Three things are going to happen over the next 30 or so days.  The first two:

• the club's rental permits for the pickleball courts will come to an end (ending September 30), meaning there will be no dedicated club play on the outdoor courts
• the weather will start to deteriorate and the rain will start to fall

As outdoor play becomes more iffy, the interest in indoor play will increase.

Fortunately, the Surrey Pickleball Club is able to offer indoor pickleball 5 days a week for both members and non-members beginning on September 25.  Pickleball play will be offered using the "book-a-court" approach (find 3 friends and book a dedicated court for 2 hours).  Have a look at the indoor booking calendar page for details.

Coming to Surrey Pickleball Club April 29, 2023.  More information can be found here.

Effective May 1st, the club’s court rental permits give us the exclusive use of six courts from dawn to dusk 7 days a week!  Given the fabulous demand we’ve had since we started playing on April 11, we’ve now scheduled play on all 6 courts from 8 am until 8 pm every day.

There are several additional social and league sessions scheduled. Plus we’ve added scheduled singles play and a skills clinic time slot. Finally, also new, is “Book-a-Court”. Book a court for the exclusive use of you and your playing friends for 2 hours. Check out the explanation for conditions. 

Here is our new schedule, effective May 1, 2022.

BCIT is coming to the Surrey Pickleball Club to do a documentary on pickleball.  They will be at the courts on Friday, April 1 from 9:00 am to about noon.  Come on out and, who knows, maybe you'll be immortalized.

The club's 2022 season is about to start! We kick off with the following events:

A copy of the email that was sent to members, listing what's happening in 2022, can be found here.

BC 55+ Games are back this year and will be held in Victoria, September 13-17.

If you would like more information on pickleball in the games and/or how to register for the games please send an email to: zone3pickleball@55plusbcgames.org

IFP and the USAPA have announced rule changes for 2022. Here are the the most significant changes:

Spin Serves

In 2022, a player can spin the ball before striking it on the serve, but only one hand at a time can contact the ball before the ball is hit. No foreign substances, material, apparatus, or additional body parts can be applied to the hand or aid the hand that releases the pickleball.

The Drop Serve

No changes were made to the drop serve other than to remove its Provisional status.

Wrong Score Called

The rules concerning what happens if the wrong score is called by a player or a referee have changed. If a player thinks a wrong score has been called, a player may stop play to ask for a correction before the ball is served. If it has been served, the rally is to be played out and the score correction (if any) is made before the next serve occurs.

A Dropped Ball

In non-officiated matches, it is not uncommon for a player to carry an extra ball. If an extra ball is carried, it must not be visible to the opponent. If a player accidentally drops an extra ball during a rally, it will result in a fault. This does not apply in an officiated match because the referee is responsible for removing any extra pickleballs from play.

Medical Time-outs Called by a Referee

If a referee, in the interest of player safety, determines that either medical personnel or the Tournament Director should be consulted for a player health issue, that time-out is not chargeable to the player as a medical time-out. The player retains the right to call their own medical time out later in the match, if needed.

Verbal Warnings

A referee may now issue verbal warnings for more than just profanity. Any situation that could result in a Technical Warning may instead be addressed by the referee as a verbal warning. Only one verbal warning per match, no matter what the infractions, may be issued to a team, or player in singles.

Calling the Score After a 15 Second Warning

Instead of a referee calling the score immediately after the 15 second warning expires, the referee will call the score after the players are ready, or should be ready.

When Can a Technical Warning or Foul be Called?

Referees are empowered to issue Technical Warnings or Technical Fouls for various reasons but it has been unclear exactly when a technical should be announced. The 2022 rules now make it clear that a referee will not stop a rally to call a technical warning or foul on an offending team. Any technical warnings or fouls will be assessed after the rally is over.

Earbuds

While some sports allow coaching during active play, pickleball does not. Since it is possible that a player could receive coaching via earbuds, earbuds will not be permitted on the court during tournaments with the exception of hearing aids.

Tournament Score for a Retirement

The score recorded for a player or team that elects to “retire' from a match has been revised to allow the actual scores of the match to be recorded. A team retiring may play additional matches in their bracket if any are warranted.

Congratulations to the Surrey Pickleball Club’s Terry Brine and his doubles partner, Barrie Hill, for winning silver in last week’s US National Pickleball Championships in Indio, CA.  Well done Terry & Barrie.

Register for the Picklebox open house on December 11 or signup for Steve’s 3.0/3.5 clinic on December 18.

There’s a new kid on the indoor pickleball block. Picklebox (using the Volleybox volleyball training facility in Cloverdale) is now accepting court reservations. While not inexpensive, if you are not satisfied with indoor options provided by municipalities and need your pickleball fix during the Surrey Pickleball Club’s off season, this is now an option for you. Rent a court (for 4 or 5 players) for 2 hours. Check it out at www.picklebox.ca.