Pickleball in the Sun: How to Handle Glare, Lobs and Low Fall Sun

The wind gets all the attention on New England courts, and we’ve covered it in our guide to playing in wind. But anyone who plays outdoors past Columbus Day knows the other problem: by late October the sun hangs low, and on some courts it seems to sit right where your opponent’s lob is coming from. Here is how to handle it, what the rulebook allows and why the low autumn sun hits New England harder than Florida.

Why is the sun such a problem in pickleball?

The sun is a problem in pickleball because the game makes you look up at a small, fast ball, and any ball that crosses the sun disappears for a moment. Three shots cause most of the trouble:

• Lobs and overheads. You look up and back. If the sun is behind the ball, you lose it at the top of its flight.
• Pop-ups at the kitchen line. A ball that rises over your head on the way to an attack can vanish just as you swing.
• Deep returns at sunrise or sunset. When the sun is close to the horizon, it can sit right in your line of sight across the net.

Glare off a wet or freshly coated court adds to it.

How low is the sun in New England in late fall?

Very low. Using the solar position equations published by NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory, I worked out the sun’s highest point of the day for five New England cities. These are approximate (to within about half a degree), and they’re the highest the sun gets. Every other hour of the day it’s lower.

City	June 21	Oct 29	Nov 15	Dec 21
Hartford, CT	72°	35°	30°	25°
Boston, MA	71°	34°	29°	24°
Portland, ME	70°	33°	28°	23°
Burlington, VT	69°	32°	27°	22°
Caribou, ME	67°	30°	25°	20°

The afternoon numbers are the ones that bite. By my calculation, at 3 p.m. today (October 29) the sun in Boston is about 24 degrees up, in the southwest. Clocks fall back on Sunday, November 1, and by November 15, 3 p.m. puts the sun only about 12 degrees up. For a 1 p.m. open-play session in November, the sun is roughly where a lob peaks.

Does court orientation help against the sun?

Yes, and it’s why most outdoor courts run north-south. USA Pickleball’s construction guidance says that “whenever possible, a north-south orientation should be maintained to minimize the angle of the sun in player’s eyes” (USA Pickleball, Pickleball Courts Construction and Maintenance Manual page).

Here’s the part nobody tells you. A north-south court is built for the summer sun, which rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest. In June, at 7 p.m. in Boston, the sun sits roughly west-northwest, off to the side of a north-south court, which is exactly what the layout is designed for.

In late fall the sun never gets far from the south. At midday it’s almost due south, which on a north-south court means it shines straight down the length of the court. The players at the north end are looking into it every time they track a high ball. The players at the south end have it at their backs.

• North end, late fall, midday: the sun is in front of you and up. Lobs from the south end are the danger.
• South end, late fall, midday: the sun is behind you. Easy to see, but your shadow may fall across the ball on a short dink.

Before you play a new court, check which way it runs with a phone compass. Our New England court directory gets you to the venue; the compass tells you which end to avoid at 2 p.m.

What does the rulebook say about choosing a side?

The rulebook doesn’t mention the sun, but it gives you two tools. Both quotes are from the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook.

• You can choose an end instead of serving. In officiated matches, the referee uses a fair method (a coin toss or a number on the scoresheet), and the winner gets first choice of serving, receiving, “selecting at which end of the court to start the match,” or deferring to their opponent (Rule 17.C.4). Once made, the choice can’t be changed. In rec play, flip for it the same way.
• Ends change during the deciding game. In a single game or tie-breaker game to 11, players change ends when the first team reaches 6 (Rule 21.B.1); in a game to 15 it’s 8 (21.B.2), and to 21 it’s 11 (21.B.3). Teams also change ends between games (21.F.2).

For rec games, a lot of New England groups simply switch ends at 6 in every game when the sun is low. It isn’t required in a regular game, but it’s fair.

What if my sunglasses or hat fall off mid-rally?

Play on, as long as they land on your side. Rule 10.J says that when anything “worn or carried by a player” lands on that player’s end of the court, the ball remains in play, even if the ball hits it. The exception is an item that lands in the non-volley zone because you volleyed, which is a kitchen violation (Rule 11.A.1).

