Disclaimer
Last updated: 30 August 2026.
The plain-language version of what this site is and is not.
We are not an official rules body
Dink Theory is an independent site. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking for USA Pickleball, the International Federation of Pickleball, the PPA, MLP, or any governing body or manufacturer.
Our rules pages summarise the published USA Pickleball rulebook in plain English because the rulebook is precise and not especially readable. That summary is our interpretation. For anything that decides a match — a tournament, a league, a disputed call — the official rulebook is the authority, not this site.
Rules change
USA Pickleball revises its rulebook, typically annually. Provisions around serving, equipment standards and the non-volley zone have all been amended in recent years. We update pages when rules change, but there may be a gap between a rule changing and our page catching up. If you spot one, tell us.
This is not coaching, and not medical advice
Drills, technique breakdowns and strategy articles are general instruction written for a general audience. They are not personalised coaching, physiotherapy, or medical advice, and they cannot account for your body, your injury history or your level.
Pickleball involves sudden lateral movement, and the most common injuries in the sport are ankle, knee, calf and shoulder problems. If you have a health condition or an existing injury, consult a qualified professional before starting new drills or training loads. Warm up, and stop if something hurts.
Gear coverage
- Affiliate links, disclosed. Some pages carry affiliate links (currently Amazon). If you buy through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, and any page carrying one says so at the top. The commission is the same whichever product you choose, so it does not influence what we recommend or how anything is ranked.
- No sponsorship. No manufacturer pays for coverage, previews an article, or has any say in what we publish.
- No free gear. Equipment we test is bought at retail. We do not accept free paddles, because a paddle that arrives free is a paddle we cannot honestly call overpriced.
- We say which is which. Where a guide is built on published specifications rather than our own hands-on testing, the page says so explicitly.
Specifications, prices and availability change constantly, and manufacturers revise products without renaming them. Always check current details with the seller before buying.
Court and equipment specifications
Dimensions, net heights and equipment tolerances quoted on this site are drawn from published standards and are given for reference. If you are building or resurfacing a court, work from the current official specifications and your local building requirements — not from a web page.
External links
We link to rulebooks, manufacturers, and reference material. We do not control those sites, cannot vouch for their accuracy, and are not responsible for their content.
In short
We try to be accurate, we correct mistakes quickly, and we have no financial reason to tell you anything other than what we think is true. But this is a website written by a rec player, not a governing body — treat it accordingly. Corrections are genuinely welcome via the contact page.