We here at Murmurs from the Losers’ Bracket think there’s something to be learned for all pickleballers with the United Pickleball Association of America’s new tagging rule.
The UPA-A is the parent company to the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) pro tour and Major League Pickleball. So, as it stands now, this rule applies only to refereed matches happening under those jurisdictions.
Making intentional hard shots aimed at opponents’ bodies, especially those above the neck, have long been a topic of debate in pickleball circles, where they are sometimes referred to as “body bagging” or “meat volleys.”
Is it a good strategy or dangerous poor sportsmanship?
USA Pickleball’s rule committee entertained a suggestion to address body targeting as a proposed change in its 2023 rulebook. Entitled “tagging above the shoulders” the language of the proposed rule read as follows:
“Body contact with the ball above the shoulders is not allowed because of safety concerns. If the ball contacts the body above the shoulders during a rally, a fault will be called against the team/player who hit the ball even it was not intentional.”
This proposed rule change said it was needed to address possible eye injuries or concussions.
The proposed rule change was rejected with this curt rationale: “This is part of the game. Wear protection.”
Players weighing in on the proposed rule were also skeptical, as they imagined some players would intentionally try to get hit with a volley above the shoulders to win a rally – even suggesting that “heading”, like in soccer, would become part of pickleball.
One commenter wrote:
“Seems to me a receiving player has some responsibility for ducking a shot up around his/her head. Lots of shots are hit at head level. Doesn’t this allow a player to intentionally not duck a shot at head level?”
This appeared to be a dead issue until the UPA-A took a stand this year, issuing a new rule in February that addressed “intentional or reckless targeting of an opponent above the shoulders” in games under that organization’s purview.
The rule came in the wake of a doubles match involving Ben Johns and Quang Duong at the PPA Tour Masters tournament in January.
Duong had been playing aggressively, often using hard shots aimed toward the torsos of Johns and his brother, Collin. The constant need to parry away blistering, close range shots at the torso appeared to irk Ben Johns, who picked his spot before uncorking a powerful forehand that sent a ball whistling by Duong’s head and far beyond the baseline.
In a post-game interview, Johns called it a “warning shot” to Duong.
Here’s a video that shows the incident:
In a podcast after the match, Collin Johns said that “pegging” other players with body shots is OK, but “headhunting” with shots above the shoulder is not.
“Headhunting is not something that we really do because I don’t think the sport should be dodgeball. It’s just sort of disrespectful to the sport,” Johns said.
I guess this sort of aggressiveness is not a picture of the sport that pickleball promoters want to present to the world. Within a month, the new rule was announced.
In doing so, the UPA-A explained why the head-targeting rule was needed.
“While the modern game has become faster and more aggressive, respect for opponents remains paramount. Players are encouraged to compete with intensity but must avoid endangering fellow competitors.”
The organization said referees will have discretion on making the call as they “assess intent, ball trajectory, and overall gameplay context when determining violations.”
By announcing there would be fines for violations, the UPA-A showed it really meant business here.
The rule went far beyond the earlier suggestions and included not only losing a rally, but being fined as much as $5,000.
The UPA classified head shots against an opponent as “extreme unsportsmanlike conduct.”
In refereed games, a player who either deliberately or recklessly hits a powerful shot at an opponent’s head or neck will be assessed a technical foul, which means a point will be added to the opponent’s score and a fine of at least $2,500 against the offending player will be levied.
Before the match continues, both teams will be warned about retaliation. If the same team that committed the targeting foul does it again, the fine will be at least $5,000 and the match will be forfeited by the repeat violator.
If the team that was the victim of the first headshot retaliates, the match could continue, but the retaliating side will be assessed a point penalty and the retaliating player fined at least $5,000.
This new rule puts a lot of pressure on the referee because it hinges on intent. I’m guessing that just about everybody playing pickleball has, at one time or another, has hit a hard shot toward an opponent’s head by accident, not design.
And now, for games played under this rule, referees will have to determine whether these shots were the result of pure carelessness or actionable recklessness. And at stake in that decision isn’t just a point in a game, but thousands of dollars.
I know what you’re thinking: Well, none of this matters if you’re not a pro playing in a UPA-A tournament.
But I think it does matter. Here’s how.
As for the rest of us, the non-professional recreational pickleballers who play nearly all our games in non-refereed matches, this new UPA-A rule serves a different purpose.
It reopens what had been a seemingly settled subject, by pointing to the growing aggressive nature of the game and the potential steps we can make to keep the game safe.
There are scores of unskilled players learning the game who enjoy hitting the ball as hard as they can while still not having full control over their paddles.
And newer, more powerful paddles are being put on the market, each of them developed to deliver more power than their previous model.
Let’s face it, you don’t have to be Ben Johns to whistle a hard shot head-high at an opponent.
Without referees, forfeited points, and fines, recreational players can protect themselves in various ways.
For starters, wear eye protection when playing. One of the greatest threats to getting slammed by a pickleball in the face is that it could cause eye damage.
The other thing is to call out dangerous play on the court when you see it. If somebody gets carried away with a hard shot at another player’s head, the subsequent declaration of “Sorry” should be genuine for the game to continue.
Don’t put up with reckless, dangerous play. It’s only “part of the game” if you let it be.
I’m also certain from my own experience that the player on the court who is most likely to bash you in the head isn’t a player across the net, it’s your partner.
And it’s not with a ball, it’s with a paddle as you both step into an overhead smash for a ball that’s between you.
But that’s a whole different topic …
MURMURS FROM THE LOSERS’ BRACKET
Read past editions of Murmurs from the Losers’ Bracket, including:
- The Myth of “Open Play”
- You Get One Rule to Change in Pickleball: What is it?
- In a Pickle with Some Off the Cuff Remedies for Leg Cramps
- Partnering with a Giant: Hitting the Wall in Pickleball
- Ten Things Not to Say on a Pickleball Court
- Oh, the Horror! Playing with a Pickleball Partner who won’t Move Up
- Not a Softie When it Comes to Pickleball with a Foam Ball
- Do Pickleball Prayers Get Answered?
- Ten Tips for Being “Nice” at Pickleball
- Attention Pickleballers: Be On The Lookout For “Ball Blowers”
- The Etiquette Crisis with “Open Play”
- Lob into the Sun? Maybe, Maybe Not
- Mastering the Diplomacy of Round-Robin Scheduling
- Confessions of a Paddle Addict
Frank Cerabino is a long-time columnist for the Palm Beach Post in Florida, a pickleball addict like the rest of us, and a newly published author. Check out Frank’s newly released book, I Dink, Therefore I Am: Coming to Grips with My Pickleball Addiction (available on Amazon and a great read (or gift!) for any pickleball player), for pickleball tips and laughs!
