Picklebal Rules Refresher: Court Etiquette & Safety

So it was certainly my bad last night, when a full swing paddle barely missed hitting me in the face. WHY!?! I failed to follow Pickleball Etiquette. Without thinking, or LOOKING, or calling "BALL ON THE COURT!" I went to retrieve a ball from the next court while the point was being played on that court. SWISH! I barely reached in, less than a foot inside the next court, thinking I could quickly and adeptly retrieve it. SWISH! A not so gentle reminder...And a close shave.

Call it Pickleball Etiquette. Call it Good Sports Conduct. Call it Simple Courtesy. Call it Safe Sports Practices. Call it Drool Control. But do NOT do what I did.

Space is tight on some of our Abbotsford indoor courts.

Pickleball is played beyond the back lines.

• Do NOT walk on other courts to retrieve a ball while a point is being played on that court.
• Do NOT walk immediately behind other courts while the ball is still in play.

CAUTION: Sports Brainfreeze can make it hard to follow these simple court courtesies. Protect your partners call "BALL ON THE COURT!" and/or "PERSON ON THE COURT!"

* If a ball rolls onto your court during play, stop the game so that the ball can be removed and then replay the point.

*  Do not randomly roll or kick or flick the ball out of your way, but walk to the back of your court with ball in hand, find out who's missing their ball and throw or hit it back to a player on the court from where it came. (Conversely, if a ball rolls from your court to another one, make eye contact with the person returning it.)