Pickleball is a lifelong activity enjoyed by millions of people in the US, played indoors or outside, singles or pairs it has a growth of 630% since 2013, and speculated to have been named after Congressman Joel Pritchard’s dog “Pickles”?

Drumroll please… Pickleball!

Never heard of Pickleball? No worries, we bet you know more than you think! Pickleball is a court-based net game similar in skills, strategy and rules to badminton, tennis and ping-pong. So if you know about any of those other sports, you are already ahead of the game…the pickleball game, that is!

Below some tips, resources and safety rules to help you to get started.

‘Classic’ Rules

Here is a list of the most important rules in pickleball:

1 Teams: Singles or doubles format.

2 Scoring: One point per score. A game is played to 11, win by two. Only score when holding serve.

3 Starting Play: A serve from behind the baseline initiates each point.(starting on the right)

4 Serving: One attempt is allowed, unless the ball hits the net and lands inbounds (service let; redo serve). Serve must initiate with both feet behind baseline, hit underhand and below the waist before it bounces. Serve diagonally and beyond the non-volley zone (NVZ).

5 Double Bounce Rule: Before volleying, the ball must have bounced in each court.

6 Volleying: To hit a ball out of the air before it bounces, players must satisfy the double bounce rule and have both feet behind the NVZ.

7 Fault: The loss of serve or a point occurs when service and volley rules are broken, a ball lands out, does not clear the net or touches a player’s body/clothes.

The ‘Bread and Butter’: Facilities & Equipment

‘Dill’y of a Game

Whether watching or playing, knowing the terms below will make you more pickleball literate:

• • Approach Shot: A hit allowing player to come to net.

• • Let: Replay of a point.

• • Match: A series of games; winner is best of three.

• • Non-Volley Zone: Area where no volleys are allowed.

• • Pace: The speed of the ball.

‘Sweet’ Skill & Strategy

This game uses similar tactics and skills as other net/wall racquet-type games. Some of the most common skills include:

• • Groundstroke: A shot hit after the ball hits the ground.

• • Volley: A shot hit before the ball hits the ground.

• • Lob: Designed to look like a groundstroke, but hit higher, softer and deeper.

• • Drop: Designed to look like a groundstroke, but hit to the front court.

• • Serve: Underhand shot used to begin each point.

• • Smash: A shot hit hard from above the player’s head.

• • Deception: Perform each shot in a way to make it look like all other shots.

• • Base Position: Return to center of either baseline or NVZ after each shot.

• • Move Opponent: Hit shots to open space to force opponent to move.

Pickleball in East Anglia

At the moment Pickleball is being played in several locations in Norfolk:

• Dereham Leisure Centre on Wednesdays 1pm.

• Norwich Wensum Sports Centre (NPC) Tuesday 7:30pm Sunday 4:30pm. (18+)

• Norwich Wensum Sports Centre (EAPD) Sunday 9:30am teenagers & parents.

• Norwich UEA Fitness in later life (50+) Wednesday 9:20am Friday 9:20am.

• Gorleston Cliff park high school Wednesday 7:30pm Sunday 10am.

• Lowestoft??? Soon to be launched

• Beccles John Leman Centre Saturday 10am-noon

• Mulbarton Outdoor courts x2

• Cambridge live

• Hingham

• Ipswich South Suffolk Pickleball club, East Bergholt

• Kings Lynn U3A Lynn Sport

Resources

Several great resources online are available such as:

• Pickleball Channel

• Pickleball 101

• YouTube

• Pickleball Forum (Facebook)

• East Anglia Pickleball Development Facebook page.

Easy to learn, Fun to play, now let’s play