
The Standard Serve
Although we all have been serving forever while playing pickleball, it has been observed that some serves come marginally close to being outside the rules. Accordingly, let’s elaborate on what constitutes a legal serve. Although we touched on the topic last week, drilling down a bit might be of value.
There are three (3) specific rules governing the standard serve motion (old version - not the new Drop Serve):
1 - The serve must be basically an underhand motion, with the paddle traveling in an upward arc. Often
violations of this come as a result of trying to serve side arm or trying to impart a big slice or top spin. Those serves typically look like they’re on a downward arc.
2 - The ball must be struck below the waist, defined as the navel, hardly ever the source of an illegal serve.
3 - When struck, the face of the paddle (the highest part of the paddle) must be below the wrist. Again, big slice spin serves run the risk of violating this motion.
Another aspect to be aware of:
--the 10-second rule…once the score has been called, you have 10 seconds to begin the serve, or the receiver has 10 seconds to be ready to receive.
It should be noted that as to the new Drop Serve previously discussed, the three motion rules listed above do not apply. The only rule to be aware of is that the drop must not be outside the imaginary extensions of the side lines. The ball can be dropped any place on the playing surface and may make any number of bounces, as long as the server stays behind the baseline.
Submitted by: Mel Kohlberg January 20, 2021