What is Pickleball? Where is Pickleball played?

The ever-increasing fame of this sport makes people wonder what is Pickleball. How it is played? Why it is so much loved?

Pickleball is a paddle sport that includes elements of various sports like badminton, tennis, and ping pong submerged together. It is generally played using a plastic ball with holes and a paddle. The best fact about this game is that it is suitable and equally loved by people of all ages and skill levels.

People love to play this sport to improve their health, and athletic abilities and also to have fun and increase their physical activities. As the popularity of the pickleball sport is increasing drastically, recreational centers and many parks have now started including Pickleball in their youth sports programs.

Since it is easy to play and doesn’t involve difficult rules children and teens can also play the sport. However, there are times it can be a challenging and fast-paced game. The game also helps to increase the physical ability of kids and elderly people.

When did pickleball start?

Founded by three men Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington Pickleball actually started during the summer break of 1965.

Joel and Joan Pritchard mostly spent their summer break at their home on Bainbridge Island.

Pritchard’s invited Bill and Tina Bell to spend vacations with them at the Bainbridge compound in 1965 during summer.

One day Bill and Joel returned home after golfing for some time only to find Joel’s disgruntled thirteen-year-old son, Frank, in one of those angry teenage mood swings.

He was annoyed that there was nothing to do at the camp and during this conflict of his boring vacations he challenged his dad to Invent a new game.

Joel, who was 40 at that time, loved this challenge from his son Frank, so he and his friend Bill actually invented a game.

The very first pickleball game

They used a Wiffle ball from a plastic bag and a pair of table tennis paddles.

After that, they set up the badminton net for the play and grabbed the ball, and played that very first game, this is how pickleball started and was played for the very first time.

The men also designed some pretty gothic-looking paddles. It was actually the time when the game started to take form and with time it gained popularity all over their neighborhood and then the whole country. And now in the present time, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport along with many others.

Where is Pickleball played and how

For athletic persons that are into sports, games, and adventures, these games bring chances that they will love indulging in Pickleball. Pickleball is one of the most underrated sports around and it mimics a few of the rules of lawn tennis but it is still an amazing game to play.

Pickleball is a racquet game that can be played as singles or doubles by people of all age groups and skill levels. It is designed to be a fun game and can be played by all the family but it can also be very competitive and physical sometimes.

So, to keep you intact on the features of Pickleball, we compiled information about how and where it is played.

Pickleball court

The most common information about pickleball that people ask is, where to play the game and the answer is that Pickleball is typically played on a badminton size court where the ball is typically served diagonally to the opposite team and only the server gets to score a point.

Dimensions of Pickleball court

Pickleball courts are very similar to tennis and not only that but you can also create indoor courts as well.

A standard pickleball court happens to be around the same size as a double’s badminton court and the court measures about 44 feet long and inclusive of lines and it is 20 feet wide (inclusive of lines).

The net height that is used on a pickleball court is approximately 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches high in the middle of the net.

Rules for pickleball

The game has a lot of similarities with tennis but the rules are a lot different than a regular tennis match. The most important rule while playing Pickleball is to serve diagonally across the court.

The service should start in the right-hand service square. Also, it is not important whether the players are playing in singles or doubles, the service should always be made diagonally.

One important fact about the service is that it should land past the non-volley zone of the court that is present right in front of the net on both sides of the court. This area is commonly known as the kitchen.

If the racquet is under the waist when contact is made with the ball then the players should always serve underhand. Another very important factor is that service should be done while the ball is in the air and without bouncing on the ground.

Along with that, the first serving team to start the pickleball is allowed only one fault before the ball is given to the opponent. Only the serving team gets the point and not the opponent team.

The serving team should swap sides while serving singles or doubles. While the receiving team will stay on the same side of the court.

Pickleball is undoubtedly a fun game, and with the right pickleball gear, the match delivers an exceptionally exciting experience. People who just begin playing pickleball need considerably light or mediumweight pickleball paddles. While experienced players require advanced pickleball paddles to deliver their best. So, check out the best pickleball paddles for players of all skill levels.

FAQs