WHAT IS PICKLEBALL?

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the world.

It is a racket or paddle sport in which two players (singles) or four players (doubles) hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 34-inch-high (0.86 m) net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule break.

The rules are simple and are quickly learnt.

While it resembles tennis and table tennis, pickleball has separate rules, paddles, and court dimensions. The court is 44 feet (13.4m) long and 20 feet (6.1m) wide, and the paddle is larger than the one used in table tennis.

The hard plastic ball used in pickleball produces less bounce than tennis balls.

The minimal amount of bounce, the non-volley zones, and the underhanded stroke with which all serves are made, give the game a dynamic pace, but at the same time reduces the need for the effort of ball chasing across a large area.

The growing popularity of the sport has been attributed to its short learning curve and its appeal to a wide range of ages and fitness levels.

RULES

(Doubles)

Score: The game is played up to 11 points and must be won by 2 clear points.

Points: A point can only be served by the serving team.

  A ball that hits the line is ‘in’.

Service: Serves are diagonal, like tennis, starting on the right-hand side and alternating.

The serve must:     

• Clear the Non-Volley Zone(including the Non-Volley line)
• Be played underhand with the paddle below the wrist and below the waist

The server must:

• Keep both feet behind the back line when serving
• Serve the ball from the air without being bounced
• Announce the score before serving, 3 numbers: server’s score; receiver’s score; server number (1or2)

A server gets one service attempt.

At the start of a new game only 1 player in a team serves, initially after saying 0-0-2.  When the service is lost and ‘Side Out’ occurs, then both players in the opposing pair get to be the server.

Double Bounce Rule: Each team must play their first shot off the bounce.  That is, the receiving team must let the serve bounce and the serving team must let the return of the serve bounce before playing it.  Once these two bounces have occurred, the ball can either be volleyed or played off the bounce.

General Open Play: The struck ball, whether volleyed or hit after a single bounce, must cross to the opponents side of the court in the same manner as a tennis shot (i.e. without bouncing on the striker’s side of the net).

Volleys: Volleys are only allowed when both of the player’s feet are behind the non-volley zone line.  Also, the point is lost if the volleyer’s momentum carries the player into the Non-Volley zone after volleying.