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I disagree vehemently. The drop serve should stay. It is easy to learn, is legal and a good way for beginners to learn a serve. It also is a strategic skill for ace serves! IMO It stays!!!!

Introducing the word "start" into the score call cadence will only result in more confusion I feel. As a new player, the understanding that you call a 1 or a 2 to denote if they are the 1st or 2nd server after each team's score is knowledge they should learn as they first start playing.

Switching sides in every game would create a bigger issue with the overall time in a match. Adding and additional 2 mins in every best 2 of 3 match will add up quickly based on the number of matches there are in the bigger tournaments.

A referee can and should be able to stop play to issues a TW or TF. If a player hits a ball causing it to pop up for an easy overhead winner and the just throw there paddle towards the net, that would be an instance where a referee could stop play and issue the TW/TF. This could be looked at as the referee stopping play for a distraction also and then issuing the TW/TF. There are circumstances where stopping play and issuing a TW/TF do occur though, so I feel that taking that wording out would bring up more confusion.

I feel implementing this change would have two consequential side effects that I would argue against implementing this rule.

1) A second serve has the potential to extend the time required to complete a game.

2) It introduces the ability to be really aggressive on a first serve which goes against the idea of the rally being where the point should be earned and not the serve. The receiving team/player in pickleball should have the advantage at the start and not the serving team.

Just like to say I agree with this rule change! I can tell you in other sports with more mature rule books this is the case.

I agree that the drop serve should be full instated as a permanent rule. I do not agree that any changes should be made to the current rule concerning the drop serve. In all racquet sports the serve is a weapon and should not be restricted. In almost all tournaments you can see some players using the traditional serve in ways that could be considered questionable. In the quick service motion it is almost impossible (without slow motion replay) to decide if all the qualifications for a legal serve have been met. If any new change is made it might be in the best interest of the game to only allow the drop serve. Service questions automatically go away.

Losing a point (or adding one point to the opponent) is a strong deterrent to bad behavior. Keep it as it is.

With the exception of medically necessary hearing aids, I see no reason that players should be allowed to wear earbuds. How would you know if the person was receiving constant coaching via cell phone?

Referees need to keep the game moving. There have been many times that I've called the 15-second warning and one or more players are slow in responding. Nothing gets them moving like seeing the referee's hand counting out the seconds.

As a referee, I do not want the responsibility for determining if a medical time-out should be granted. I've had no medical training. I don't want to be in a position to determine if an ambulance is needed. Leave the medical decisions to the trained medical personnel.

This rule change would greatly increase the time required for a game.
PICKLEBALL DOES NOT NEED TO BE MORE LIKE TENNIS.

I disagree that without changing the lines for a singles game the growth of pickleball will be impeded. I'm 78 and sometimes play singles, but more often "skinny" singles that requires focus and more accuracy.
PICKLEBALL DOES NOT NEED TO BECOME MORE LIKE TENNIS.

Please DROP the DROP serve. It gives some spinners an advantage, but we really aren't after aces like Tennis

I agree from a safety perspective. Proper positioning on the court makes it extremely difficult to get to a serve that clips the net and barely lands in. Since let serves are obvious I don't see the false let serve call ever. Considering the wide age range of players i think replaying let serves should be reestablished

In my opinion the drop serve should be retained if for the following reasons:
1) Having helped 50 plus people, from 7 to 83 years old, learn the drop serve makes it much easier to teach. It takes away the timed release required for conventional serve.
2) As a referee for tournaments it is much easier to rule validity of serve vs. conventional serve which demands considerable judgement by the ref.
3) Allows for more variation of serve for spin.
4) Not as controversial as the "chainsaw serve" which is yet another referee nightmare.

This isn't tennis. No thanks to changing this rule in pickleball. One serve is plenty.

I previously submitted a drop serve rule change suggestion, but I do like this option better. With both serves, traditional and drop, require nothing other than hitting the ball below the waist and an upward arc. Those would be the only two things a ref would need to watch for; the same two things for both serves. I can only imagine this would be much easier for the ref, without changing really anything about the serves themselves. Good thoughts, this.

