Referee's Guide to USA Pickleball Sanctioned Tournaments All Ages 2026

• Always yours: service foot faults, short serves and non-volley zone faults (Rule 19.A.1); service-motion faults and replays (Rule 20.E); other faults and replays; hinders; distractions; damaged balls; time-outs; and player conduct (Rule 17.D).
• No line judges: players call "out" for the baseline, sidelines and centerline on their own end of the court. You rule on those calls on appeal (Rule 19.B).
• With line judges: line judges call their assigned lines and foot faults and assist you as asked. Players call only the service centerline on their own end. Any other player line call is invalid, except to override an official's call in the opponent's favor (Rule 19.C).

During play you also confirm the correct server, receiver and positions, call the score, "point," "second server" and "side out," and keep the scoresheet (Rule 17.D).

Only rally-ending shots can be appealed, and any player may appeal. The appeal must come before the next serve is hit; for a match-ending shot, before the scoresheet is initialed (Rule 19.D).

Without line judges:

• If you clearly saw where the ball landed, you must make the call (Rule 19.E).
• If you can't make a call, the player's call stands, unless the player asked the opponent and the opponent made a definitive call, in which case the opponent's call stands (Rule 19.G.1).
• If neither the players nor you can make a call, the ball is in (Rule 19.G.2).

With line judges:

• If you can't make a call, the line judge's call stands. If neither you nor the line judges can call it, replay the rally (Rules 19.G.3, 19.G.4).
• If a line judge signals blocked or blinded, make the call immediately if you saw it; on a rally-ending shot you can't call, canvass the other officials (Rule 19.H).

After appealing or asking the opponent, a player's team loses the right to make that call, except to override it in the opponent's favor (Rule 19.D.3).

On appeal, you may overrule any line call by a player or a line judge, and you must overrule it if you saw the ball land in (Rule 19.F).

Players may always override an official's call, their partner's call or their own call when the override favors the opponent (Rule 19.I).

Call a fault when you're sure the serve broke a requirement (Rule 20.E.1), for example:

• Volley serve: arm not moving in an upward arc, highest point of the paddle head above the wrist, or ball contacted above the waist
• Release not from only one hand or only the paddle
• Spin or manipulation added on the release
• Drop serve propelled in any direction, or released from an aided height

Call a replay (before the return of serve) when you aren't certain a requirement was met (Rule 20.E.2), for example a questionable release visibility, foot position, upward arc, paddle-head height or ball height.

You must call a replay when you're certain the release wasn't visible, and whenever it's questionable whether a drop serve was propelled.

• Hinders: you must validate any hinder a player calls. If it's valid, replay the rally. If it's not, it's a fault against the player who called it (Rule 20.H).
• Distraction: if, in your judgment, a player distracts an opponent who is about to hit the ball (for example, loud noises, stomping, erratic paddle waving), it's a fault against that player (Rule 20.I).
• Coaching: except during time-outs and between games, players must not receive coaching from anyone other than their partner (Rule 20.G). For illegal coaching, you may assess a verbal warning or a technical warning against the side receiving it (Rule 20.G.1).
• Electronics: players can't wear headphones, earbuds or any other audio communication device during play, other than prescribed or necessary hearing aids (Rule 18.D).

• A standard time-out can't be called before the match starts. It must be called between rallies, before the next serve, by voice or hand signal toward the opponents and you. Calling one after the serve is hit is a fault (Rule 21.A.2.a).
• End each time-out with a 15-second warning, then call "time in" and the score (Rule 17.D.16).
• After an end change, the same server continues. If an end change is missed, make it when it's noticed, with no fault and no score change (Rules 21.B.4, 21.B.7).
• No end change in the tie-breaker game when the first game was forfeited for late arrival (Rule 21.B).