If it lands on your opponent’s side while the ball is live, it’s your fault (Rule 13.H.1). That’s one more reason to wear a hat that fits, and sunglasses with a strap or a snug frame. Between rallies you’re allowed to “adjust equipment and apparel” as long as you don’t hold up the game (Rule 10.K).

How do you hit an overhead into the sun?

Often you don’t. A smash you can’t see is a coin flip, and a missed overhead hands the point back. Try this order of options:

1. Step sideways first. Move a half step left or right as you turn, so the ball comes down beside the sun instead of in front of it.
2. Shade with your off hand. Point your non-paddle hand at the ball as you set up. It helps timing and doubles as a visor.
3. Let it bounce. If you still can’t see it, let a lob that will land in the court bounce, then hit a controlled overhead or a drop.

The full mechanics are in our overhead guide, and the footwork for getting back is in how to cover a lob.

Should you lob an opponent who’s facing the sun?

It’s a legitimate tactic, and good players use it. If your opponents are at the north end on a late-fall afternoon, a well-placed offensive lob asks them to look straight into the sun. A few guidelines:

• Lob when they’re tight to the kitchen line. A lob over a player who’s backed off is a gift.
• Don’t overdo it. Lob every ball and they’ll just back off.

What gear actually helps for pickleball in the sun?

A brim and a good pair of sport sunglasses do most of the work.

• A brim or visor. The simplest fix. It blocks high sun while leaving your view of the net clear. A cap stays on better in fall wind.
• Sport sunglasses. They cut glare and protect your eyes from a ball at close range. Our pickleball eyewear guide covers lens tints and fit.
• A higher-contrast ball. On a bright day, some groups find an orange or darker ball easier to pick up than yellow. Try both and see what your eyes prefer.

Cold mornings bring their own problems, like harder balls and stiff hands. Those are covered in our cold weather pickleball guide.

How should partners handle sun balls in doubles?

Agree before the game: whoever can see the ball takes it. When one player is blinded on a lob, the partner calls “mine” or “yours” early, and the blinded player gets out of the way. That’s the same communication habit we cover in our partner communication guide, applied to a specific problem.

The New England angle: the low-sun season is also the last outdoor season

October and November are when most New England players squeeze out their last outdoor sessions before moving to gyms and clubs. That’s also when the sun is lowest. If a midday game leaves you squinting, try an earlier start. By my calculation, at 9 a.m. today the sun in Boston was about 17 degrees up in the southeast, so it sits off the axis of a north-south court instead of straight down it. When the glare and cold win, our indoor pickleball guide for New England lists where to play through the winter.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play pickleball in the sun?

Wear a brim or visor and sunglasses, choose your end with the sun in mind, step sideways on lobs so the ball isn’t in front of the sun, and let a lob bounce if you can’t see it. In doubles, the partner who can see the ball should call it.

Which direction should a pickleball court face?

North-south. USA Pickleball’s construction guidance recommends a north-south orientation whenever possible to minimize the sun in players’ eyes. In New England’s late fall, though, the midday sun is low and due south, so the players at the north end still face it.

Can you choose which side of the court to start on in pickleball?

Yes. Under USA Pickleball Rule 17.C.4, the winner of the coin toss or other fair method can choose to serve, receive, pick a starting end or defer. In a game to 11 that decides the match, ends change when the first team reaches 6 (Rule 21.B.1).

What happens if my sunglasses fall off during a rally?

If they land on your side of the net, play continues (Rule 10.J). If they land on your opponent’s side while the ball is in play, it’s a fault against you (Rule 13.H.1). The exception is an item that falls into the kitchen as you volley, which is a non-volley zone fault.

How high is the sun in New England in winter?

Low. Based on NOAA’s solar equations, the noon sun on December 21 is only about 24 degrees above the horizon in Boston and about 22 degrees in Burlington, Vermont. In mid-November it’s about 29 degrees in Boston at its highest.

Sources: 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, Rules 10.J, 10.K, 11.A.1, 13.H.1, 17.C.4, 21.B and 21.F.2. Court orientation: USA Pickleball’s construction manual page. Sun heights are my own calculations using NOAA’s general solar position equations and are approximate. Technique advice is from my own playing and teaching. By Jason Regan, USA Pickleball Ambassador, Leominster, MA.