The Fastest-Growing Sport in America
What is Pickleball?
A fun, fast-paced paddle sport that blends the best of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong — and anyone can play.
Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. Players use solid paddles to hit a perforated plastic ball over the net, competing in singles or doubles matches. The game is easy to learn, beginner-friendly, and provides a great workout — which is why it's become the fastest-growing sport in America.
A Brief History
Pickleball was invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Three dads — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — were looking for a way to entertain their bored kids. They improvised with ping-pong paddles, a perforated plastic ball, and a lowered badminton net.
What started as a backyard game quickly caught on with neighbors and friends. By 1972, the first corporation was formed to protect the sport, and in 1984, the USA Pickleball Association (now USA Pickleball) was founded. Today, millions of players across all 50 states — and around the world — play regularly.
Basic Rules
The Serve
Every rally starts with an underhand serve made below the waist. The serve must be hit diagonally to the opponent's service court and must clear the non-volley zone (the “kitchen”).
Two-Bounce Rule
After the serve, the receiving team must let the ball bounce once before returning it. Then the serving team must also let the return bounce once. After these two bounces, players can volley (hit the ball out of the air) or play it off the bounce.
The Kitchen (Non-Volley Zone)
The kitchen is a 7-foot zone on either side of the net. Players cannot hit the ball out of the air (volley) while standing in this zone. This rule prevents smashing at the net and encourages longer, more strategic rallies.
Scoring
Games are played to 11 points, win by 2. Only the serving team can score. In doubles, each player on a team gets to serve before the serve passes to the other team (except at the start of the game).
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