Court Safety & Etiquette

Court Safety

  1. Wear proper footwear. Court shoes are recommended.
  2. Safety eyewear is highly recommended while playing on the pickleball courts.
  3. Stretch and warm up your body before playing.
  4. Be cognizant of your playing abilities and condition. Don’t overdo it.
  5. Wear sunscreen and a hat.
  6. Stay hydrated.
  7. Be aware of the temperature while playing. Take precautions such as drinking more water, staying in the shade between matches, and sitting out a match as needed. 
  8. Avoid wet courts.
  9. If a ball comes into your court or your ball goes into another court, yell, “Ball.” Play should stop at once. Return the ball to the appropriate court and re-serve the ball.
  10. Be conscious of where your partner is on the court. Avoid collisions and swinging at a ball if your partner is in the way.
  11. Don’t risk injury for the sake of a point.
  12. Never run backwards on the court to get a ball such as a lob.
  13. If someone is injured on the court, all play stops until the player’s needs have been addressed.
  14. Know where the first aid kit and AEDS are located.
  15. Call 911 if the injury requires medical attention.
  16. Follow appropriate bloodborne pathogen procedures when helping someone who is bleeding.
  17. Anyone with visible blood on clothing or other equipment cannot be on the courts.
safety first
etiquette image

Court Etiquette

  1. Display sportsmanship at all times.
  2. Wear your Silveridge name tag when playing. This helps others get to know you and remember your name.
  3. Club All Play, Mixed Doubles and Ladies Night are considered social play.  All skills levels may be present during this time. Be courteous and welcoming to all players.
  4. If you need to cross an active court to either get to a vacant court or leave a court, wait until the current play is over.  Ask for permission to cross the court.
  5. When players are unequal in skill or physical limitations, avoid always hitting the ball to the lowered skilled player in an attempt to score more points.  
  6. Communicate with your partner. 
    • Introduce yourself.
    • Call balls (yours, mine) during the game.
    • Let him/her know if you are working on some aspect of your game - i.e. dinking, third shot drops, serving,
    • Give compliments for great shots and plays.
  7. Be sure that your opponent is ready for the play to continue and then call the score loudly before the serve. 
  8. Don’t take advantage of your opponents in situations where the sun makes it difficult to see the ball. 
  9. During social play, if you are playing against players of a lower skill level, help those players improve their game by returning the ball to them to get another chance to return a better ball.
  10. Be fair when calling balls out.  Call balls on your side only - unless asked by your opponents. If the ball is close, call it in. 
  11. If you step into the kitchen during a volley, call it.  
  12. Foul language and abusive behavior is unacceptable.
  13. Be careful when teasing (also known as trash-talking) your opponents.  
  14. Politics have no place on the court. 
  15. Spectators are there to cheer on players in a positive manner.  
  16. Don’t coach your partner during a game unless they have asked for help.
  17. At the end of the game, tap paddles with your partner and opponents.  Find a positive compliment to end the game.
Scroll to Top