The Around-the-Post Shot Is Legal. We Have Read the Rules. We Have Read Them Again.

The Around-the-Post shot — known in pickleball circles as the ATP — is a shot hit around the net post rather than over the net. It is legal. The ball does not have to cross over the net. It simply has to land in the opponent's court. If the ball stays low enough and wide enough, a player can hit it around the outside of the net post and have it land in bounds.

This is legal. We have confirmed this. We have read the official rulebook. We have read it twice. We have read the specific passage that addresses this scenario. It is legal.

"Pickleball has taken a quirk of geometry, given it a name, an acronym, and a highlight reel."

The ATP exists because the net post is not the boundary of the court. The court extends beyond the post. The net is a barrier, but the post is just a post. A ball that goes around the post, stays in bounds, and lands in the opponent's court is a valid shot. This is the rule. This has always been the rule.

What we find notable is not that the shot is legal. What we find notable is that it has a name. It has an acronym. It is discussed with reverence. It is celebrated when executed. Players practice it. Coaches teach it. Pickleball has taken a quirk of geometry, given it a name, an acronym, and a highlight reel.

In tennis, this shot also exists. It is also legal. It does not have an acronym. It is called "that shot that went around the post." Pickleball has given it a name, a community, and a highlight reel. We note this without further comment.