The popularity of pickleball has been growing over the past few years. In fact, pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. Several parks and recreation departments are now adding pickleball to their sports programs as a result of the game’s growing popularity. So what exactly is pickleball, and why is it growing in popularity?

What Is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a popular racket sport that has taken the world by storm in recent years. This fast-paced game combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, and can be played by people of all ages and skill levels. The game is played on a court that is about the size of a badminton court, with a net similar to that used in tennis.

As to how pickleball got its name, there are two different accounts. It’s important to first understand the “origin” of the sport in order to set the stage for these two hypotheses. In 1965, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum created a game that combined parts of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton because their kids were bored with their “normal” summer pastimes.

A Pickle Boat

The mix of sports (tennis, ping-pong, and badminton) is, according to one source, “reminiscent of the pickle boat in crew, when rowers were selected from the remains of other boats”. Though I wasn’t on crew and didn’t attend prep school, the hypothesis seems plausible.

Pickles is a dog.

According to the second account, the game was named “Pickles” in honor of Joel Pritchard’s dog. Apparently, Pickles had a reputation for chasing the ball, putting it in his mouth, and then running off the court.

It has become increasingly popular in Spain, the United States and around the world, and is now played as far away as Australia and Japan.

One of the reasons for pickleball’s popularity is its accessibility. The game is easy to learn, and can be played by people of all ages and abilities. It is also a low-impact sport, making it a great option for older adults or those with joint pain or other physical limitations.

The sense of camaraderie that pickleball fosters is another element of its popularity. In addition to hundreds of private courts, pickleball has been widely adopted in school gyms, fire stations, community centers, neighborhood parks, and sports organizations. Many pickleball courts have been built recently, especially in senior living facilities.

Pickleball is a socially and economically inclusive, easily accessible, and non-exclusive sport. Even at the highest levels, playing styles vary widely. Many elite players have little athletic ability and no prior racquet or paddle sport experience. Pickleball is easy to learn, yet challenging to master. Pick up a paddle and give it a try!

Pickleball has a interesting history dating back to 1965. It is a fast-paced racquet sport that has gained popularity. The game was invented in the Pacific Northwest, specifically on Bainbridge Island, by three fathers who wanted to create a fun activity for their families.

The story goes that Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington state, and his friend Bill Bell were enjoying a game of badminton when they found that they didn’t have a shuttlecock.

They improvised with a wiffle ball, and soon found themselves using paddles to hit the ball back and forth across the net. The game was an instant hit, and soon they enlisted the help of a local neighbor, Barney McCallum, to refine the rules and create a name for the sport.

The sport was reportedly given the nickname “pickleball” by Pritchard’s wife, Joan, who commented that it reminded her of the “pickle boat,” in which rowers were selected from the scraps of other boats. However, others claim that the name came from the Pritchard family dog, Pickles, who would chase after stray balls during the game.

Whatever the name, pickleball soon spread across the country after first gaining popularity in the Pacific Northwest. The first permanent pickleball court was built in 1967, and the first corporation to protect the invention of pickleball was formed in 1972.

By 1984, the USA Pickleball Association was overseeing the activity. Rules were developed, tournaments were planned, and equipment was manufactured specifically for the sport.

Today, millions of people play pickleball, and specialized courts and facilities can be found in communities large and small, turning what was once a rainy-day pastime into a global craze.

You can also go through the history of pickleball as edited by USAPA.

At the most basic level, pickleball is served underhand diagonally across the net to the opponent’s service court. The ball is then bounced back and forth over the net until a player returns the ball in accordance with the rules. Games are often played to 11 points, as points are only awarded to the serving team (win by 2).

A pickleball court is 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, including the lines, for both singles and doubles play. By comparison, a tennis court is 36 feet wide by 78 feet long (including the doubles lane).

This makes a tennis court 3.19 times larger in square footage than a pickleball court. Many tennis courts are currently being converted to pickleball courts due to the game’s tremendous growth in popularity.

The USAPA – founded in 2005 – maintains and updates the official rules of pickleball. You can download the rules here.

One of the most challenging parts of pickleball for a beginner is scoring. The correct scoring system for doubles matches is shown in the following CliffsNotes version. Normally, matches are played to 11 points (win by 2 points). Only after a rally, and only to the serving team, are points awarded.

When it is your team’s turn to serve, both partners get a chance to serve and score as many points as they can before returning the serve to their opponents – unless it is the first serve of the game, in which case only the player who started the serve gets to serve in that first serve rotation. The partner does not serve in this first rotation.

A side-out occurs when the receiving team wins a rally against both serving partners (or against the single partner in the first serving rotation of the game). The serving team changes to the receiving team and the receiving team changes to the serving team.

The player on the right side of the court serves to start the game and on all subsequent side-outs. The serving partners alternate when a point is won on the serve. In doubles, the score is indicated by three numbers: the server’s number, the receiving team’s number, and the receiving team’s score (one or two).

In an effort to speed up games when others are waiting to play, some venues may use rally scoring. Rally scoring awards points at the end of each rally, regardless of whether your team is serving or receiving.

Scoring in singles is a little easier than in doubles. Because there is no partner.

In singles, the serve is always from the right side of the court if the server has an “even” score, and from the left side if the server has an “odd” score.

Since there is no second server in singles, the receiving player has the opportunity to serve if he wins the rally (side-out).

Pickleball can be played in a variety of ways, and courts often experiment to see what works best. Open play, round robin, “traditional” tournaments, luck of the draw, ladder leagues, and shootouts are some examples of possible formats. At some sites, the winning team may occupy the challenge court until “challengers” can defeat them and take their place.

A pickleball is similar to a whiffle ball, but pickle balls are more durable. Pickleball games will cause regular whiffle balls to break apart.

The type of pickleball played indoors or outdoors and the color of the ball are not currently regulated. We have come to refer to the small-hole, hard plastic Dura, TOP, or ONIX balls as “outdoor” balls because, in our experience, most people prefer to play outside with these balls.

Much like most people like to play the Huge Hole Dura Ball or Large Hole Jugs indoors, these balls have earned the nickname “indoor balls”.

It’s up to you which ball you like. Communities that play pickleball tend to favor a particular ball brand and color. Be careful, there is a lot of emotion surrounding people’s balls. Be sure to research the type of ball your neighborhood uses so you don’t arrive with the “wrong ball.

The paddle is sturdy and can be controlled with a flick of the wrist, similar to a ping pong paddle. Because of their lower cost, wooden paddles were used when the game was first developed and are still used at many colleges. The best quality paddles are made of lightweight fiberglass. They are lighter and more durable.

The court on which the game is played is the same size as a badminton court (20 feet wide by 44 feet long). The net height is 34 inches in the center and 36 inches at the perimeter.

Pickleball’s smaller court size allows younger players or those with varying degrees of mobility to participate in a way that the larger tennis court may not always allow. A rule that prohibits volleying – hitting the ball in the air – in the non-volley zone, the area 7 feet from the net, also promotes fair play and reduces powerful shots at the net.

Pickleball is now commonly played in high school physical education classes and has grown in popularity among both seniors and youth. Schools often hold tournaments.

Today, pickleball is played in a variety of settings. Check with the YMCA or your local recreation department. Find several local Facebook groups, join them, and post your question.

Find out if pickleball is available at tennis clubs in your area. Pickleball courts are being added to more and more tennis facilities. Contact the Pickleball Ambassador in your area. Of course, you should also visit the “Places to Play” section of the USAPA website.

Now that you know more about pickleball, you should be able to answer questions like these from family and friends. Give it a try today if you haven’t already.