Pickleball is an amazing game. I love it! And, I hate it! Okay, so I don’t really “hate” it; it’s just frustrating sometimes. That’s why, when I was reviewing the rules and saw USAPA rule 13.G.3.a, which mentions the use of profanity, it made me think.
13.G.2.a. A player using objectionable or demeaning language directed at another person will incur a technical warning or a technical foul, depending upon its severity. Excessive profanity used for any reason will incur similar action. The referee will determine the severity of any violation.
– USAPA & IFP OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULEBOOK
ex·ces·sive
more than is necessary, normal, or desirable;
I’m not sure about you, but I think there are many cases where profanity is absolutely “necessary”, “normal”, AND “desirable”! For example:
- Wind blows the ball out.
- Wind blows the ball in.
- Ball hits net and rolls over.
- Ball hits net and doesn’t roll over.
- Ball hits net.
- 3rd shot drop too high.
- 3rd shot drop not high enough.
- Serve out of bounds.
- Accidentally step on kitchen line during volley.
- Pop the ball up too high.
- Partner pops the ball up too high.
- Ball breaks.
- Partner poaches a forehand kill shot and hits it into the net.
- Partner poaches a forehand kill shot and hits it out of bounds.
- Partner doesn’t steal forehand kill shot even though you couldn’t react quick enough and they should have known to take it (obviously).
- Too cold outside.
- Too hot outside.
- Forced to use an Onix ball.
- Forced to use a Dura ball.
- Got pickled.
- Thought the ball was going out, made an amazing dodge-move, but it fell in anyway.
- Hit the ball out because thought the ball was staying in, but in reality it only would have stayed in had it bounced off the wall 10 feet behind the court or been swept back onto the court by hurricane-level winds.
- Steve forgot the snacks.
- Someone makes an obviously bad call.
- Someone blocks your ATP shot.
- Opponent refuses to give up after having slammed it at them so many times in a row you can barely lift your arm.
- Fell down.
- Standing back up after having fallen down.
- Too early.
- Too dark.
- Sun in eyes.
- “Ball on court!” called just as your opponent pops one up after a 300+ dink rally.
- Got hit by the ball.
- Almost got hit by the ball.
- Someone makes an amazing shot.
- Partner makes a dumb shot and you feel they don’t fully understand the gravity of their error and want to make sure they remember this so that when you steal every ball for the remainder of the game, they have nothing to say except “I understand.”
- You attempt a hard drive off your heels from two feet behind the baseline that goes directly into the net mere inches above the ground, and you realize that you forgot that you never played tennis and shouldn’t even try that shot.
- You attempt the same shot on the next point with the same results, having already forgotten your previous reasoning about why you shouldn’t try that stupid shot.
- They’re stacking again, and you just can’t figure out what’s going on. Is the score right? Are they really on the right side? You KNOW they’re doing it just to screw with you.
- Steve forgot the snacks… AGAIN.
