By Mark Peifer, USA Pickleball Certified Referee; Past Chairman, USA Pickleball Rules Committee
QUESTION: Please examine the picture, focusing on the small black dowel protruding above the top of the net. My opponent hit a ball that hit the dowel and landed in my court. I stopped playing. My opponent was adamant that we should have played on because the dowel is part of the top of the net. What is the correct ruling?
ANSWER: You were correct to stop play; that is a hindrance. The dowel is a crucial component of the structural integrity of the net system. It acts as a stiffener to keep the edge of the net taut. Without it, the outer edge of the net is more likely to sag below the required 36 inches.
It is not supposed to stick up above the top of the net or net cord, however. Sometimes these vibrate loose, and we end up with what is shown in the picture. By the way, when you play in a tournament, finding these and fixing them is part of the Head Referee’s court inspection procedure before a tournament.
The bottom line is that this dowel should not be in this position. In your scenario, we consider this a net malfunction and a replay if the ball hits it, no matter whether the ball lands in or out of the court. The applicable rule is 11.L.5.d.
