Have you heard of a let serve in pickleball? Whether you have or not, here is everything you need to know in 2023.
Anyone who has ever played a racket sport such as tennis or padel will likely be familiar with the concept of a let serve.
In short, this is when the ball hits the pickleball net and still lands in the correct service court of the opposing team or player on service.
This is why a let serve is also sometimes referred to as a service let.
The pickleball serving rules used to be very similar to the serving rules of padel, tennis, table tennis and other popular racket sports when it comes to the let serve rule.
However, this is no longer the case – and we will explore why that is and what you need to know now in this article!
Keep reading to find out what the pickleball let serve is, what changed and what you need to know about the let serve in pickleball for 2023 and beyond.
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What is a let serve in Pickleball?
Just like in other racket sports, a let serve in pickleball is when the ball hits the top of the net before landing in the proper service court.
In this way, a let serve is exactly the same as any other legal serve in pickleball. The only difference is that the ball touches the net before bouncing.
Just like any other serve, the pickleball ball still needs to pass the non-volley line before bouncing, must be served with an underhand stroke and be hit below waist level.
However, just touching the pickleball net does not make it a let serve. It must pass over the net into the intended part of the opponent’s court area.
If any other service faults are committed during a let serve, the ball is considered out – whether it touches the net or not – and play continues to the next serve.
For example, if the ball lands on the kitchen line or there is a service foot fault, it is a service fault whether it is a let serve or not. The let serve is then considered out by default.
In the past, a let serve in pickleball meant that the serving player could play the service for a second time.
If the new service should also be a let serve, the server could continue to try again until a good ball was played.
For this reason, some pickleball players used to say that a let serve meant: “let’s try that again!”.
A let serve was never considered a good service but it was not considered a penalty either.
However, that all changed in recent years…
An important update to the pickleball let serve (2023)
As you can imagine – and as any pickler who has been playing pickleball for a while will know – the let serve used to be a common part of a pickleball game.
However, that all changed in January 2021 when the new pickleball rule changes were introduced.
What is the new let rule in pickleball?
As of January 2021, the let serve was removed from the pickleball official rules for good.
Since then, a let serve has been treated just like a regular serve. If a let service is otherwise legal, it is considered a good service and play continues.
In fact, ever since the let serve in pickleball was removed, calling one could even lead to a serving fault!
Therefore, only one serve attempt is allowed in any game of pickleball – let serve or not.
Why did the let serve change?
Every year, the USA Pickleball Association decides on any rule changes based on suggestions submitted by players throughout the year.
The committee looks at all of the ideas regarding the key rules and minor rules and decides on which ones to implement in order to maintain the integrity of the game.
Sometimes they even go back on the changes made to the official rulebook in previous years because players suggest this!
These changes can relate to pretty much any part of the pickleball game, but the pickleball serve rules are commonly called into question.
For example, in 2023, it was decided that the spin serve would no longer be considered a legal serve. In 2022, the chainsaw serve saw the axe.
In 2021, the let serve in pickleball was removed because it was one of the suggestions made in 2020.
One reason given was that the let serve allowed for an unlimited number of service attempts, which could interrupt the flow of the game.
The main reason, however, for the removal of the let serve in pickleball was to reduce how often players would wrongly call a legal or illegal serve, or call a wrong score.
How many let serves are allowed in Pickleball?
In the past, the number of let serves in pickleball was… unlimited! Yes, really!
We know it may be hard to believe, but there used to be no restriction on the number of let serves made during a game of pickleball.
That meant that, in the past, you could keep going until you get a good serve or a fault. In some cases, players would hit several let serves before finally hitting a good ball!
This of course could become frustrating for other players – especially for the receiving player – and it can slow down the pickleball match considerably.
However, with the removal of the let serve in pickleball, this is no longer an issue.
A pickleball serve is simply “in” or “out” and every server gets only one attempt on each service.
Will the pickleball let serve be reintroduced?
Given that a couple of years have now passed since the removal of the let serve in pickleball, we think it is unlikely that it will be reintroduced.
Generally speaking, if a rule change is going to be reverted back to the original rule, it happens the year after the pickleball rule happens.
This hasn’t happened with the pickleball let serve for more than two consecutive years, so we think it’s safe to say it is unlikely to happen.
But you never know!
Some players have certainly expressed a dislike for the new rule and wish we could go back to the days of the original pickleball let serve rule.
However, with more players taking up the sport, a smaller proportion of the pickleball community will remember those days… and that’s going to make it even more unlikely that things will change.
For now, as long as you are aware that a let serve in pickleball is considered legal and play continues, new players do not need to worry about the let serve.
How to serve in Pickleball
So, now that we know a let serve in pickleball is considered good, what else do you need to know?
Check out our full guide packed with pickleball serving tips for a full breakdown of everything you need know, but here is a quick summary for reference:
- There are two ways to serve in pickleball: the volley serve or the drop serve.
- In pickleball you must serve underhand while holding the paddle below your waist.
- The paddle must make contact with the ball at this level.
- The top of the paddle face must be below the wrist.
- To begin, you must have one foot behind the baseline and neither foot can touch the baseline or court until after you have hit the ball.
- Ensure your opponents and partner have their paddles up and are ready to receive.
- The ball must be hit into the court diagonally opposite in the service area, past the non-volley zone.
- It is required that the ball bounce only once before the return of serve. The double bounce rule states that any ball that bounces more than once is considered out.
- You are only allowed one attempt to serve, even if you get a “let serve”.
More pickleball terms you need to know
Now you’re clued up on a let serve, if there is anything else confusing you on the court, don’t worry we’ve got it covered!
Head over to our Pickleball definitions glossary to find definitions for everything from a “dink”, “the kitchen”, to a “falafel”.
Or maybe you’re wondering why everyone is referring to themselves by numbers, or want to know the difference between a 3.5 and a 4?
Our detailed guide to Pickleball skill levels is on hand to help.
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