Are You Breaking Pickleball's Unwritten Rules?

250 years of American sports history. The LA community builder to know.

Author

Empower Pickleball
July 07, 2026

The USMNT is out of the World Cup after a loss to Belgium last night, which means most of America can go back to pretending soccer doesn't exist for the next four years.

Good news: you've got somewhere better to put that energy this week. MLP's Mid-Season Championship tips off July 8-12 in Grand Rapids, with all 20 pro teams in action.

And if you're local, you can get in on the action yourself: the Paddletek One Point Challenge is open for registration, with $25K on the line for amateur teams playing alongside MLP pros.

Inside:

  • The unwritten etiquette rules every open play regular follows (and the ones you're probably breaking)

  • The grip style that could fix your topspin overnight

  • Meet the people turning pickleball courts into real community, on and off the court

📋 The Unwritten Rules of Pickleball Open Play

Nobody hands you a rulebook for open play, but the etiquette is real, and it matters. A few unwritten rules every regular follows:

  • Learn the paddle stack—one player, one paddle, no holding spots

  • Mix up your partners when a line is forming

  • Call the score loud before every serve

  • Call close balls in rather than debating them

Advanced players read the room and dial it back with beginners, and everyone plays better when newcomers feel welcome. At the end of the day, good open play etiquette is less about pickleball and more about being someone people want to share a court with.

👉 Find out which rules you didn’t know you were breaking.

🌎 Around the Picklesphere

🎧 What happens when a pro pickleballer gets traded?
😵‍💫 Paddles that will take your spin game to the next level
🎥 Have you seen the trailer for the biggest pickleball movie of the summer?
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Be a part of the Empower Pickleball Fam and save 30% with code EMPOWER30

✊ Grip It to Rip It

Your grip decides more than your swing does. Here's the fast version:

  • Continental—best for kitchen volleys, blocks, and slice drops

  • Eastern—great for topspin forehands and control on drives

  • Western/Semi-Western—max topspin power on forehands and serves, weaker on backhands

Most pros don't pick one and stick with it; they rotate grips shot by shot. Grip pressure matters too: firm on power shots, loose ("scrambled egg") at the net for touch.

👉 Read the full guide to know when to use each.

Hydration, Energy, and Focus in One Packet?

Most hydration mixes stop at electrolytes. Vibras takes things a step further with ingredients designed to support hydration, endurance, focus, and steady energy—all in a convenient stick pack.

The Pink Himalayan Limonada flavor has become a favorite among racquet sport athletes who want something they can use before practice, competition, or even a busy workday.

👉 Click here to grab 15% off your first order.

🏟️ The Games That Built Our Gathering Places

Sports didn't just entertain Americans—they created the demand for spaces where community could happen. The pattern repeats across 250 years:

  • Colonial era—horse tracks and village greens became gathering spots simply because people showed up to play

  • 1891 & 1895—basketball and volleyball were invented and gave people a place to play

  • 1965 to today—pickleball courts became the modern village green, built for connection first

Each new game created a new reason for a park, a court, or a backyard to become a community hub. The equipment and locations changed, but the need for a place to gather never did.

👉 Read more about how sports have shaped American history here.

🕯️ More Than a Candle: Aluminate Life on Wellness Beyond the Court

Pickleball takes care of the body, but recovery matters just as much. Our conversation with Dr. Liz Lehman, founder of Aluminate Life, turned into a conversation about rest, stress, and community. A few highlights:

  • Products are physician-developed, made in the USA, cruelty-free, and vegan

  • The Sleep Candle and Focus Candle are player favorites for winding down or resetting

  • Essential oil rollerballs make an easy addition to any tournament bag

  • A portion of every purchase supports NO MORE, an organization ending domestic and sexual violence

👉 Wellness off the court is just as important as strategy on it, and Aluminate Life makes it simple to start.

🤲 The Glue That Keeps the Group Together

Every pickleball community has someone quietly holding it together. In LA, that's Ifeanyi Ifediba. A few things that stand out about how he leads:

  • Community is built, not accidental—it starts with learning names, not just checking people in

  • Beginners get patient partners and a low-pressure first experience

  • Success isn't attendance—it's watching someone go from outsider to regular

  • He's also working to bring more of his Nigerian community into the sport

His philosophy sums it up: showing up consistently builds something people feel ownership over, long after he's left the room. We're excited to welcome Ifeanyi to the Empower Circle.

👉 Read more about LA’s thriving community here.

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