What is Pickleball?
It is a lively racket game for all ages and abilities. Pickleball was created with fun in mind. It was designed to be easy to learn and to play for all ages.
Court and Gear:
Pickleball is traditionally played on a badminton-sized court with special paddles, made of wood or high-tech aerospace materials. The ball used is similar to a wiffle ball, but slightly smaller. The ball size and lower net allow the game to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities, while still allowing more competitive players to test their skill.
Rules of The Game:
The ball is served diagonally (starting with the right-hand service-square) and points can only be scored by the side that serves.
Players on each side must let the ball bounce once before volleys are allowed. There is a seven-foot no-volley zone on each side of the net, to prevent “spiking.” The server continues to serve, alternating service courts, until he or she faults. The first side scoring eleven points and leading by at least two points wins. It can be played with singles or doubles.
History of Pickleball:
Pickleball is a game for the whole family. It’s only fitting that it was invented by a family, too. The game got its start back in 1965, in Bainbridge Island, just a short ferry ride away from Seattle, WA.
When Congressmen Joel Pritchard, William Bell and Barney McCallum came home from a game of golf one day to find their kids bored and restless, they set out to create a game that would engage them through the lazy days of summer.
They wanted to create a game that would be challenging, but still accessible. They handed the kids table tennis paddles and a wiffle ball, and lowered the net on their badminton court. In the coming days both kids and adults alike fell in love with the game, and as they played the rules evolved to their present rules.
Some of our condo complexes now have Pickleball courts.