and brought in more competition and higher level athletes, the advantage to athletes with more height and greater reach is becoming more evident. Increasing the size of the NVZ will serve to reduce that advantage, allowing for a better representation of athletes of various sizes across all skill levels to continue to be competitive. |
| Rule Book Year | 2024 |
| Rule Change ID | 1116 |
| Date Created | April 29, 2023 |
| View Comments | View Comments |