Can You Touch the Net in Pickleball?

A net fault has nothing to do with where the ball lands. It is about what a player, or anything that player is wearing or carrying, touches while the point is still going.

What Counts as Touching the Net?

Under Section 13.G of the rulebook, a player or anything worn or carried by that player must not contact the net or the net support system while the ball is live. Section 13.G.1 spells out the penalty: contact under those conditions is a fault against the player who made it, whether a paddle grazes the net, a hat brim brushes the cord, or a sleeve catches a post while reaching for a ball. The same section extends the rule to the opponent’s side of the court: Section 13.H makes it a fault when a player, or anything worn or carried, touches an opponent or the opponent’s end of the court while the ball is live, and 13.H.1 confirms the penalty. Whether the shot itself lands in or out does not matter once the net or the far side has been touched, and a player who follows through hard enough to plant a paddle on the far side of the net while the point is still going has committed a fault, even on an otherwise clean shot. For the full list of what else counts against a player during a rally, see the guide to what is a fault in pickleball.

Does It Matter If the Ball Was Never Touched?

No exception exists under the rulebook for a player who touches the net without touching the ball. Section 13.G.1 penalizes contact by the player or by “anything worn or carried,” a phrase broad enough to cover a paddle, a wristband, or a shirt hem. A player who lunges for a ball, misses it entirely, and steadies against the net with a free hand has still committed a fault, because the ball was live at the moment of contact. The point goes to the opponent under standard scoring, the same as any other fault.

Can You Touch the Net After the Point Is Over?

Yes. Once the ball is dead, none of the contact restrictions in Section 13 apply. Under the rulebook’s ball status definitions in Section 2, a ball is live from the start of the score call until it becomes dead, and dead once the rally has ended, whether by a fault, a ball landing out, or a line call. A player who steadies against a net post after the point has already been decided has not broken a rule, because the contact happened outside the live-ball window. A paddle that taps the net a half second after the opponent’s shot has already gone out draws no fault; a paddle that taps the net while the ball is still traveling does.

Does Crossing the Net Plane Count as a Fault?

Not by itself. Under the rulebook, Section 13.F requires the ball to entirely cross to a player’s side of the net before that player hits it, and Section 13.I allows a player to cross the plane of the net immediately after contact, as long as no part of the follow-through touches the net, a post, or the opponent’s side under Sections 13.G and 13.H. That combination is what makes a full-swing follow-through over the net legal on a put-away smash, provided nothing touches down on the other side. A player who reaches across the net before making contact with the ball, rather than after, has hit the ball out of turn and given up the point regardless of whether anything was touched.

What About the Erne and the ATP Around the Post?

Two advanced shots test this rule directly. An erne sends a player around the outside of the non-volley zone to volley a ball close to the net without ever stepping inside the zone, and the rules governing the kitchen place no restriction on a player standing entirely outside its lines. The shot is legal as long as the player’s feet stay outside the non-volley zone and the paddle, body, and clothing avoid the net and post while the ball is live. An ATP, or around-the-post shot, relies on Section 13.C of the rulebook, which allows a ball to be returned around the outside of the net post rather than over it. Because the ball travels outside the post and never crosses above the net, it does not need to clear the net height that governs a ball hit over the top. Both shots stay legal specifically because the player and paddle stay clear of the net and post while executing them.

Can Momentum Carry a Player Into a Fault?

Yes, and this is where players get caught most often. The momentum rule, covered under Section 11.A.2 of the rulebook, states that when a volleying player’s momentum causes that player to contact the non-volley zone, or anything touching it, even after the ball has already gone dead, it is a fault. A player who volleys a ball cleanly from behind the line, then stumbles forward into the kitchen after the point has ended, still commits a fault, because the rule tracks the momentum generated by the volley rather than the status of the ball at contact. The same logic extends to the net: a player whose momentum carries a hand or paddle into the net right after a volley, even after the ball has already bounced out, has broken Section 13.G if that motion is a direct continuation of the volley rather than a separate, later action. The safest habit near the net line is a controlled follow-through that stops short of both the net and the kitchen line.

What Else Governs the Net and Posts?

A handful of narrower net post rules round out Section 13 of the rulebook. A served ball cannot touch the net support system at all under Section 13.B, while a returned ball only draws a fault for touching it on the hitting player’s own side. A ball hit between the net and post, or under the net, is dead under Sections 13.D and 13.E, and a mid-point malfunction of the net or its support system allows a replay under Section 13.J.

Most net faults come down to habit rather than confusion about the rule itself. A shorter, more controlled swing near the net line, and a beat of patience before closing on a volley, prevents the accidental taps that hand over points. Coaches work on exactly this kind of net discipline with newer players, and browsing the directory of pickleball coaches is a reasonable next step for anyone whose net contact keeps costing points in matches.

FAQ

Is touching the net always a fault, even by accident? Yes. Under the rulebook, Section 13.G.1 does not distinguish between an intentional touch and an accidental one. Any contact with the net or net support system while the ball is live counts against the player who made it, regardless of intent.

What happens if the ball itself touches the net during a rally? Nothing, as long as the ball still lands in play. Section 13.A of the rulebook states that a ball contacting the net, or the cord along its top, remains in play, which is why a serve that clips the net and lands in the correct service court is not a fault on its own.

Can a paddle cross over the net during a swing? Yes, but only after the ball has been struck. Section 13.I of the rulebook permits a player to cross the plane of the net immediately after contact, provided nothing touches the net, a post, or the opponent’s side of the court in the process.

Can a player use an erne or an ATP without touching the net? Yes, and both shots are built around avoiding it. The erne keeps a player’s feet outside the non-volley zone while volleying, and the ATP sends the ball around the outside of the post under Section 13.C of the rulebook, so neither shot requires contact with the net or post to be legal.

What if momentum carries a player into the net after a volley? It still counts against the player. Section 11.A.2 of the rulebook charges a fault when a volleying player’s momentum causes contact with the non-volley zone even after the ball has gone dead, and the same principle applies to momentum that carries a paddle or hand into the net right after the volley.

Can a player touch the net after the point has already ended? Yes, without penalty. The contact restrictions in Section 13 of the rulebook only apply while the ball is live, so leaning on the net or a post after the rally is over is not a fault.

Can a player’s paddle touch the opponent’s side of the court? Not while the ball is live. Section 13.H.1 of the rulebook makes any contact with the opponent or the opponent’s end of the court a fault against the player who made it, whether or not the ball was touched on the same swing.

How tall is the net where these plays happen? The net stands 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center, under Sections 3.B.6 and 3.B.7 of the rulebook. That dip in the middle is part of why a ball sent around the post travels a different path than one hit over the top.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.