Learning how to stack properly on offense and defense can make your pickleball team very difficult to beat. Proper pickleball stacking can help you cover up your weaknesses and amplify your strengths. Learn how, when, and why it's advantageous to stack — both when you're serving and returning the ball.
What is pickleball stacking?
Pickleball stacking in pickleball is a tactic for strategic placement used by doubles teams with the goal of optimizing player positioning.
Both players on a team line up (or "stack") on the same side of the court, before a serve or return. After the ball is served or returned, the team can quickly move to their preferred side of the court.
Stacking positioning & starting position
When you're playing pickleball, it's important to understand your starting position. If you’re starting from the right side, anytime you serve your score is going to be even: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. If you’re serving on the opposite side from your starting position, the score should be odd: 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9.
Stacking will help you keep the proper serving or return position, but allow you to play on the side of the court you choose.
What pickleball stacking looks like
Here is one example of how pickleball stacking might work:
- The score is 0-0 and your team is going to serve from the right side.
- You win the point, and now you want to stack instead of switching sides.
- The serving player will serve from the odd side, but there's nothing in the rule book that says the non-serving partner has to stand on the opposite side.
- The score is now 1-0.
- You and your partner are stacked in the same box and move to your preferred positions after the ball is struck.
To watch different examples, please watch the video above.
Scenarios where pickleball stacking is advantageous
- When you have a lefty on court.
- In this scenario you could potentially have two forehands in the middle.
- To create a mismatch.
- You may stack in this scenario if you want to play in front of a certain player because your particular strengths exploit their weaknesses.
- To keep players' strengths in the middle.
- For example, if one player has a particularly good forehand or backhand, so that forehand or backhand is in the middle of the court.
Pickleball stacking is about structuring your team so that your strengths are magnified.
"Unwinding the Stack" when you're on defense
One of the most important aspects of pickleball stacking is “Unwinding the Stack” — when you're on defense.
A lot of players get confused when they’re stacking as the returning team, but the same rule will apply as before: odd is odd. For example, if the score was even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10), you don't have to worry about unwinding the stack because you're probably going to be on your preferred side. If the score is odd, you will have to figure out how to unwind the stack.
An example of Unwinding the Stack:
- The score is 3-0 and you want to play on the left side.
- Your partner will give you a sign to tell you that you are going to run around behind her.
- After you receive that sign from her, you will return the serve and move to the opposite side.
- She will slide to cover your starting side.
To watch different examples, please watch the video above.
Another example of Unwinding the Stack:
- You want to play the left side, but the serve is coming to the right side.
- Your partner will start over off to the side of the pickleball court.
- You will hit the return and then run to the other side of the court.
- Your partner will simply step onto the court.
- Sometimes people find it easier because you don't have to worry about sliding, and she can just step right onto the court.
Keep in mind that this way of Unwinding the Stack will tell the other team that you're about to switch positions. This can be a simpler way for people to unwind the stack when they're first starting out.
To watch different examples, please watch the video above.
Pickleball stacking hand signals
Here are some common hand signals that people use to signify that they want to stack or unwind the stack in pickleball:
- A palm with all five fingers open: This typically signs to your partner “let's switch” or “let's stack.”
- Your fist completely closed: This means “stay there.”
- A finger wiggle or a hang loose sign: Can typically means a “fake switch” where you act like you're about to unwind the stack but you actually end up staying where you're at.
To see pickleball stacking hand signals, please watch the video above.