LIST OF SUGGESTED PICKLEBALL RULE CHANGES FOR PREVIOUS YEARS

Rule Change Process

Rule Submission TitlePlayer hit by ball
USAP Board Voting StatusPassed
USAP Rules Committee Voting StatusPassed. Editorial change
Existing Rule #7.H and 7.I
Proposed Rule Change

7.H. After the serve, the ball contacts a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying, except the paddle or the player’s hand(s) in contact with the paddle and below the wrist. If the player is in the process of changing hands with both hands on the paddle or is attempting a two-handed stroke and either hand is hit below the wrist, as long as the player’s hand(s) are in contact with the paddle, the ball is still in play.  The fault is on the player who was hit by the ball. 

7.I. A live ball that is stopped by a player before it becomes dead. (e.g., catching or stopping a ball in flight before it makes contact with the playing surface.)  The fault is on the player who stopped the ball.

Original Rule Text

7.H. After the serve, the ball contacts a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying, except the paddle or the player’s hand(s) in contact with the paddle and below the wrist. If the player is in the process of changing hands with both hands on the paddle or is attempting a two-handed stroke and either hand is hit below the wrist, as long as the player’s hand(s) are in contact with the paddle, the ball is still in play. 

7.I. A live ball that is stopped by a player before it becomes dead. (e.g., catching or stopping a ball in flight before it makes contact with the playing surface.) 

Reasoning Behind Suggested Change

The existing rules never explicitly says who the fault is on.  With regard to 7.H, the the ambiguity as to who should be faulted was pointed by a USAP member after an argument with another player who was adamant that the fault was on the player who hit the ball, not the player who was hit.

Scenarios In Which the Rules Applies

N/A

Rule Book Year2023
Rule Change ID347
Date CreatedApril 24, 2022
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