02/08/2026
A quick officiating tip for our tournament organizers and volunteers. ๐
With more and more pickleball tournaments happening lately, itโs only natural that line disputes come up every now and then. It happens at every level of the sport.
As organizers ourselves, we just wanted to share a helpful reminder straight from the USA Pickleball Officiating Handbook (2021, Page 50) regarding line judge positioning.
One line that stood out says:
โ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ง๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐.โ
๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ, ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒโ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐. (๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ญ ๐ง๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐จ. ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ข ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ง ๐ง๐ข๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ฒ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ palihis ๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ)
Having the correct perspective makes it much easier to determine whether thereโs any space between the ball and the line, reducing the chance of incorrect calls caused by viewing angle or parallax.
For tournaments using line judges, the recommended assignment is:
Four Line Judges
โข One on each baseline (2 total)
โข One on each sideline (2 total)
Each line judge should focus only on their assigned line and be positioned so they have a clear, unobstructed view straight down that line.
Weโre sharing this simply as a learning resource for fellow organizers, referees, line judges, and volunteers as we continue to grow the sport together.
Better positioning leads to better calls, and better calls lead to a better tournament experience for everyone. ๐
Reference: USA Pickleball Officiating Handbook (2021), Page 50 โ Line Judge Positioning.
