Hinder (Pickleball)
Also known as: pickleball hinder, hinder call in pickleball, ball rolled onto the court, ball rolled onto our court, ball rolled on our court, stray ball on the court, ball from another court, replay the rally in pickleball, ball from the next court
A hinder is something outside the players' control that gets in the way of a rally, such as a ball rolling onto your court, a flying insect or a player from the next court. Any player may call it, play stops, and the rally is replayed. Fences, posts and other permanent objects are not hinders.
The USA Pickleball rulebook defines a hinder as a passing event, not caused by a player, that hurts someone's chance to play the ball. Its examples include stray balls, flying insects, debris, and players or officials from another court. Any player may call a hinder. Play stops and the rally is replayed. Stopping a rally for any other reason is usually a fault against you. The exceptions are a correct claim of a wrong server or position, or a score correction asked for before the return.
Some things are not hinders. Permanent objects, such as fences, posts and light poles, never count. If something you wear or carry, like a hat or a spare ball, falls on your own side. The ball stays in play, even if it hits the item. In non-officiated tournaments, a spare ball you carry must stay out of sight and must not fall during a rally, or it is a fault. An opponent who distracts you as you hit is a separate rule, and a referee can call that a fault.
In refereed matches, the referee must agree with a player's hinder call. If the referee does not, it is a fault against the player who called it. USA Pickleball's sportsmanship guide asks players to claim a replay only when a hinder affected their team's chance to play the ball. If your own ball rolls onto another court and could hurt someone, call "ball" loudly right away.
Tips by skill level
If a ball rolls onto your court, call "hinder" or "ball" loudly and stop. Safety comes first, and the rally is simply replayed.
Call it at once, not after you see how the shot turns out. In refereed matches the referee must agree, and an invalid hinder call is a fault against you.
Example
Mid-dink rally, a ball from the next court rolls behind the receiver's feet. She calls "hinder" right away, everyone stops, and the point is replayed.
Why it matters
A stray ball underfoot is a safety risk. Knowing what counts as a hinder, and what does not, keeps play safe and stops arguments about replays.
Common mistakes
- Playing on with a stray ball rolling near your feet
- Calling a hinder for a ball that rolled behind the court and did not affect play
- Counting a fence, post or light pole as a hinder
- Stopping play when your own hat or spare ball falls, which is not a hinder
Frequently asked questions
A ball rolled on our court, do we replay the point?
Yes, if it affected play. Call a hinder right away. Play stops and the rally is replayed, and any player may make the call.
What is a hinder in pickleball?
It is something outside the players' control that interferes with a rally, such as a stray ball, a flying insect or a player from another court. The rally is replayed.
Is it a hinder if my hat falls off during a point?
No. Anything you wear or carry that lands on your own side stays part of play. The ball remains live even if it hits the item.
What happens if I call a hinder and the referee disagrees?
In refereed play, the referee must validate a player's hinder call. If they do not, it is a fault against the player who called it.
Sources
Related terms
- Fault (General)A fault is any rule violation that immediately ends a rally, including serve errors, non-volley zone violations, out-of-bounds shots, and illegal contact. The side that commits it loses the rally. A fault by the receiving side scores a point for the servers, and a fault by the serving side loses the serve.
- Line Call EtiquetteIn self-officiated play, the side of the court where the ball landed makes the call. Benefit of the doubt goes to the opponent on close or unsure calls, and calls are made immediately, not after the fact.
- Pickleball EtiquettePickleball etiquette starts with fair, friendly play. Call lines honestly and give opponents the benefit of the doubt, call faults on yourself, and meet at the net after each game. Wait until play stops before crossing behind a court, warn others if your ball rolls onto their court, and never throw your paddle or hit the ball in anger.
- Ball Hits a PlayerIf a ball in play touches you or anything you wear or carry, you lose the rally. The exceptions are your paddle and your paddle hand below the wrist while it holds the paddle. This applies even if you are standing out of bounds and the ball would have landed out.
- Wrong Server or Wrong ReceiverIf the wrong player serves, or a server or receiver is in the wrong spot, any player may stop the rally to point it out. A correct claim means the rally is replayed. If nobody notices until the rally is over, the result stands. If you stop play and you are wrong, it is a fault against you.
Related guides & benchmarks
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