Pickleball Hand Signals Guide 

Pickleball is no longer seen as a recreational or casual sport as it has seen exponential growth across the nation, hence giving rise to a number of tournaments that eventually form grand leagues on a bigger scale.

Subsequently, in such a fast-paced game, verbal communication isn’t deemed effective and the ideal way to go is to use designated hand signals which save time and are discrete enough to be applied in a match without causing confusion or giving away your strategy to your opponent.

Both teams are allowed legal hand gestures, which are as follows:

1. Serve & Return

One of the basics, a serve hand gesture is applicable whenever a player wants to perform a service shot behind a baseline. Serve Gesture is called when a player raises their free or non-paddle arm while having their fingers spread apart towards the net.

On the other hand, a service or return gesture is called when a player on the other end places their hand on their waist or thigh, indicating they will return the service shot.

2. Fake

This gesture is called whenever a player demands to put the opposition off by simply spreading the index and middle finger wide apart toward the net.

3. Up & Down

For a quick Lob, a player signals their partner by holding their index finger up, meanwhile for a quick rebound, the index finger is pointed downwards.

4. IN & Out

Similar to the UP & Down Gesture, whenever the player wants to throw the ball in or out on the playing field, the index finger has to be pointed inwards or in an outwards direction.

5. Halt

The Halt or Stop gesture is usually used universally by holding the fist, indicating a “Hold your position” towards your partner. This gesture prevents rotation and signals your partners that they need to rally only to their designated position.