The governing bodies of professional pickleball announced a host of revisions and introductions of some rules to the game. One such rule concerns the draping net, a spot where the ball’s landing has created reasonable confusion in the past.
A draping net is that part of the pickleball net that forms its lower border. It touches the ground but is thicker then the remainder of the net. The thickness results in a protruding bulge on either side of the net.
If the ball hits the draping net on the side of the opponent’s court, then it deviates in an inadvertent manner creating a hindrance. Initially, for this to be called a hindrance, the chair umpire would be the determining factor for justifying it as a hindering factor. However, the revised rules now state that if the ball hits the draping net on the other side of the court, then the point will immediately be subject to replay. This means that the chair umpire now does not have to take the burden of justifying a hindrance due to the draping net.
If the ball hits the draping net on the same side of the court, then the point is not replayed. In such a case, the ball finding the net would be considered as a routine fault. A rare instance is one where the ball hits the draping net on the player’s side of the court, and travels to the other side of the net. In such a case, the place where the ball made its first contact is prioritised for coming to a decision.
The draping net rule thus is no longer a controversial factor in pickleball.
