New Pickleball Rule Lets Opponents Start Ahead: In a major update to the 2025 USA Pickleball rulebook, players can now be penalized before their next match even begins—meaning their opponent could start the game with a 1-0-2 score. This change, under rule 13.G.4, lets tournament directors apply technical warnings or fouls for poor behavior after a match has already ended.
This is the first time a rule addresses what happens if a player acts out after losing or winning a match, but before leaving the court. The goal is to stop bad behavior and make sure all players stay respectful during and after games.
What the New Rule Says
USA Pickleball added rule 13.G.4 to the 2025 handbook. It says that if a player does something wrong after a match ends—like yelling or throwing their paddle—the tournament director can issue a penalty that carries into the player’s next match.
According to rule 13.G.4:
“Behavior raising to the level of a warning or foul after the match is over while a player is still on court, shall be brought to the attention of the Tournament Director. Based on this information, the Tournament Director may impose a Verbal Warning, Technical Warning, or Technical Foul that will be applied to the offending player’s next match at the tournament.”
Why the Change Was Needed
Ron Ponder, a USA Pickleball ambassador, certified referee, and director of officiating for DUPR, explained the reason for the new rule.
“Prior to this year, we had no remedy for bad behavior that happened after the match was over, other than notifying the tournament director, who would usually keep an eye on the offending players in future play. With this rule change, the TD [tournament director] can penalize them into the next match, even if it’s a different bracket, by awarding a point to their opponents (typically, we would subtract a point from a team but if they have no points, we award one to the opponents). Hopefully, this will have a deterrent effect on players’ behaviors.”
Before, if a match was over, the referee couldn’t do much. Players could behave badly without facing consequences in the same tournament. The new rule gives tournament directors more power to act right away.
How the Rule Works in Real Life
USA Pickleball shared a clear example of how the rule would apply:
“After the final point of a match, one of the losing players curses loudly and throws their paddle down aggressively. The paddle bounces randomly and almost hits the referee. Because the match is over, the ability for referee to issue a penalty has ended. Also, since the player has already lost this match, there would be no real penalty to the player if it was applied to the current match.
With the new rule in place, the referee could report the action to the TD [tournament director], who could then choose to assign a TF to the player at the start of their next match. Their opponent would start the match with a score of 1, and the offending player would be told that any new warnings would cause them to lose a game or a match, depending on the format (1to15 or 2/3) of their next match.”
This means a player could lose a point before even touching the ball, just because of what they did after their last match.
Why This Matters
This rule helps keep the game fair and respectful. By adding consequences for post-match behavior, USA Pickleball hopes to stop outbursts that could hurt players, referees, or fans.
The change also sends a clear message: good sportsmanship doesn’t end with the final point. If the new rule works as planned, it could lead to calmer courts and better player conduct across tournaments.
News in Brief: New Pickleball Rule Lets Opponents Start Ahead
A 2025 rule by USA Pickleball lets referees report post-match bad behavior. Tournament directors can now carry penalties into a player’s next match, giving their opponent a point to start. The rule aims to prevent poor sportsmanship after games and keep players respectful both during and after play.
ALSO READ: USA Pickleball Lights Up Pickleball Courts Nationwide with Game-Changing Musco Partnership