Learn / Official rules explained
Hinders, dead balls and replays
A stray ball rolling onto your court is a hinder, and the rally is replayed. Learn what counts as a hinder and what does not, when a ball becomes dead, and the other situations where pickleball calls for a do-over.
Live ball, dead ball
Every rally has a start and an end. The ball is in play from the moment the serve is hit until the ball becomes dead. A dead ball simply means the ball is no longer in play: a fault has been committed, someone called a hinder, or play has otherwise stopped.
That matters because the rules treat actions differently depending on whether the ball is live. Touching the net after the ball is dead, for example, is not a fault. Most faults can only happen while the ball is live. The main exception is momentum from a volley carrying you into the kitchen, which is still a fault after the ball is dead. See the kitchen rules.
The rulebook also states a broad principle: any action that stops play results in a dead ball. If you stop a rally without a valid reason, it is a fault against you. That is why players should not casually yell "stop" or catch the ball when they think something went wrong.
USA Pickleball revises the rulebook every year, and the current edition is the final word. This guide follows the 2026 edition.
What a hinder is
The rulebook defines a hinder as a transient element or occurrence not caused by a player that adversely affects play. Examples the rulebook gives include:
- A stray ball rolling or bouncing onto your court.
- Flying insects.
- Foreign material on the court.
- Players or officials from another court interfering with someone's ability to make a play.
The key words are transient and not caused by a player. A ball from the next court is a passing event that no one in your match created.
When a hinder is called, the ball is dead and the rally is replayed. No point is scored and the server does not change. Any player may call a hinder.
What is not a hinder
Some things that feel like interruptions do not qualify:
- Permanent objects. Fences, walls, light poles, ceilings, net posts and other fixed features are not hinders. A ball that hits a permanent object follows the normal fault rules.
- Your own dropped items. If your hat, sunglasses or towel lands on your side of the court during a rally, play continues, even if the ball hits the item. Items falling into the kitchen during a volley are a separate kitchen fault.
- Your opponent's normal play. A hard drive at your body, a lob into the sun, or a partner calling "mine" are part of the game.
- Unusual distractions from opponents are handled as a distraction issue, not a hinder. Players must not deliberately distract an opponent who is about to hit.
How to call a hinder in recreational play
In open play there is no referee, so players manage hinders themselves. A few habits keep it fair:
- Call it right away. Say "ball on court" or "hinder" as soon as you see the stray ball and it threatens play. Calls are expected to be prompt, so do not wait to see whether you win the rally first.
- Safety comes first. A ball near anyone's feet is a sprained-ankle risk. Stop, even if you are not sure it is in the way.
- Stop immediately and replay. Return the stray ball to its court between rallies, then replay the point with the same server and score.
- Return balls politely. When your ball rolls onto another court, wait for their rally to end, then ask for it back. See etiquette.
After the score has been called, the normal "not ready" signals no longer work while the ball is live, except to indicate a hinder.
Hinders in officiated play
With a referee, things change. The referee calls hinders and must validate any hinder a player calls. If the referee agrees, the rally is replayed. If the referee decides the claimed hinder was not valid, it is a fault against the player who stopped play.
In tournaments, referees also point out known court abnormalities and hazards during the pre-match briefing. Those are part of the playing conditions, not hinders.
Other situations that cause a replay
A replay means the rally restarts without a point being scored or the server changing. Besides hinders, the 2026 rulebook calls for a replay in situations like these:
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Stray ball, insect or outside interference (valid hinder) | Replay |
| A returned ball crosses the net and gets caught in it, or hits net draping on the ground | Replay |
| A returned ball crosses the net and hits a crossbar or other net support inside the court | Replay |
| The net system malfunctions during the rally | Replay |
| A wrong score is called and play is stopped before the return of serve | Replay with the correct score |
| A player correctly stops play for a wrong server, receiver or position | Replay |
| All players agree a broken or cracked ball affected the rally | Replay |
A few close cousins do not produce a replay:
- A serve that touches the net and lands in the correct service court is a legal serve, and play continues. There is no "let" serve replay in current rules.
- A soft or worn-out ball does not void the previous rally. Swap it if everyone agrees and move on.
- A served ball that hits the net post or support system is a fault on the server, not a replay.
- An injury or equipment problem during a rally does not stop play on its own; the rally continues to its end.
Common situations, answered
A ball rolls behind me during the rally, but I did not see it. A hinder is something that adversely affects play, and it needs to be called to stop the rally. If nobody called it, the rally played out normally. When you do see a stray ball, call it as early as you can rather than after you see how the point ends.
My partner's paddle slipped and landed on our side. Not a hinder. The ball remains in play. Losing hold of the paddle and hitting the ball without it is a separate fault.
A player from the next court ran into our court chasing a ball. That is interference from another court, which the rulebook lists as an example of a hinder, so it can be called and the rally replayed.
The fence stopped my chase. Fences are permanent objects, so they are never hinders. Play the ball you can reach and accept the ones you cannot.
Drill: practice the stop
Hinders cause injuries mostly because players keep running. In practice, have a coach or friend roll a spare ball onto the court at a random moment. The first player to see it must call "ball" loudly, and everyone must freeze. Do it a few times each session until stopping becomes automatic.
