# Appendix IV - Pickleball Terminologies

* **Around The Post**: ATP, the player hits the ball from outside of the court (left side or right side), and let the ball land into the opponent court around the net post (not above the net).
* **Backhand Roll**: A backhand shot where the wrist is rolled over the ball to impart spin and control.
* **Back Spin**: Making the ball spin backward by chopping its bottom with the paddle.
* **Baseline**: The line at the back of the court.
* **Bert**: Similar as Erne, but to hit (usually volley) a ball by jumping over the Non-Volley Zone at the partner side.
* **Block**: Using the paddle to block the opponent's shot, causing it to fall into the opponent's court.
* **Block Volley**: Using the paddle to lightly block the opponent's aggressive shot in the air, causing it to fall into the opponent's non-volley zone. It is often used for defensive resets.
* **Body Bag**: A shot aimed directly at the opponent's body, making it difficult for them to return.
* **Chicken Wing**: A defensive shot where the player uses their elbow in a bent position to block or return a shot, resembling the shape of a chicken wing.
* **Counter Attack**: Instead of resetting, attacking back when defending opponent's aggressive shot by seizing the right moment.
* **Crosscourt**: Hitting the ball diagonally into the opponent's opposite side.
* **Dink**: Hit a ball to let it fall down to the opponent's front court area, from our front court area.
* **Doubles**: A format where each team consists of two players.
* **Drip**: It's a shot that falls between a drive and a drop shot. It's slower than a regular drive but faster than a drop shot, crossing the net and dropping down, often with strong spin and lands within the NVZ, forcing the opponent to return the ball from a low position.
* **Drive**: By hitting the ball hard, let the ball fly quickly to the opponent's court. Usually hit from the mid court of back court.
* **Drop**: Hit a ball to let it fall down to the opponent's front court area, from our middle or back court area.
* **Erne**: Hit (usually volley) a ball by jumping over the Non-Volley Zone to the side of it.
* **Fault**: Violation of rules and results the end of the rally.
* **Firefight**: Intense exchange of rapid volleys at the net between both sides, also called Hand Battle.
* **Game Point**: The last point needed by one side to win a game.
* **Groundstroke**: After the ball bounces from the ground, hit the ball.
* **Half-Volley**: Hitting the ball immediately after it bounces, usually used in the dinking play.
* **Hand Battle**: Synonym for Firefight, emphasizing the reaction speed competition.
* **Inside Out**: Swing the paddle inwards, but face the paddle outwards to hit the ball outwards.
* **Let**: An old term for a serve that touched the net and was replayed. Under the 2026 USA Pickleball official rules, a served ball that touches the net and lands in the correct service court remains live; it is not replayed merely because it touched the net.
* **Lob**: Hit the ball to let it fly high and land to the back court, usually near the baseline.
* **Match Point**: The last point needed by one side to win the entire match.
* **Mixed Doubles**: A doubles format with one male and one female player on each team.
* **Foam Core (Gen-4)**: Fourth-generation paddle core technology that replaces the traditional honeycomb structure with a solid foam core (typically Expanded Polypropylene / EPP), providing a larger sweet spot, better vibration absorption, and improved durability. The most significant paddle innovation of 2025-2026.
* **Nasty Nelson**: When serving in doubles, serve the ball to hit the opponent's non-receiving player.
* **Non-Volley Zone**: NVZ, also known as the Kitchen. Refers to the area between the net and the first line (included). It is considered a violation if the athlete's body or paddle touches the area (including the line) before and after a volley because of the volley action.
* **Overhead**: A hit made when the ball is above the head, often used for a smash.
* **Pickle**: The opponent did not score any points during the game. If the opponent doesn't even get a chance to serve, it's called a "Golden Pickle".
* **Poach**: A player speeds up his movement to hit the ball on the partner's side.
* **Punch Volley**: A volley shot performed with a short, punching motion, providing quick and controlled returns.
* **Rally**: After serving, players continue to hit the ball to the opponent until there's a fault to end.
* **Rally Scoring**: A scoring system where points can be won by either the serving or receiving side.
* **Raw Carbon**: Unmilled carbon fiber surface texture that increases friction with the ball, enhancing spin capability.
* **Reset**: Gently hitting the ball into the non-volley zone, preventing the opponent from attacking.
* **Return**: Returning a serve or generally hitting the ball back into the opponent's court.
* **Roll Volley**: A volley shot executed with a rolling motion of the wrist to create spin and keep the ball low over the net.
* **Sandbagging**: Players (deliberately) to play at a lower level game than they really are.
* **Scorpion**: A shot where the player quickly ducks down and raises the paddle behind or above the head to return a ball aimed at the head or neck area. The motion resembles a scorpion's curved tail.
* **Serve**: Starting a rally by hitting the ball into the opponent's court.
* **Shake and Bake**: In doubles, one player hits the third shot by driving the ball, and his partner attacks the return after moving to the net quickly.
* **Sideline**: The line at the side of the court.
* **Side Out**: A team has finished all the serving opportunities, and switch to the opponent team to begin to serve.
* **Sideout Scoring**: A scoring system where only the serving side can score points. The receiving side gains the right to serve but not a point if they win the rally.
* **Side Spin**: Making the ball spin sideways by brushing its side with the paddle, including left spin and right spin.
* **Singles**: A format where each team has only one player.
* **Smash**: Forcefully hitting a high ball into the opponent's court, usually during a volley.
* **Speed Up**: Suddenly accelerating the shot during dinking rallies to attack the opponent.
* **Stacking**: In doubles, regardless of the initial position, after serving or receiving, players move to form a fixed divisional position. For example, a player serves from the right half, but quickly run to the left of the court after serving.
* **Supercritical Foam**: An emerging paddle core material created by injecting gas into molten polymer to form uniform micro-bubbles, achieving a lighter weight-to-strength ratio than traditional EPP. A rising trend in 2026.
* **Thermoforming**: High-heat and high-pressure paddle manufacturing technology that molds components into a single integrated piece, providing larger sweet spot and better durability.
* **Top Spin**: Making the ball spin forward by brushing it up with the paddle.
* **Transition Zone**: The middle part of the court, which the players need to transit when he comes to the NVZ from the back court.
* **Tweener**: Hit the ball between the legs, usually with the back facing the opponent.
* **Two-Bounce Rule**: After the serve, the receiving team must let the served ball bounce before returning it (first bounce), and the serving team must let the return of serve bounce before hitting the third shot (second bounce). From the fourth shot onward, either team may volley or play after a bounce.
* **Volley**: Hit the ball in the air before it touches the ground.


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