Pickler created The Pickleball Dictionary, which includes all of the common terms, phrases, words, people, and organizations found in, on, and around the pickleball courts. Get your FREE copy of The Pickleball Dictionary today!
PICKLEBALL TERMS THAT START WITH THE LETTER “R”
The pickleball terms, phrases, words, people, and organizations that start with the letter “R” include:
Racquet or Paddle Sport – Pickleball is a racquet or paddle sport. Other racquet and paddle sports include tennis, badminton, table tennis, racquetball, squash, platform tennis, and padel.
Rain – What every pickleball player hates—rain and rain delays. Rain will cause the outdoor pickleball courts to be wet, which makes it dangerous to play, as pickleball players may unintentionally slip, slide, or fall.
Rally – A rally is continuous play between opponents on the pickleball court after the serve and before the end of a point by a fault.
Rally Scoring – Rally scoring is a point system that may be used on the pickleball court (although uncommon), where a point is scored after each rally, regardless of who served the pickleball. A point may be scored by either the serving or receiving team.
Rating – A rating is a two- or four-digit number that represents your skill level in comparison to other pickleball players. The UTPR is the official USA Pickleball Tournament Player Rating. Ratings vary from 1.0 to 6.0, with 6.0 being reserved for the top pro pickleball players.
Reaction – Quick reactions are essential on the pickleball court. You must react to the pickleball and your opponents’ shots.
Ready – Always be ready on the pickleball court. Anticipate the pickleball coming back to your side of the pickleball net!
Ready Position – One of the most important concepts in pickleball, which is not taught or discussed enough, is the proper ready position on the pickleball court. There are essentially two types of ready positions, which include (1) “Tennis Ready” – your ready position when you are at the baseline; and (2) “Pickleball Ready” – your ready position when you are in the Transition Zone or at the Kitchen Line.
Receiver – The receiver on the pickleball court is the player receiving the serve.
Recover – After a hard session on the pickleball court, make sure you give your mind and body time to recover for your next session.
Recreational – Pickleball is an excellent recreational sport. Pickleball has the ability to bring all skill levels and all ages together, on one pickleball court, for great rallies and great fun.
Red Zone – A dink by your opponents that is at or below the pickleball net is in the “red zone.” Like a red light at an intersection, put on the brakes, be patient and stay in the dink. A dink in the red zone is generally unattackable.
Referee – A referee is the person that officiates a pickleball match. Did you know that there are almost 200 certified referees, a few hundred more tier 1 and tier 2 referees, in USA Pickleball?
Regina Franco – Regina Franco is a top pro pickleball player, who recently converted from the racquetball pro circuit. Regina recently has topped the podium by winning bronze with Sarah Ansboury at the 2019 World Pickleball Championships.
Replay – Replay is essential to re-watching all of the close calls and amazing points on the pickleball court.
Reset – A reset is a shot that relieves the pressure put on you and your partner by your opponents on the pickleball court. A reset could be a dink or a drop shot, but it is intended to stop your opponents from making aggressive, offensive shots, and put you in a neutral position.
Respect the Net – Respect the net on the pickleball courts. A shot into the pickleball net ends the point for you and your partner, so give yourself some margin of error above the pickleball net.
Responsibility of Service – When you are the server on the pickleball court, you have a responsibility to call the correct score prior to serving the pickleball. If you do not know the correct score, it is important to ask your partner or the opposing team. If you call the incorrect score and then serve the pickleball, it is a fault.
Retirement – A retirement is a player’s or team’s decision to stop a pickleball match and give the win to the opposing player/team.
Return of Serve – A return of serve is exactly what it sounds like; it is the shot after the serve on the pickleball court. Consistency is key on the return of serves because an error on the return of serve results in a point to your opponents. As your return of serves become more proficient, you can strive for more power, more spin, and more advanced placement. To learn how to perfect your return of serve and some advanced return strategies, check out Pickler’s online pickleball video lessons.
Righty – A righty, or right-handed pickleball player, will use his or her right-hand to hold the pickleball paddle and strike the pickleball. Be sure to identify whether your opponents are right-handed or left-handed, as this may dictate your strategy on the pickleball courts.
Rip It – Drives and fastballs are the cornerstone of some pickleball players’ games and strategies on the pickleball court. This is especially true of the mother-daughter duo, Leigh and Anna Leigh Waters, as their motto is to “Rip it!”
Robert Lanius – Robert Lanius was inducted into the Pickleball Hall of Fame in 2018 in recognition of his contribution to the growth of the sport of pickleball. Robert created the PickleballTournaments.com software, which helped fuel the growth of pickleball tournaments around the world.
Round Robin – A round robin is a common format for both competitive and recreational play on the pickleball court. A round robin is a format where each player or team will play each other player or team. Then, the total wins, losses, and points are calculated to determine the winner(s).
Rules – Rules are important when playing pickleball to make sure that everyone is playing by the same set of guidelines. The Official Rulebook for pickleball is curated and updated every year by the USA Pickleball Association.
Run – Pickleball players must use their quick feet to move around the pickleball court. Sometimes, this quick movement may be a run or a sprint.
RV Picklers – RV Picklers are pickleball players that travel across the country in their RV, playing pickleball and sharing our great sport wherever they go.
DO YOU KNOW ANY ADDITIONAL PICKLEBALL TERMS THAT START WITH THE LETTER “R”?
Do you know any additional pickleball terms, phrases, words, people, or organizations that start with the letter “R” to add to The Pickleball Dictionary? Share with us in the comments below!
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Updated as of January 6, 2021
