New serve rules explained in 4 minutes | 2024 | 

Finally somone explicitly addresses the difference between ppa and rec (usap) usap rules. Great content! Now youbshiuld link them to zanes riduclous in court step off serve to re confuse them

I facilitate several drop-ins. So many people starting rumours that only the ppa style serve is legal now.

Wow! Pickleball Playbook.......You the Man! You are the only one to tell me where the "navel" wording came from with respect to the serve rule. The 2020 USA Pickleball rules define the "waste" as "navel level". However the "navel" wording was removed in the 2021 USA/IFP rule book. Not sure why they made it less specific, but thanks for the info. I only started playing Pickleball in 2022, so I missed the 2020 rules and never thought to look back. Now I know why some people reference the navel. Just for that, I'm going to subscribe to your cannel.......I don't do that too often. Thanks for the help.

That was the best explanation of the serve rule i have seen on the internet. But I do have a question for you: The rules states the serve "can't make contact with the ball "above" the "waist"". The best I can find on the internet is that the waist is area between the iliac crest and the lowest rib. The mid point of those two bone is the waist line. The navel is about 1 inch below the waist line. So it would make sense to me that the ball cannot be hit (the exact initial contact point on the ball) above the lowest rib. Further more, if your body is tilted, it would have to be contacted above the highest of the lower ribs to be illegal. If this sound reasonable, then the navel can be completely removed from the equation. Of course we can use the naval as a marker for the lowest rib (the highest-lowest rib). What are your thoughts?

1) Legal 2) Illegal (can't move your drop hand up as you drop) 3) Legal (drop serves can be dropped from any height)

#1 looks okay, but volley serves are really hard to tell, so I could be wrong: I think #2 is illegal because his arm has upward momentum and there’s a slight toss when he serves? The third one looks good except I’m not sure if you’re allowed to get onto your tiptoes before the drop. Pretty sure about 2 being illegal for ppa, but not sure on the others

Thank you for the concise info on serve.... but i just saw a Rec tournament 4.0 using a backhand volley serve..... is that legal???? Again Thanks... I;m still learning and enjoying the sport. 72 yrs young.... Vince

PB needs to rule out players who have serves that are meant to deceive or look tricky. Like letting the ball bounce twice before hitting. Also I've seen where they drop, then grab, then hit from hand. Clearly those are weird and not natural-looking. Baseball has their own rules to prevent pitchers from trying to trick batters, PB needs to have the same thing

Great video which pretty much clarifies all the confusion. I wish you had mentioned not to intentionally spin the ball while tossing. I will save it for future reference.

what happens if you miss the ball on your serve and don't make any contact with your paddle? is it a redo?

To address jumboC1957. The Rules are not clear as to what is meant by the "Arm" moving in an upward arc. But first, just because you have sideways arc, is not illegal, as long as you have some upward arc along with the sideways arc. That said, I think Pickleball Playbook was correct. The issue I have with the rules is: Is the "arm" the part of the body between the shoulder and the elbow (it is). The forearm is the part of your body between your elbow and your wrist.... So do the rules mean 1) the part between the shoulder and the elbow or 2) your entire arm (as most people refer to)? In case 1, as long has you are hitting the ball so your elbow is in front of your shoulder, you have to be arcing your arm upward. But the rule book has an arced arrow by the paddle. To me, that implies the paddle is to be arced upward. So to me, the picture in the rule book does not match the wording. I go with the wording over the pictures, but who am I. The rule needs more clarification.

How about stepping in when serving, is it legal?

According to the new PPA rule serve #2 is illegal but not for amateurs.

Entire motion (swing) need not be “low to high” (upwards). Only at “point of contact” need it be “low to high” (upwards).

4.A.7.a The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc at the time the ball is struck with the paddle. It sounded like you were saying that as long as you finished with the paddle higher then when you started it was o.k. to hit the ball while moving the paddle sideways. If that was what you meant then it is not right. I will say that if you are keeping the paddle below your wrist like you are supposed to it is pretty hard to due, but I guess with practice…

1 and 3 legal

1- legal. 2 not legal. 3 legal

anyone spot the cat?

PPA needs to stop with the stupid rules. If a sport needs to be changed every year, why take it seriously then?

Upward arc

Just starting to love this game and they’re tryn ruin it already. It’s pickleball it’s supposed to be fun, very few serves are unreturnable. If it ain’t broke…

All l hal