Term
Ball
Also called: Pickleball
A light plastic ball with holes in it. There are outdoor balls and indoor balls.
A plastic ball with many holes in its surface (Paddletek). It must have 26 to 40 holes and weigh 0.78 to 0.935 oz (22.1 to 26.5 g) (USA Pickleball Equipment Standards).
Balls with larger holes are usually used indoors, and balls with smaller holes are usually used outdoors (3.C.1). Indoor balls are made of softer plastic, and outdoor balls are made of harder, thicker plastic (Paddletek). However, any approved ball can be used both indoors and outdoors (3.C.1).
In tournaments, the tournament chooses the ball from the USA Pickleball approved list (16.G, Ball rules).
How to read the sources: numbers like (8.F.4) are rulebook sections, and links are outside sources. An "Author's note" is the author's personal experience, not an official rule.