The 30-second version
- Pickleball has its own colorful vocabulary — this glossary defines the terms you’ll actually hear on court.
- Start with the essentials: the kitchen, the dink, the third-shot drop, and volley.
- Each term links to a full guide where we have one.
- Bookmark it — it’s the fastest way to stop feeling lost when people talk shop.
Every sport has its slang, and pickleball has more than most. Here’s a plain-English glossary of the terms you’ll hear on court — with links to full guides where we’ve written them.
The essentials
The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone / NVZ) — the 7-foot zone on each side of the net where you can’t volley. The most important area on the court. → Kitchen rules
Dink — a soft shot hit from near the kitchen that arcs just over the net and lands in the opponent’s kitchen. The heart of the soft game. → How to dink
Third-Shot Drop — a soft shot from the baseline (the third shot of the rally) that lands in the kitchen, letting the serving team advance to the net. → The third-shot drop
Volley — hitting the ball out of the air before it bounces. Legal everywhere except the kitchen.
Two-Bounce Rule — the serve must bounce and the return must bounce before either side can volley. → How to play
Shots & techniques
Reset — a soft shot that absorbs a hard drive and drops it back into the kitchen, neutralizing an attack. → The reset
Speed-Up — suddenly accelerating a soft ball to catch an opponent; triggers a “hands battle.” → Hands battles
Hands Battle — a fast exchange of volleys at the kitchen line.
Topspin / Slice — spin that makes the ball dip (topspin) or stay low and skid (slice). → How to add spin
Roll Volley — a volley hit with topspin for controlled offense.
Drive — a hard, flat groundstroke, often used as an alternative to the third-shot drop.
Lob — a high, deep shot hit over opponents at the net to push them back.
ATP (Around the Post) — a legal shot that goes around the outside of the net post (not over the net), possible on a wide ball.
Erne — an advanced move where a player jumps around or through the kitchen to volley a ball at the sideline, right by the net.
Punch Volley — a short, compact volley with a firm paddle, no backswing.
Strategy & positioning
Stacking — a positioning tactic where partners line up on the same side pre-point to keep their stronger sides in the middle. → Court positioning
Poach — crossing over to take a ball that would normally be your partner’s.
Transition Zone — the mid-court “no-man’s land” between the baseline and the kitchen line. → Transition footwork
Banger — a player who hits everything hard instead of playing the soft game.
Dead Dink / Push Dink — a dink with no pace (dead) versus one pushed with a little forward momentum.
Scoring & ratings
Side-Out — when the serving side loses the serve and it passes to the other team. → Scoring explained
Rally Scoring — a format where a point is scored on every rally (vs. traditional side-out scoring).
DUPR — Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating, the standard match-based rating number. → Ratings explained
Golden Pickle — winning a game 11–0 while serving every point; a “pickle” is any 11–0 shutout.
The court
Baseline — the back line of the court. Centerline — the line dividing the two service courts. Sideline — the side boundary. → Court dimensions
Fault — a rule violation that ends the rally (a ball out, into the net, a kitchen volley, or a serve error).
Frequently asked questions
What is the kitchen in pickleball?
The kitchen, officially the non-volley zone, is the 7-foot area on each side of the net. You can’t volley (hit the ball out of the air) while standing in it. It’s the most important zone on the court.
What does ATP mean in pickleball?
ATP stands for “around the post” — a legal shot that travels around the outside of the net post rather than over the net. It’s possible when the ball is pulled wide enough, and it can be hit below net height.
What is an Erne in pickleball?
An Erne is an advanced move where a player jumps around (or through) the kitchen to volley a ball near the sideline right beside the net, legally taking it out of the air by being outside the non-volley zone.
What is a dink in pickleball?
A dink is a soft shot hit from near the kitchen that arcs just over the net and lands in the opponent’s kitchen. It keeps the ball low so opponents can’t attack, and it’s the foundation of the soft game.
What is stacking in pickleball?
Stacking is a positioning strategy where doubles partners line up on the same side of the court before a point, then switch after the serve or return, to keep each player’s stronger side (often the forehand) in the middle.
Put the terms into practice
Ready to actually use this stuff? Start with how to play pickleball, then work through the skills in our guide to improving your game.