Information on Pickleball

Pickleball combines elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis to create an entirely unique racket sport. Played on regulation badminton courts, pickleball features players using solid wooden or composite paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net. Although perfect for family fun, pickleball also tests experienced athletes with its fast-paced, competitive rallies.

History

In 1965, Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington state, and his friend Bill Bell returned to Pritchard's Bainbridge Island, Washington, home after a round of golf and decided to invent a game the whole family could play. Pritchard and Bell took to the family's badminton court and started volleying a perforated plastic ball back and forth over the net using wooden paddles. They soon lowered the net to allow for a more tennislike experience. The game proved addictive, with Pritchard soon establishing fixed rules and helping spread pickleball's popularity across the United States.

Trivia

Pickleball gets its unusual name from the Pritchard family's cocker spaniel, Pickles. When Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell played the first game of pickleball, they used the dog's favorite ball. As a result, Pickles often intervened, darting from the nearby bushes to grab errant shots. In honor of his beloved pet, Pritchard called the game pickleball.

Significance

Even though it started at Joel Pritchard's Washington home, pickleball soon spanned the United States. By 1990, Pickleball had been played in all 50 states. In 2009, the USAPA, the sport's governing body, hosted the first annual Pickleball National Tournament in Buckeye, Ariz., drawing almost 400 players from across the United States and Canada.

Features

A pickleball court measures 44 feet long by 20 feet wide, with a 34-inch high net dividing the court in half. Players use wooden or composite paddles that cannot exceed more than 23 3/4 inches in combined length and width. The perforated plastic ball measures 3 inches in diameter and has small circular holes. Singles or doubles may compete in pickleball.

Function

Pickleball game play mimics tennis with a few notable exceptions. Players serve with an underhand stroke. The serve and the subsequent return must bounce before being played, although after that initial return, balls may be volleyed or allowed to bounce before being returned. The serving side wins a point each time the opposing team fails to return the ball successfully . Teams play each game to 11 points, with the victorious team having to win by 2 points.