Pickleball rules are full of quirks. And no technicality causes more tiffs or challenges than the “re-establishment” rule.
Pros hate getting called for it. You’re probably not getting called for it enough.
During our recent The Dink MiLP National Championship event in Dallas, we pulled legendary USAP ref Ron Ponder onto a court and lobbed as many rule-related questions as we could at him, including this one.
Here’s what you need to know.
✅ The re-establishment rule is about where both of your feet are at the moment you strike a volley, and whether you have re-established outside the kitchen before doing so.
Here’s the most common violation:
A player steps into the NVZ to hit a dink (even a toe on the line counts here)
The next ball is sent at them in the air
They backpedal off the line and hit a return volley
If both feet don’t touch down outside of the NVZ before contact is made, that’s a fault
This happens all the time. And honestly, you’re probably guilty of a few innocent faults yourself. But it’s worth keeping an eye out across the net, too —
if an opponent isn’t re-establishing regularly, even in rec play, you’re well within your rights to call them on it.
The pros have this down to a science. Ponder tells us how:
If your toe is on the line, simply lift the toe while keeping your heel down — boom, you’ve re-established outside the NVZ
A simple, short slide step does the trick as well — quick and efficient, you’re back in the game
This is one of those rules that’s more complex than it sounds.
Check out the video
to ensure you’re on the right side of the law every time.
Use this code for a 10% discount on a custom paddle
First Time Buyers Only
Why we are different
There are well over 100 paddle manufacturers serving the pickleball industry. We are the ONLY custom paddle manufacturer in the world. In order to understand what it is we do and why it’s unique, it’s necessary to understand how a paddle is made.
Every paddle with few exceptions has a honeycomb core. The different companies in the industry use one of three different materials for the core- aluminum, polymer and Nomex. We use all three. The core provides 75% of the way a paddle performs.
Then the honeycomb core is sandwiched between two thin layers of surface materials. Again, the different companies in the industry use three different materials- graphite, fiberglass composite and carbon fiber. We use all three. The surface material is about 25% of the way a paddle performs. Think of it as fine tuning the paddle’s performance characteristics.
The three different core materials combined with the three different surface materials make 9 different combinations of materials. Each plays differently. We make two (soon to be three) different shapes for our paddles. The Chaos has a large square sweet spot- at 8 1/2”, it is the widest paddle on the market. The Kratos has an equally large rectangular shaped sweet spot. Each combination of cores and surfaces is available in both the Chaos and Kratos shape.
Then we give each player the opportunity to select their paddle’s weight (ranging from 7.4-10.5 ounces).
Now comes the grip. Players can choose one of three different handle shapes, their grip size from 3 7/8” to 6”, one of three different grip materials and more than 10 colors for each grip style.
Now that the player has chosen the best paddle shape, core, surface and grip for their individual game comes the fun part. We can put any custom graphic the player chooses on their paddle face- either one of our many choices or one of their own- a picture, logo or graphic of their choosing.
Now every player can play with a totally bespoke paddle and watch their game immediately improve because they are playing with the right paddle for them in every way.
Every other sport has specialized equipment for every player except pickleball. Not anymore- now pickleball is catching up to other sports. Pickleball players spend a lot of time playing the game they love. Now they can play with the gear that suits them and not be forced to use a one size fits all paddle.
Want to Join Team TSD?
We are actively seeking avid pickleballers with sales experience to educate, demonstrate and promote Third
Shot Drop pickleball paddles.
Please send your prior sales experience, where you play, how often you play, what level player you are, if you
play Tournaments, how many players you can reach and your contact information to:
Ashley@ThirdShotDrop.com
