How do I handle time-outs, medical time-outs and blood on court?
Rule- Canada
- Pickleball Canada
- Officiating
- Sanctioned events
- Open age
- 2026
- Referees
- Standard time-outs: two per player or team for each 11-point or 15-point game, three for a 21-point game. Not available before the match starts. Any player may call one between rallies before the next serve, audibly or by hand signal, directed to the opponents and the referee. Each lasts a maximum of one minute. Calling one after the serve is hit is a fault against that player.
- Resuming play: announce a 15-second warning, then call "time in" and the score when players are ready.
- End change: a one-minute time-out in single-game and tie-breaker games when the first side reaches 6 (11-point game), 8 (15-point) or 11 (21-point). The same server continues.
- Between games: a maximum of two minutes.
- Medical time-out: one per player per match, not available before the match starts, maximum 15 minutes from when medical help arrives. The referee immediately summons on-site medical personnel (or the Tournament Director if there are none). If the player cannot continue after 15 minutes, the match is retired. If no valid medical condition exists, the referee assesses a technical warning and charges a standard time-out (a technical foul if none is available).
- Referee time-out: the referee may call one for a potential medical situation or other extenuating circumstances. When a player is bleeding or blood is on the court or a player, stop play at the end of the rally and do not resume until the blood is cleaned up and the bleeding controlled.
Source: 2026 Official Rulebook, Section 21, https://pickleballcanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Official-Rulebook-EN.pdf
Added 25 Oct 2026