It may sounds like a goofy kids game or your dog's chew toy, but pickleball is a sport that continues to gain popularity across the United States. A combination of tennis and wiffleball, pickleball uses unique equipment and rules to create a different kind of sport that has its own governing association.
History
In 1965, Joel Pritchard, a father and future politician, was looking for a way to entertain his kids while they were living on Bainbridge Island, just outside of Seattle, Washington, according to NPR. He picked up a wiffleball, created a ping pong-like racket and the game was born. Pritchard, along with friend Barney McCallum, created the official rules to pickleball, which was named after the family dog, Pickles. The game spread among gthe Pritchards' family and friends and soon gained popularity. In 1984, pickleball enthusiasts formed the USA Pickleball Association, now the governing body for the sport.
Identification
Pickleball is different in several ways from other traditional racket sports. It uses a badminton-size court, but with the net lowered to tennis height. Instead of a traditional stringed racket, players use a hard wooden or composite racket and a hard plastic ball with holes that doesn't bounce as high as a tennis ball.
Rules
Play begins with the serving player standing behind the baseline of the proper service court. The player must hit the ball underhand so that it lands in the opposite service court, as in tennis. Another one of pickleball's unique rules allows the server to place one foot in the court as he serves. The ball must bounce once on each side of the court before players are allowed to volley -- hitting the ball before it bounces on their side of the court. As in tennis, failure to hit the ball before it bounces twice on your side of the court, hitting the ball into the net or hitting it out of bounds constitutes a point for the other team.
Significance
According to a 2006 NPR report, around 50,000 to 60,000 people nationwide play pickleball, making it not just a casual hobby, but a competitive sport. The first pickleball tournament occurred in 1976 in Washington State. In 2009, the first national pickleball tournament was staged in Arizona, featuring more than 400 players from 26 states and Canada.
Considerations
While pickleball is gaining in popularity, it is still a relatively obscure game when compared to other, more popular games such as tennis, basketball or racquetball. Consequently, it's more difficult for new players to participate because of the relative lack of courts and equipment.
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