Here’s ALTA’s answers to your burning pickleball questions.
By Jerry Niemeyer, Pickleball League Vice President
Earlier in the winter season, my partner and I played at a facility that charged guests a fee. We agreed to pay the fee, but the home team captain said that they were responsible for the fee. Is this true?
It was generous of you and your partner to offer to pay the fee, but it was not necessary. The ALTA General Pickleball rules (I.D.) states: Any required court and/or guest fees for visiting participating players must be paid by the home team.
In a cold match early in the season, I cracked my paddle. My opponent told me I had to use a paddle that was courtside and that I was not allowed to go to my car to get my second paddle. So, I used a second paddle that my partner had. Was my opponent correct?
Your opponent may have been misinformed on this one. According to the ALTA General Pickleball Rules (IV.N): In the event of a broken or damaged paddle during a match, a player shall have a maximum of three minutes to leave the court to obtain a replacement paddle. This will not count as a team timeout. Violation of this time limit will result in forfeiture of the match.
This season we played at two facilities that did not have lights. What are the rules regarding matches when played at a “Grandfathered facility” without any lights?
The answer to this one is found in the Pickleball Member Handbook, which can be found on the ALTA website under Pickleball documents. Per Court Lighting on page 30 in the ALTA Pickleball Member Handbook: If the home team cannot provide lighted courts (grandfathered facilities) and the match extends beyond sunset, then the visiting team has the first option of providing home courts. If the visiting team cannot provide lighted courts, then the responsibility reverts to the home team which must provide courts with the approved ALTA areas (See ALTA rule IV. J). The courts must be nearby, and the commute cannot exceed the time it would take to drive to the visitor’s courts. If the home team cannot provide courts, then the home team will retire any incomplete matches.
