Partner Communication: Useful Phrases and Post-Match Debriefing

Here is “Partner Communication: Useful Phrases and Post-Match Debriefing” — try to read the nuances as much as the instructions. You'll learn to talk with your partner effectively during and after the match. We wrote these lines for the following readers — French-speaking pickleball players, beginners, club or tournament players, coming from tennis, padel or badminton, who want to play better doubles.

Which Words Should You Use During the Rally?

On the written rules, remember this — each player can be ranked in three categories: singles, same-gender doubles and mixed doubles.

Here's what the rulebook says — pickleball was added to the FFT's bylaws in January 2024.

Look at the following measurement: the 2025 Open de France de pickleball (June 20-22, Country Club Aixois) drew more than 300 competitors and 900 matches over three days.

When Should You Talk About Mistakes?

Use this order of magnitude as a benchmark — competition courts built to FFT standards measure 9 m by 18 m, and the net is 6.70 m wide, 86 cm at the center and 91 cm at the posts.

Use this order of magnitude as a benchmark — the Open d'Hiver de Marcq-en-Barœul, ranked K500, drew more than 240 unique players over its first two editions.

Here's what the rulebook says — the national pickleball ranking is published quarterly for the first year, and the tournaments counted are those that ended within the last 12 months.

Should You Favor Skill Level or Chemistry?

Here's the figure to look at closely: in 2024, there were about 300 pickleball courts in France versus 34,000 tennis courts, and three temporary courts were set up on the clay of Roland-Garros.

Here's the figure to look at closely: the first FFT pickleball Championnats de France were held in Aix-en-Provence from July 10 to 12, 2026, for levels 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0.

On the rules side, read carefully — in doubles, both players on a team serve one after the other before the team loses the serve (“double chance”), except at the start of the game, when only the first server of the starting team serves.

Before the Match: Getting on the Same Page With Your Partner

Points to settle with your partner.

• Agree on court sides — Trying both sides lets you put your weak spot in the right place.
• Set your positioning on serve and return — On the return, both of you starting from the baseline avoids exposing your partner to the volley.
• Plan a post-match debrief — Most of the communication is best done outside the match.

Before You Go

Jot your own observations in the margin — they're worth as much as these pages.

Go further

• Playing Doubles in Pickleball: The Rules to Know Before Tactics — Rules specific to doubles: serving, rotation, scoring and the double bounce. The plan: the pillars of the approach, then the topic library.
• Pickleball Doubles Rules: Serve, Double Bounce, and Non-Volley Zone — You'll know how to apply the rules specific to doubles before your first match. The article covers how it works in detail, then the action plan.
• The Three-Number Score: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them — You'll learn to call the score without confusion and spot rotation errors. The reading starts with why you should begin here.
• Doubles Serve: Understanding the Double Chance and the First Team's Sequence — You'll know who serves, when, and how many times in a doubles game. The plan: how it works in practice, then how to get off to a good start.

Reference material

• Pickleball - Règles & Classement — Overview of the basic rules and the national ranking in singles, same-gender doubles and mixed doubles. Source reviewed on 2026-10-13.
• La Fédération française de tennis obtient la délégation du pickleball — Announcement of January 2, 2026: duties tied to the delegation and participation figures given by the FFT (players, licenses, clubs). Source reviewed on 2026-10-13.
• Compétitions Pickleball — Competition structure: league championships, Championnats de France, open, levels 3.0 to 5.0, rules and organizing resources. Source reviewed on 2026-10-13.
• Pickleball - FFT Le Guide du club —
• Pickleball well received at French Open, France expecting rapid growth — Specialist press: pickleball demonstration at Roland-Garros in 2024 and the FFT's position on the sport. Source reviewed on 2026-10-13.
• Les règles du pickleball —
• Comment former une bonne équipe de double ? —

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Rules change from one season to the next: always check the current version with the Fédération française de tennis before a competition.

Pickleball puts stress on knees, shoulders and wrists: this content doesn't replace the advice of a doctor or physical therapist.