Discover the Fun and Excitement of Pickleball – The Game That’s Taking the Sporting World by Storm
Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes and can be played indoors or outdoors on a court similar in size to a badminton court.
We’re backing into some history, Pickleball facts and game play in this roundup story.
Never heard of it? Give it a try!
The rules of Pickleball are relatively simple:
- The game can be played with two or four players. If played with two players, it is called singles; if played with four players, it is called doubles.
- The game starts with a serve, made diagonally across the court to the opponent’s service area.
- The ball must clear the net and land in the opponent’s service area to be a legal serve.
- The opposing player or team must let the ball bounce once before returning it, and then the serving team must let the ball bounce once before returning it.
- After the two bounces, the ball can be volleyed (hit in the air) or played off the bounce.
- Points are scored when the opposing team fails to return the ball, hits the ball out of bounds, or commits a fault.
- The game is played to 11 points, and the winning team must win by two points.
There are some additional rules and variations to pickleball, but these are the basic rules.
Pickleball is a fun and engaging game for several reasons:
- It can be played by people of all ages and skill levels, making it an excellent activity for families and friends to enjoy together. It is also a low-impact sport, which makes it ideal for seniors or those with physical limitations.
- The game can be played indoors and outdoors, allowing for flexibility in playing locations.
- The game requires strategy and skill, making it challenging and rewarding for players.
Did you know?
The name “pickleball” has disputed origins. Some say it was named after Pritchard’s dog, Pickles, who would chase after the balls during their early games. Others say it was named after the term “pickle boat” in rowing, which refers to a boat made up of leftover crew members from other boats.
Still, others suggest that the game was named after the “pickle” in baseball, a play where a runner is caught between two bases.
A little history:
Pickleball’s relatively short but fascinating history dates back to the mid-1960s. Congressman Joel Pritchard, his friend Bill Bell, and Pritchard’s neighbor Barney McCallum invented the game on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Washington.
The three men were looking for a new game that would suit their families and could be played on the badminton court in Pritchard’s backyard.
The game they invented was a combination of badminton, ping-pong, and tennis, using a Wiffle ball and wooden paddles. The first Pickleball court was created by marking off the badminton court with chalk and using a lower net than a standard tennis net.
The game quickly caught on among the residents of Bainbridge Island and soon spread to other parts of the country. The first official Pickleball tournament was held in 1976 in Tukwila, Washington, and the sport continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2001, the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) was formed to promote the sport and establish rules and standards. Since then, the sport has grown rapidly, with an estimated 3.5 million players in the United States alone.
Pickleball has also become an international sport, with the International Pickleball Federation (IFP) established in 2010 to oversee the sport’s growth and development worldwide.
There is a growing movement within the Pickleball community to make the sport more environmentally friendly. This includes using biodegradable balls, reusable water bottles, and eco-friendly court surfaces, among other initiatives.Â
This brief history of Pickleball is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity of its founders, as well as the sport’s appeal to people of all ages and skill levels. The game’s continued growth and popularity suggest it will remain a beloved pastime for many years to come.
