Started playing pickleball about 3 weeks ago and just went to my first open play session yesterday. It was kind of overwhelming tbh. I didnt know how rotations worked, i messed up calling the score like twice, and the skill levels were all over the place. Some people were super patient but i could tell a couple players were annoyed. Whats the general etiquette for open play? Is there a standard rotation system or does every place do it different?
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Every place does it a little different but the most common system is paddle stacking. You put your paddle in a rack or on the fence and when a game ends the next 4 paddles up play together. Winners stay on or rotate off depending on the local rules. Just ask someone when you show up and theyll explain their system.
oh ok we did the paddle stacking thing but i wasnt sure if winners were supposed to stay or leave. seemed like different people were doing different things
yeah some places do winners stay for one extra game then rotate off. others everyone rotates every game. honestly just ask the person running it if theres an organizer. no shame in asking
For score calling dont stress too much everyone messes it up at first lol. The format is serving teams score, receiving teams score, then server number (1 or 2). So like 4-2-1 means your team has 4, they have 2, youre the first server. It becomes second nature after a few sessions I promise.
The mixed skill level thing is honestly one of the hardest parts of open play. My advice is dont apologize constantly for being new, just hustle and have a good attitude. Most experienced players remember being beginners too. If someone is being rude about it thats on them not you. Also some places have designated beginner or intermediate sessions so look into that if your area offers it.
Couple quick things that help: introduce yourself to your partner before each game even if its just a quick hey im jen. Call the score loud enough that the other team can hear it. And if a ball from another court rolls onto yours yell BALL right away so nobody trips. Those 3 things alone will make you look like you know what youre doing haha