Faults and line calls: a complete reference
A “fault” in pickleball is any rule violation that ends a rally. If your side commits the fault, you lose the rally — meaning you either lose the serve (if you were serving) or the other team scores a point (if they were serving and you committed the fault, in side-out scoring). This article is the full reference for what counts as a fault and how line calls are made.
Faults you’ll see in every game
These are the everyday faults that come up dozens of times in any session.
1. The ball lands out of bounds
If a returned ball lands outside the lines on the receiving side, it’s a fault on the team that hit it. The line is in — a ball that touches any part of any court line is good. The exception is the Kitchen line on a serve (covered below).
2. The ball doesn’t clear the net
If a hit goes into the net and doesn’t make it over, it’s a fault on the team that hit it. A ball that clips the top of the net and lands in is good — not a let, just play. (One exception: a serve that clips the net and lands in the correct service box used to be a “let” and replayed; under USAP 2025–2026 rules, net serves are now in play. No let, no replay — if it lands in, you keep playing.)
3. The ball bounces twice
If the ball bounces twice on your side before you can return it, fault. This sounds obvious, but the two-bounce rule makes it relevant on the first two shots of every rally — see The two-bounce rule.
4. A serve fault
There are several ways to fault on a serve:
- The serve doesn’t clear the Kitchen (lands in the NVZ or on the Kitchen line)
- The serve lands outside the diagonal service box
- The server’s foot touches the baseline or the court before the ball is struck
- The server hits the ball above waist level (for traditional underhand serves) or fails to release the ball above waist level (for the drop serve)
- The server’s paddle moves in an upward arc but the contact point is above the wrist (traditional serve only)
For the deeper version, see How to serve in pickleball.
5. Volleying in the Kitchen
Hitting the ball out of the air while any part of you is touching the Non-Volley Zone, or its line, is a fault. So is following through with a volley such that your momentum carries you into the NVZ afterward. See The Kitchen (NVZ) rules for the complete version.
Faults you’ll see less often (but should know)
6. Touching the net or net post
If you, your paddle, or your clothing touches the net or the net post during a rally — even after you’ve made your shot — it’s a fault. Reaching over the net to hit a ball that hasn’t crossed yet is also a fault, with one exception: you can reach over to retrieve a ball that has already bounced on your side and spun back over.
7. Catching or carrying the ball
A “carry” is when the ball comes to rest on your paddle face for too long during a swing — the technical line is roughly that contact must be a single, definite hit. Catches and double-hits with intent are faults. An accidental double-hit on a single continuous swing is not a fault.
8. Hindering your opponent
If you do something that prevents an opponent from making a play — yelling, throwing your paddle, distracting them — it’s a fault on your side. Recreational players sometimes call “hinder!” if they want a let; in tournament play, the referee makes the call.
9. Wrong server, wrong position, or wrong score called
If a player serves from the wrong side, or the wrong player on the team serves, or the score is called incorrectly and the rally is played out, the fault rules get nuanced. In recreational play, most groups just stop, fix it, and replay the point. In tournament play, the referee enforces the specific rule. Don’t sweat this one until you’re playing in a sanctioned event.
How line calls work
The general rule in recreational pickleball is that the receiving team makes line calls on their own side of the court. If a ball lands on or near a line on your side, it’s your call to make — and you should make it honestly. If you’re not sure, call it in. The benefit of the doubt goes to the other team.
The line is in for every line on the court. A ball that touches any part of any line is good. The single exception is the Kitchen line on a serve: if your serve lands on the Kitchen line, it’s out (it’s treated as a serve into the NVZ, which is a fault).
Recreational play
Most drop-in and league play is self-officiated. There are no line judges, no referees, and no replays. The receiving team calls in or out, and the call is final unless both sides clearly agree the call was wrong. Disagreements are resolved by replaying the point — never by giving the call to the louder player.
Tournament play
USA Pickleball tournaments use line judges for higher-level matches and a referee for the score, the serve, and any disputed calls. Players can challenge a line call by appealing to the referee, who has final authority.
The “ten percent” rule of recreational pickleball
This is unwritten but real: in friendly play, call all close balls in. The goal of recreational pickleball is to keep the rally alive and finish the session friends. A reputation for tight, generous line calls is worth more than the handful of points you’d win by being strict. If you wouldn’t bet $100 that the ball was out, call it in.
Source
Faults and line calls are covered in the USA Pickleball Official Rulebook (USAP 2026), Sections 7 (Service Faults), 11 (Faults), and 6.D (Line Calls). For the most recent rule changes, including the 2025–2026 elimination of let serves, the rulebook’s annual change summary is the canonical source.