Medical time-out (Rule 21.C):

• Summon on-site medical personnel, or the Tournament Director if none are available.
• Start a 15-minute timer when medical help arrives. Time to transport the player to and from an off-court treatment area doesn't count.
• Only one medical time-out per player per match, and none before the match starts. If the player is ready sooner, the remaining time is lost.
• The player may then use any remaining standard time-outs (Rule 21.A.4). If they still can't play, it's a match retirement. In doubles, the partner may choose to continue, and the retiring player must leave the playing surface (Rule 21.C.9).
• If medical personnel find no valid medical condition: technical warning plus a standard time-out charged (technical foul if none is left), and play resumes immediately (Rule 21.C.10).
• If the request is withdrawn after medical help is called but before it arrives: charge a standard time-out instead (Rule 21.C.4).

Blood (Rule 21.D.2): stop play at the end of the rally. Don't resume until bleeding is controlled and the blood is cleaned up. Blood-only issues are handled as a referee time-out.

You may call a referee time-out yourself if you believe a medical situation exists (Rule 21.D.1).

• Don't stop play to assess a penalty; apply it after the rally, with a brief explanation (Rules 22.A.1, 22.C, 22.E).
• After a point adjustment, the affected side moves to the correct positions for its new score. A deduction that produces a game-winning score applies regardless of who was serving.
• You can penalize any time the players are in the vicinity of the court, including before the match (Rule 22.A).

Game forfeit (Rule 22.F):

• Any combination of one technical warning and one technical foul, or three technical warnings, in a match
• A player not reporting within 10 minutes after the match is called (Rule 18.F.1), unless the TD grants a delay

The side keeps playing the remaining games. In a one-game match, a game forfeit is a match forfeit.

Match forfeit by the referee (Rule 22.I):

• Ball or paddle abuse that strikes someone or damages facility property
• In a multiple-game match, a player not reporting within 15 minutes after the match is called (Rule 18.F.2)
• A non-compliant or unlisted paddle discovered during the match (Rule 18.A.2)
• Deliberately aggressive physical contact
• A second technical foul, or any technical warning or foul after a conduct-based game forfeit

Forfeited games are recorded as 11-0, 15-0 or 21-0 (Rules 22.H, 22.K). Only the Tournament Director can eject or expel a player; you may recommend it (Rule 17.D.17).

Players may appeal any officiating decision to the Head Referee or Tournament Director (Rule 20.J):

Players can't remove you themselves. If all players agree, they may petition the Tournament Director to remove a referee (Rule 20.L). You may remove a line judge for reasonable cause, or when all players request it. If you disagree with the players' request, summon the TD for a final decision (Rule 20.K).

Once the initial score has been called, retirement is the only way to stop playing a match (Rule 23.A).

• Retirement: completed games stand. For the game in progress, record the retiring side's actual score and give the opponent enough points for a winning score. Unplayed games are recorded 11-0, 15-0 or 21-0. A side that retires may keep playing in the bracket if the format allows (Rule 23.A.3, 23.A.4).
• Withdrawal (from all upcoming matches in a bracket, before the next match's initial score call): unplayed games are recorded 0-0 and the side is removed from upcoming matches (Rule 23.B).
• Round robins: a side that withdraws, retires or is forfeited has its match results dropped from the standings and can't play in any playoff or medal match, though the results still count toward ratings (Rule 15.B.4.a).

During a match, the player notifies you to retire. Advance retirements and withdrawals go to the Tournament Director, Head Referee or operations desk.

All scoring options are win by 2, except that team play may use win by 1 (Rule 15.C).

Standard (side-out) scoring (Rule 15.C.1):

• Best 2 of 3 games to 11
• Best 3 of 5 games to 11
• One game to 15 or 21
• One game to 11 (only for round robins with six or more teams)

Rally scoring (provisional) (Rule 15.C.2): one game, best 2 of 3, or best 3 of 5, to 11, 15 or 21 points. The Tournament Director can't use rally scoring for double-elimination doubles events, 2026 USA Pickleball Golden Ticket events, or the 2026 USA Pickleball National Championships. For inclement weather, the TD may approve games to 7 with an end change at 4 in a single-game match or the tie-breaker game.

In double elimination, if the consolation bracket winner beats the winners' bracket winner in the final, a tie-breaker match to 15 decides first and second (Rule 15.B.1).