Pickleball has taken over the internet with everyone from tennis pro Serena Williams to pop icon Taylor Swift learning the rules of the game. With its great health benefits and basic rules, the origins of pickleball date back to the 1960's where three friends improvised a game of badminton by playing with ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball on a badminton court to entertain their families during a weekend get-to-together.
As the weekend progressed, the rules of the game were created drawing on badminton as their inspiration and a less than a decade later, courts and corporations were built in order to support the grow of the up-and-coming sport.
The popularity of pickleball continues to expand as a fun way to exercise while hanging out with family and friends which is why it never hurts to learn a little bit about this ever growing sport. Here are some of the must knows about this popular sport:
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Apply NowThe Rules
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Like with any sport, pickleball has rules for seamless game play for both singles and doubles games (the rules are the same for both). To play the official game, see the list of rules on USA Pickleball's website for the technicalities of the sport; however, a quick list of the basic rules is below:
Serving
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Every game of pickleball begins with a serve in which the server is given one attempt to serve the ball diagonally into the lines of the opposite court. While serving, the player must hit the ball upwards and have one or both feet behind the baseline.
Once the ball has been served, the teams can volley back and forth. If a point is scored during a doubles game, the team members switch places on the court (the server moves from the left side to the right or visa versa) and the original server serves the ball until a fault is committed. Then, the opposing team can serve until a fault occurs which then switches the serve back to the original team where the other player can then serve.
For singles games, whether the score is even or odd determines which side of the court the server serves on. If the score is even, then the serve comes from the right court and if the score is odd, the serve is from the left court.
Faults
To switch the serving team (and serving player), a fault must be committed. A fault is any rule violation including the serve landing out of bounds or the ball being hit onto the net.
Other common faults include not following the two-bounce rule or hitting the ball out of the air in the non-volley zone.
Two-Bounce Rule and Volleys
Before a ball can be hit after the initial serve, the ball must bounce on the non-serving team's court. Once the ball is returned, the serving team must also let it bounce. However, once the two bounces have occurred, either team can volley or wait to hit the ball after it bounces.
Volleying or hitting the ball before it has a chance to bounce on the court is not allowed within 7 feet of the pickleball net on both courts. This zone is called “the kitchen” and is a non-volley zone.
Scoring
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To earn points, the team must have delivered the serve during that round. Once a team reaches 11 points with at least a 2 point margin, the game has commenced and another round can begin.
However, in pickleball tournaments, the games will normally be played until 15 or 21 points have been scored with at least a 2 point margin.
The Equipment
Image Credit: Aleksander Saks from Unsplash
To play pickleball, all you need is a ball and some paddles which can be purchased at any sporting goods store or other general store. For the nets and court itself, you can either find a pickleball court near you through an app like Pickleball+ or by going on a website for your local park district.
If you want to recreate a pickleball court at home, you can buy a net and draw out a court with chalk or other material that is about 30 feet by 60 feet.
The Benefits
Pickleball is a great way to connect with friends and family or to meet new people through pickleball tournaments and games. After all, the game is welcoming to newcomers and many leagues are based around meeting new people and having fun.
In additon, the game has many health related benefits like improving heart health, balance, and coordination.
If you're looking to meet new people and show off your competitive side, pickleball is the perfect sport to try. Not only is it easy to learn, but it can also have health and social benefits. So next time that you don't know what to do with your friends, consider googling the nearest pickleball court and giving it a try!