Maddy Moore
Director of Sports and Teen Programming
Pickleball is everywhere. From high-priced racket clubs to retro-designed tennis courts in your local public park, the sport of pickleball seems to be literally popping up everywhere. However, what seems like a hot new trend, or flash in the pan shrunken tennis, has been slowly brewing in our culture since the sixties.
Origins
Pickleball was invented in 1965 by Congressman Joel Pritchard of Washington State. Pritchard was looking for a fun activity to engage his family at their Bainbridge Island home (30 minutes west from Seattle, across the Puget Sound), and when attempting to revive an old badminton set, was forced to improvise when he could not locate all of the equipment. Instead of rackets and a birdie, or shuttlecock, they ended up playing with ping pong paddles and a wiffle ball! When it was determined the ball bounced advantageously on the asphalt, the 60-inch high badminton net was lowered to 36-inches off the ground, closer to the height of a tennis net. Thus the game of pickleball was invented.
There are varying accounts of how the game got its name. One story has it that Pritchard’s wife, Joan, called it pickleball because “the combination of different sports reminded me of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.” Another naming story has it that the Prtichard’s dog, “Pickles” would run off with the ball during a game. Either or both may be true. After all, the game was not officially “named” until having grown popular enough to require one.
Pickleball grew in popularity first in the Pacific Northwest, then fanning east throughout the country. By 1990, pickleball was being played with official rules, on official courts, with official gear, in all 50 states. Nowadays pickleball is being played in competitive leagues and taught in clinics throughout hundreds of YMCAs, including the branches of YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties.
So How DO YOU PLAY?
Pickleball is FOR EVERYONE. Children, families, competitive athletes, active older adults, wheelchair bound athletes, and less active adults can all play pickleball. This accounts for the game’s wide appeal. The game is played on an outlined court, on a hard surface like concrete or asphalt, similar to a tennis court, but smaller.
Diagram courtesy of www.usapickleball.org
Like most of the world’s popular sports, rules range from basic to sophisticated, and players grow fluent in the many rules of pickleball as they practice the game. USA Pickleball’s official website is an excellent one-stop-shop for all of the official rules, but here’s some of the basics:
- Pickleball is played either as doubles (two players per team) or singles; doubles is most common.
- Official pickleball paddles and balls are recommended for maximum enjoyment and skill-attainment. Players no longer use repurposed ping pong paddles and wiffle balls.
- The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc (underhanded) when hitting the ball.
- The serve is made diagonally over the net, crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court.
- If a point is scored, the server switches sides and initiates the next serve from the other side of the court.
- Points are scored only by the serving team.
- Games are normally played to 11 points, win by 2.
- The non-volley zone is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net.
- Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone.
Whether you are first learning about the sport or looking to bash in a competitive league, there are plenty of YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties pickleball clinics and leagues to join at our branches. Any-age player may visit our website to get started on a life changed forever by PICKLEBALL!
About the Author:
Maddy Moore is the Director of Sports and Teen Programming at Doylestown of the Bucks and Hunterdon County YMCA's. She received her bachelors from West Chester University where she played college athletics and is currently getting her M.S. in Organizational Leadership at Springfield College.