Winter Schedule at Wulf Starts Today; EPRD Classes Return
The Winter schedule is set. Pickleball gets almost 35 hours a week of playing time through March 16 plus there’s an hour for EPRD’s Skills & Drills for Intermediates on Fridays and 1.5 hours on Saturdays for Beginner/Next Steps Classes. Registration required, but hurry Sarah German’s classes fill up fast.
Intermediate and Advanced play is offered every day of the week, while Novice/Beginner play is four days. Again, 7 am starts on Mondays (Advanced), Wednesdays (Intermediate), and Thursdays (Novice/Beginner). Check the Schedule and plan your next court session.
If you’re curious about which skill level you belong in, rate yourself. (Hint: You probably rate lower than you think, if you’re honest.)
Common Courtesies Court Peaceful Players
It’s gettin’ rough out there.
We’re seeing a lot of behaviors on the court that are causing confusion at minimum and hostility among some, for sure. So let’s take a deep breath and remember these guidelines for good behavior:
When an errant ball enters your court, pick it up and get it back to a person on the court it came from. If you’re lazy and just swat it away without looking it goes across all four courts and everyone stops play. Get it back to a player.
By the same token, take responsibility for your ball that goes onto another court before you resume play. Yell “Ball” to stop their play and raise your hand to get the attention of the player who has gone to the trouble to retrieve it. If you don’t need the ball back yell “Keep it” so they don’t stand there looking silly wondering where the ball came from.
Transition from one session to the next: The time a new session starts is a hard stop for those who’ve been playing in the earlier session regardless of where the ongoing game’s score stands if there are enough incoming players’ paddles down to take the court. Be aware that as you approach the witching hour of a new session, you might not be able to finish the game.
On the other hand, if there aren’t enough incoming paddles down or there are empty courts you can continue your game to completion or until enough new paddles are down to take the court.
If it’s your time to play and previous players are still on the court, politely ask if you can have the court. Time’s up.You can’t play in more than one session per day. You can play in any session you want (as long as you play at the indicated skill level), but you can’t stay over from one to the next. If you want to play with spouse or family, then commit yourself to the appropriate session.
That includes splitting time across two sessions. Coming late to a session does not allow you to carry over time to the next session.
The courts are overcrowded as it is. When you take up space in more than one session, it takes time away from all players.USA Pickleball rules require players to call a kitchen violation on themselves or their partner. Of course your opponents can call the violation on you, but they’re watching the ball, not your feet.
You know when you’re close to the line. Look down and be honest. There’s no honor in winning a point by knowingly cheating.
2023 Rule Changes You Need to Know
Fortunately, there aren’t many changes that affect play outside of officiated tournaments. The Pickler does a good job of explaining “6 Pickleball Rule Changes to Learn for 2023.” Here’s a recap of the few changes that affect our recreational play:
Bye-bye to the one-hand spin serve. Like anyone does that.
Before the return of serve, the receiver can ask for a replay of the serve if they believe the serve was illegal (ball struck above the waist, for example) or the ball is hidden in the server’s hand during the serve. The ball must be visible. This does not apply to service foot faults.
Stop play before the return of serve if you want to correct the score. The serve will be replayed. However, if play is stopped after the return of serve that’s a fault on the person stopping play. Wait until the point is completed before correcting the score.
You’re not supposed to get all matchy-matchy with the ball. The rules advise: “avoid wearing clothing that closely matches the ball color.” But there is no penalty for doing so. Tournament play is another matter.
It’s always a good idea to start the year off with a refresh of the Official USA Pickleball Rules. As we say around here, “Good players know and play by the rules.”
A Commander’s Lament
“Ever hear the adage, ‘What if they gave a war and nobody came?’ That apparently is the situation when the Snow Angels are called upon to help clear Marshdale’s courts.
“Two people showed up. Two. I made three, but having just recovered from a bout with Covid, I had the stamina of a 10 year old. I had to quit after about 40 minutes. Kudos to Gary Euliss and John Hach for their extra effort in clearing one of the courts completely. Thanks, guys. Guess we’ll have to rely on the sun and any industrious players to do any more.
“I’ve had fun pretending the snow on the courts is the enemy and the Snow Angels are my commandos; ready to do battle and free the courts of the white scourge so pickleball can reign supreme again. But we’re losing the war. Our soldiers have deserted.
“A little history. The Snow Angels came into being during the great Covid scare when Wulf was closed to all indoor activities. If we wanted our pickleball fix, we had to play outside in the winter and keep the courts clear of snow. Through the efforts of Linda Jacobsen and others, we pulled it off and kept playing all winter to our own amazement.
“So, here’s the deal, folks. We can’t clear the courts of snow without volunteers, and there is no sense trying if no one is going to play outside. It’s my first choice, but I’m only one player. I say keep Marshdale a great place to play all winter and let the Snow Angels keep fighting the evil forces of snow.”
Captain Monte
