Over 2 million people play Pickleball in America. It is a very popular game that is played all over the world now but was started by Member of Congress Joel Pritchard, and his friends William Bell and Barney McCallum, in 1965. They wanted to create a game for their children, which would keep them entertained during the long summer vacation.
What started out as family fun has developed into a widely played game, in homes, and on courts, across the world. The equipment originally used was simply a whiffle ball and ping pong paddles, but more specialized paddles and pickle balls have been developed for players to play the game more efficiently.
Pickleball is played on Badminton sized court. It can be played indoors, or outdoors. You will need to get the right balls for playing on an indoor court or outdoor court. The ball is similar to a whiffle ball but has different number of holes in it.
A whiffle ball is a practice ball. It is used in many sports. It is plastic, hollow, and has holes in the surface. This slows the ball down considerably after it is struck. Pickleball can be played by two, or four people, as a ‘singles’ game, or as ‘doubles.’ The net height is slightly lower than tennis net, at 34 inches.
The Volley Rules
The court is divided into two zones. The inner zone, the area that is seven feet from the net, is a Non-Volley Zone. There is a volley line that a player must stay behind to be able to volley a shot – that is, to return a shot without letting the ball bounce.
If the player contacts the line, then the shot is judged to be a fault. You are also not allowed to volley return a ball that is served to you, it has to bounce first. If you are serving, the first ball that is returned to you must also bounce first. You are not allowed to return the ball using a volley shot. Once the ball has bounced in each court, you may return the ball – using either a volley or ground stroke.
To serve the ball you will need to hit the ball into the opposite diagonal court using an under- hand shot, and it will need to land beyond the Volley-line. If it lands on, or short of the line, your ball is out. You may not throw the ball up and strike it, using at overhand motion.
A coin is tossed to decide who will serve first. The first serve is from the right-hand side of the court. The ball has to be hit below waist (navel) level. You have to keep your feet behind the baseline. You may not touch the court, or touch the baseline before you have served the ball. You can, like in tennis, make a foot fault.
There Is No Second Serve
Unlike Tennis, there is no second serve. In Pickleball, you only get one serve. If you make mistakes, then serve changes to your opponent. The only time that you can serve again is if there is a ‘let’ service. A ‘let’ service is when the ball touches the net as it goes into court.
The ball must land in the opposite court, past the Volley line, to be considered in. Service is held by the player until a fault is made.
The game is played in the same way, as the singles game, but there is a slight difference. After the first serve, of the first game, the serve moves to the opponent team. Each member of the side will get a turn to serve and win points for the team.
‘Side-out’ is when both members have had a chance to serve, and only then, will the service move to the opponent team. There can be more than one ‘side-out’ in a game, as the game progresses. Only the serving team will switch sides, on the court, as the service game progresses. The receiving team will not.
Scoring, number of games, and changing ends
A Pickleball match is made up of three games. You need to decide on the number of points needed to win each game, either 11, 15 or 21. You will need to win by 2 points. There is sometimes confusion about when to change ends, but the official rule book is clear.
If you are playing an 11 point game, you change ends when the first person, or side, reaches 6 points. Serve is held by the player, and you change sides. In a 15 point game, you change ends, when there are 8 points. If the game is 21 points, you change at 11. You only change once, during the game, regardless of how high the game score progresses.
Types of Balls and Paddles
If you are playing outdoors, you will need to use Duraballs. They have smaller holes and are less affected by the wind. They are a harder material than indoor pickleballs. Jugs balls are used to play Pickleball on an indoor court.
They are softer and bounce less, that means that there can be longer rallies, on a game. Pickle Paddles can be made of various materials, and be different weights, and affect the strength of your shots. You should not play Pickleball with other sports equipment.
Ready to Play Pickleball
Grab your friends and head to your local tennis courts, with some chalk. Make sure you have permission first, to mark the courts, and lower the nets. Remember to bring a coin to toss, and to borrow, or buy, some paddles and balls.
Check if there are matches being played in your city, and you can go and watch, and see how the game is played live Of course, you can also have a look online, and watch some videos, then learn pickle ball strategies and pick up some tips before you play. Are you ready to have some fun? Why not try a game of Pickleball.