Disagree wholeheartedly on the top of the paddleface issue. The idea is to prevent players from serving sideways. Sidewinders are legal in baseball, not pickleball. The upward swing is what makes picklball unique and allows all people of any level to play and compete. Anything that even remotely appears to be sideways should simply be illegal. Way to close to the waist. Most recreational players cannot even return those serves. Wow, that is fun and enjoyable. Most people that get 4-5 points on serves almost always win. Wow, that really makes the game fun to play. Not. If we allow all these people to push the envelope then we might as well quit playing pickleball and go back to playing tennis. I don’t even know how you can hit a ball that is below the waist with the paddleface above the break in the wrist. Appears to defy physics. A ball below the waist is below the net and must be hit in an upward motion, no matter how imperceptible, or it will not clear the net.
The introduction of the drop serve really screwed up the game of pickleball and opened up a Pandora’s Box that will never be closed. Get rid of it.
This guy’s suggestion that the original rules of serving should remain in effect for all serves (especially the drop serve) is right on the nut. And the comment that “the previous statements do not apply” (bullet number four under the section on serving in the alternate rule book) has got to go. The ensuing confusion will never go away. I didn’t appreciate the cheater who misinterpreted that statement to mean that he could serve anyway he wanted on the drop serve (including above the waist) getting nose to nose with me and spitting in my face.

It is not difficult at all to determine the level of the navel, but top of hip isn’t that bad either. Because the navel is at the same exact height. The best rule would simply state that “ The ball must be served BELOW the navel. If any part of the ball touches the navel that is a fault.” The navel would provide a good reference point. Bob is on to something though. “The ball must be served below the top of the hip bone” would also work.
The word that really has to go is “waist.” A hip bone is about 8 inches in height. You can fit more than three pickleballs in that space!!! Thus the waist is not a reference point. Hence the difficulty in determining if a serve is legal or not. The navel and top of the hip are.
Like I said, Bob is on to something and I agree with his concept. It has actually been one of my pet peeves and I have been trying to submit the same rule change but have not been able to figure out how. It’s July 9th and the deadline is July 10th. Mark Piefer told me that he has authorized my submission but I don’t really know what that means. Does that mean he sent it in or do I still have to do it? I would prefer not to have to wait until next year to submit my idea.

Totally agree with submitter!!!!! The key part of the uniqueness of the game of pickleball was the serve. Anybody could play. Until the cheater, ace, wicked, sidearm, smash, over the waist, drop serve came into play. Now pickleball is just like any other sport. Not social, not fun. Just constant frustration. The competitive players are ruining recreational play with the help of… the drop serve. Yes, they should go to competitive play. But they are not. They are just beating up on old ladies and senior citizens, many of whom have various levels of disabilities. Big whoop. The Bainbridge Island Boys must be turning over in their graves.

Totally agree with submitter!!!!! The key part of the uniqueness of the game of pickleball was the serve. Anybody could play. Until the cheater, ace, wicked, sidearm, smash, over the waist, drop serve came into play. Now pickleball is just like any other sport. Not social, not fun. Just constant frustration. The competitive players are ruining recreational play with the help of… the drop serve. Yes, they should go to competitive play. But they are not. They are just beating up on old ladies and senior citizens, many of whom have various levels of disabilities. Big whoop. The Bainbridge Island Boys must be turning over in their graves.

This is unnecessary. The team that wins the toss will have too much advantage. Beginners will eventually learn the correct score. Bad rule change.

The rally point should be adapted as soon as possible. The advantage is obvious. I think the pickleball is the only sport stuck in the past and did not keep up with time. I'm glad to see that the association is ready to move forward.

The losing team should then be required to also sign the scoresheet, in order to keep the winner from rushing to sign it to keep from losing their last point. Perhaps the time limit should instead be "when the Referee Leaves the court"