The rule 6.d.12 for pickleball governs the responsibilities of the referees and players when calling balls that are out of bounds. 6.d.12 rules are for both causal and tournament play where line judges might be present making out of bounds calls rather than the players.
Rule 6.d.12 can be found in Section 6 of the USA PICKLEBALL & IFP Official Rulebook (2022) on page 31.
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Rule 6.D.12. Definition
An “out” call made after the ball bounces is a line call. The ball is dead and play shall stop. If, upon appeal, the referee overrules any type of “out” call, it is a fault against the player or team that made the “out” call. Exception: If the match has line judges, the baseline and sideline judges are responsible for the call. (See Rule 13.E.2)
What is an “out” call?
The first line of rule 6.d.12 states “An “out” call made after the ball bounces is a line call. The ball is dead and play shall stop.” This means that anyone of the court making calls on whether a ball is in or out accepts responsibility for that call. The ball is assumed out if a player or line judge calls it out (this can be challenged).
Who can call a ball out? Both players and referees can call a ball out if the see a line foul. However, a referee can overturn a player’s line call. A fault will be administered to the team that falsely called the line foul.
Overturning an “out” call
Naturally, judging line fouls can be a contentious subject and challenges to calling a ball out will arise. If a player calls the ball out and a referee is present, the referee has final call. If the referee’s decision differs from the player that called the ball out, the team for that player will receive a fault.
How to avoid rule 6.d.12 from becoming an issue
If a line judge or referee is present, let them make the call. This is the simplest solution to avoiding being penalized under section 6.d.12.
If you are playing without a line judge or referee, then you must call line fouls yourself. Under these circumstances, call it fairly to avoid controversy and to show good sportsmanship.
What is rule 13.E.2 that is mentioned at the end of 6.d.12?
Rule 13.E.2 is under the rulebook section for line judges and states, “Line judges will make the assigned line and foot fault calls within their jurisdiction and will signify by loudly calling “out” (or “service foot fault”) and showing the “out” signal (outstretched arm pointing in the out-of-bounds direction).”
This rule clarifies that if present, line judges will make the out calls. This removes the responsibility from the players and avoids any confusion with those playing the game.
Here’s a great video that explains more pickleball rules
About Me
Hi! I’m Marie Spentel. I’ve been an avid Pickleball player for over 2 decades. I worked in several Pickleball leagues and climbed my way up to a 4.5 level rating. These days, I can usually be found practicing court techniques, consulting with others in the industry, and blogging about Pickleball! Read More
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