Pickleball 411: Is The Ball In or Out? - Pickleball Line Call Rule Clarified

In this episode of Pickleball 411, we focus on line calls and determining if a ball is in or out. Using some clear motion graphics, our host, Rusty Howes, will walk us through the elements of the rule itself: Court Lines, Compression and Point of Contact.
We hope this short video will help clarify some of the discussion points of this part of the game and make line calling a little easier.

[ricoman]

Pickleball line calling is tough. I follow the current rule, only if I can see the court colour between the line and the ball do I call the ball out. I try to give the benefit of the doubt, the ball may be out by the thickness of a hair but I will call it in, it’s just a game. I’m retired and find that some people I play with fairly regularly call everything out. When it is a sideline ball, I can often see the ball hit the line but the opposition calls it out. It becomes very frustrating at times but I have to remind myself that we’re just playing for fun, even amateur tournaments should be played for fun.

[tabbyfl]

From the 2022 rulebook: 6.D.7. Players shall not call a ball "out" unless they can clearly see a space between the line and the ball as it hits the ground.

[dbzuunior]

This is a great video. I've played someone 2 days ago, and he argued that hitting the line is OUT.

Im glad this is a clear rule.

[edgly]

Thanks for the video. Although I'm still left a little confused. I understand from other sources that a serve cannot land in the Kitchen; nor can it land on the line between the Kitchen and the playing area; so both of these areas are out. Also this means that the "court line" on the outside of the Kitchen would also be out during the serve. This contrasts with the videos general assertion that the "court line" is in; the "court line" defines the inbounds only after the serve is completed; during the serve the constraints mentioned regarding the Kitchen are active. Anyways, this is what I have put together. Regards.

[misterscrubs]

Very Good Video. Will help me with teaching the art of pickleball. Thank you.
Mitchell USAPA Ambassador South Florida

[robertm]

I know this is an older video but the rules just changed I read about where the ball is in or out.

[badmiyagi]

The new in/out machine could be a real boon. Making the right call seems to be such a controversial thing with people arguing and wasting so much time. They don't seem to get it at all. Oh ya I'm sure despite this tool there'll be some who will still contest that the machine made a mistake, oh yeah. I'd be very surprised if that's not the case.

[DAB]

Where I see the most controversy is on the serve and the middle line.  It may just be anecdotal observation of the venues I play on, but it seems that to the receiving side calls the ball out (in the wrong court) more often, when the serving side sees the ball clearly touching the white line.
Think of this from the point of sight lines.  The serving side 'sees along the white line' from a low angle.
The receiving side sees the ball more with a sidewards glance at the white line, 'in a steeper downward view'.  The non serve  receiving player cannot see any court between the ball and the white line, and the serve receiver is so in the moment of returning the ball, that he most likely cannot see any 'court' between the white line and the ball. 
The receiving side seems to call the ball out more than the serving side would call "Good Sportsmanship"

[terryschaller]

This video does not explain how you are to call a ball as you actually see it. You are to call the ball in “unless- you or you partner sees space between the line and the ball”. So the video is incomplete

[philwilliamsond]

To me, these line calls are different depending on the vantage point. All my calls are different than my partner, sometimes I call my own balls out, yet the other guys say the opposite. What's a guy to do?

[bobby]

I really wish you guys would delete this video or add an update that this is no longer the rule. This is one of the top videos when searching for line calls and it's no longer valid with the rule change in 2021 of seeing a gap between the ball and the line.

[brianstaub]

Folks this line calling section is a joke! Here is the deal, if you see the ball out (gap between ball and line) its out. If not, its in! We dont want people guessing if the ball is in or out as a result of a calculated compression formula. If you are not sure if the ball is in or out it should be called in,

[fredinflorida]

This no longer applies as the rule changed in 2021.

[MrPerrisC]

You claimed the pickleball doesn't compress and then you showed it compressing to the size of a quarter not the size of a dime

Then you showed an angle where there is no way to call the ball out even though it is

If you can't see the ball out then it's in, you don't assume it's out by the shape of ball

If you THINK the ball is out, it's IN, you must KNOW the ball is out

[pickleballplaybook]

This video is incorrect. Not very line is in bud

[timhardman]

outdated and wrong - be responsible and take it down

[BillWalshDC]

You say it's not like tennis, and then you explain that it's precisely like tennis. If any part of the ball touches any part of the line, it's good. You're just saying that people are not watching closely enough in pickleball.

[misterscrubs]

Very Good Video. Will help me with teaching the art of pickleball. Thank you.
Mitchell USAPA Ambassador South Florida