2022 Pickleball Rule Changes
Pickleball is among the fastest-growing sports in America. The game is a mix of badminton, tennis, and ping-pong and is appropriate for people of all ages and skill levels. It can be played in singles or pairs, both indoors and out. The decade-old game is soaring in popularity because it is suitable for virtually anyone, easy to pick up, great as a social activity, and provides an excellent way to stay active and healthy.
Pickleball is considered an excellent introductory sport, and as players become more experienced, the game gets more fast-paced, competitive, and challenging. There are thousands of pickleball tournaments organized across the country, and more and more people are falling in love with this sport every year.
Pickleball rule changes for 2022
After making several controversial additions to the rulebook in 2021, the USA Pickleball Rules Committee considered potential changes in pickleball rules for the coming year. However, 2022 is unlikely to see a similar extent of changes. The committee received 71 potential rule changes from the public and the IFP Rules committee. After consolidating similar items, the USAP Rules committee reviewed and voted on the submitted proposal, and cleared the new rules for implementation from January 1, 2022.
While it is hard to go through all the proposals, some prominent recommendations were regarding spin serve, rally scoring, no earbuds while playing, starting the games at 0-0-1 instead of 0-0-2, and the drop serve.
Of 71 proposed changes, 33 recommendations were from the IFP Rules committee. The USAP Rules committee passed 19 of them to the USAP Board for review and approval. The Board accepted 18 of the 19 proposed changes, and they will go into effect next year.
Some of the notable rule changes which will be effective from the proposed date of January 1, 2022, include:
The drop serve option has been made permanent from 2022, and the provisional rule approved for 2021 stands removed. It is a welcome change for new players who struggle with the traditional method. The new players now have the opportunity for immediate service success. They can continue to serve by extending their arm over the head and dropping the ball without any downward force, and hitting it after it bounces once.
The Board rejected the proposal made for rally scoring, and in 2022 also the traditional scoring pattern will continue. It means only the serving team will score points, which is ideal for the traditionalist players.
Another proposal passed is regarding the chainsaw serve or spin serve, which became popular in 2021. Under this rule, the player cannot spin the ball on the paddle before hitting the serve. However, the server still imparts spin with their non-paddle hand.
The scoring pattern at the start of the game remains the same in 2022. The game will continue to start at 0-0-2 like the previous years.
The Board passed the proposal of not wearing headphones or earbuds during sanctioned tournament play.
The Board rejected the proposal to reinstate the let serve.
These were a few of the pickleball changes you will see in 2022. Contact a game court construction company if you love pickleball and want to install a court in your backyard.
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