PICKLEBALL

'Pickleball' is a sport described as "a combination of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton", played in schools, parks and recreation centers, correctional facilities, camps, and retirement communities mostly in North America. It uses a simplified combination of tennis rules and strategies. The United States of America Pickleball Association (USAPA) calls it the "fastest-growing sport in America," although this claim is disputed by some.

Contents

History

The Court

The Ball

The Paddle

'The lines:' The baseline is the end of the court. Any balls bouncing past this line are considered out. Serves must be made while standing behind this line. The sidelines and the baseline should be painted so that any ball bouncing on the line is good. On the serve, a ball striking the non-volley zone line is considered a fault. 'The serve:' The player on the right always serves first. The ball must contact the paddle below the waist and must land in the diagonally opposite court, past the non-volley line. The player must hit the ball without bouncing it first. Both players on a team will serve before the service passes to the other team. To keep the first service of a game fair, only the first player serves during the first service of the game. 'The non-volley zone:' Seven feet from the net, there is a line marking the non-volley zone. You are not allowed to hit the ball without letting it bounce first if your foot is inside this zone, or if you stumble into this zone after volleying the ball. 'Scoring and winning:' A team gets a point when they win a rally that they served. When a point is won, the players on the winning team switch sides. The first team to reach 11 points wins, but you have to win by two points. Keeping track of scoring: Because players switch sides with each point, a simple scoring system was devised to keep track of who is serving. Before each serve, the server calls out their team’s score, the other team’s score, and then, whether they are the first or second server for their team. For example, if my team has 5 points, the other team has 3, and my partner has already served and lost the point, I would call out, “5, 3, Server 2.” 'The return:' The receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning the serve. The serving team must also let the returned ball bounce once before hitting it back. This means that there will be two bounces in the first two hits of the rally. 'Singles play:' The server serves from the right side of the court when his or her score is even and from the left side when odd.

Pickleball's small court allows younger players or those with varying degrees of mobility and paraplegics to participate in a way that the larger court of tennis sometimes prohibits. Additionally, a rule prohibiting volleying (hitting the ball in the air) in the non-volley zone (the space 7 feet from the net) helps to equalize play and reduce overpowering smashes at the net. Pickleball has become a common high school sport in gym classes and has gained popularity with teenagers as well as seniors. Schools often host tournaments. In New York State alone, it is estimated that over 500 schools include Pickleball in their curricula.

External links

History

'Pickleball' is officially labeled as a "paddle sport," invented in Bainbridge Island, Washington by Billy bill william jr., Barney McCallum, and former Washington State politician Joel Pritchard. It is best described as a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping pong. The sport was named after the Pritchard's dog, Pickles, who used to run away with the ball during the initial trial-runs of the game.

The Court

The game itself is played on a court that is the same size as a badminton court (20 feet wide by 44 feet long). The net is set at 36 inches high on the edges and 34 inches in the middle.^[1]

The Ball

A ball similar to a wiffleball, made with a more rigid, heavy material and having smaller holes, is used in outdoor game play. Indoor play often uses a similar ball made of thinner material. The balls have also been classified as being similar to a Floorball ball.

The Paddle

When game was invented, wooden paddles were used and are still used at many institutions due to lower cost. In addition to wooden paddles, lightweight fiberglass and composite paddles are now common due to their lower weight and higher durability.^[2]
==Basic Rules^[3]

'The lines:' The baseline is the end of the court. Any balls bouncing past this line are considered out. Serves must be made while standing behind this line. The sidelines and the baseline should be painted so that any ball bouncing on the line is good. On the serve, a ball striking the non-volley zone line is considered a fault.
'The serve:' The player on the right always serves first. The ball must contact the paddle below the waist and must land in the diagonally opposite court, past the non-volley line. The player must hit the ball without bouncing it first. Both players on a team will serve before the service passes to the other team. To keep the first service of a game fair, only the first player serves during the first service of the game.
'The non-volley zone:' Seven feet from the net, there is a line marking the non-volley zone. You are not allowed to hit the ball without letting it bounce first if your foot is inside this zone, or if you stumble into this zone after volleying the ball.
'Scoring and winning:' A team gets a point when they win a rally that they served. When a point is won, the players on the winning team switch sides. The first team to reach 11 points wins, but you have to win by two points.
Keeping track of scoring: Because players switch sides with each point, a simple scoring system was devised to keep track of who is serving. Before each serve, the server calls out their team’s score, the other team’s score, and then, whether they are the first or second server for their team. For example, if my team has 5 points, the other team has 3, and my partner has already served and lost the point, I would call out, “5, 3, Server 2.”
'The return:' The receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning the serve. The serving team must also let the returned ball bounce once before hitting it back. This means that there will be two bounces in the first two hits of the rally.
'Singles play:' The server serves from the right side of the court when his or her score is even and from the left side when odd.

Prevalence

Pickleball's small court allows younger players or those with varying degrees of mobility and paraplegics to participate in a way that the larger court of tennis sometimes prohibits. Additionally, a rule prohibiting volleying (hitting the ball in the air) in the non-volley zone (the space 7 feet from the net) helps to equalize play and reduce overpowering smashes at the net.
Pickleball has become a common high school sport in gym classes and has gained popularity with teenagers as well as seniors. Schools often host tournaments. In New York State alone, it is estimated that over 500 schools include Pickleball in their curricula.

References==
1. Official Tournament Rulebook
2. Comprehensive List of Paddles Currently Available
3. About the Game of Pickleball

External links

★ USA Pickleball Association (USAPA)