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All about
Pickleball
The fastest growing sport in the UK
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What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It was first established in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA. The game was invented by three friends—Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum—who were looking for a way to entertain their families. They improvised the first game using a badminton court, ping pong paddles, and a wiffle ball. Over time, the game evolved with specific rules and equipment, and it has since grown into one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States and around the world.
The Rules - An Overview
Serving: The serve must be made underarm, with the paddle contacting the ball below the waist, and paddle on contact no higher than the wrist. The serve is made diagonally cross-court and must land within the opponent's service court. The server must stand behind the baseline and within the service area.
Faults: A serve is considered a fault if it lands out of bounds, hits the kitchen or kitchen hits the net and remains on the servers side, or is not made underhand.
Gameplay
Two bounce rule: After the serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning it, and the serving team must let it bounce once before returning. After these two bounces, the ball can be volleyed or played off the bounce.
Non-Volley Zone (Kitchen): The area within 7 feet on both sides of the net is known as the "kitchen" or non-volley zone. Players cannot volley (hit the ball before it bounces) while standing in this zone.
Points: Points can only be scored by the serving team. Games are typically played to 11 points, and a team must win by at least 2 points.
Winning the Game: The first team to reach 11 points with a 2-point lead wins the game. In some cases, games can be played to 15 or 21 points.
Doubles vs. Singles
Doubles Play: The most common format is doubles, where two players are on each side of the court. Teams alternate serving and must switch sides after each point.
Singles Play: In singles, the same rules apply, but players cover the entire court by themselves.
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The Official Rulebook can be found here: www.usapickleball.org