If You Use the Drop Serve in Pickleball, You Might Be Faulting Without Knowing It

"If your hand moves AT ALL on the release you have imparted force to the ball and that's a fault."

USA Pickleball head referee Ron Ponder is no stranger to lesser-known pickleball rules.

He's hit the court with us in the past to illustrate some pickleball oddities, like the lob serve loophole or the push-off foot fault everyone seems to get wrong.

The Push-Off Foot Fault Rule Everyone Gets Wrong: Referee Ron Ponder Explains

In pickleball, the kitchen doesn’t care how good your shot was — only where your feet were when you hit it.

The Dink PickleballThe Dink Media Team

Here's another rule you might not be aware of, which Ponder just shared on Facebook:

A quick word for tournament players about the drop serve. If your hand moves AT ALL on the release you have imparted force to the ball and that's a fault.

Hold your hand out (you can do it off the paddle but no one does) and simply open your fingers. Have your friend watch to see if your hand moves! This has been a rule for five years! In rec play no one cares but it's still the rule!