Pickleball is currently one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in America and it has also made its way into India, so what exactly is Pickleball and what are the Five basic rules behind it
Pickleball is not an entirely new game. The game was originally invented in 1965 but it has only recently gained popularity as a mainstream sport.
What Is Pickleball Game Rules, Format, Ball, Court Dimensions, Players, Equipment, Racket
What Is Pickleball? The Five Basic Rules Of Pickleball Explained
For anyone asking what pickleball is:pic.twitter.com/3NvvCiPewG
— WG (@NvictusManeo) September 28, 2022
LeBron James, Draymond Green and Kevin Love are investing in Major League Pickleball, the sport’s burgeoning professional league.
But what exactly is pickleball? What are the rules? And why is it having such a moment?
Here’s everything you need to know:https://t.co/zLLgdnehRo
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 29, 2022
Great courts at Bethlehem Township Rec Center! Our students learned the rules in class & took a field trip today on an official court! #PEclass #pickleball #newsport #BASDproud @BASDMsSage https://t.co/HX2GVMfj5R
— Freedom Softball (@FH_softball) September 23, 2022
Don't miss the chance to register for Pickleball!
The TennisbyTyler Intermediate/Advanced clinic will consist of learning serving, shot techniques, strategy, rules & scoring.
To learn more and register visit https://t.co/KWsM2Rfo9j pic.twitter.com/663PXhdfjD
— UpperMerionParksnRec (@UMParksnRec) September 27, 2022
Although it is unclear why Pickleball has become so popular recently, it is probably because it requires minimal equipment with just a few rules.
What Is Pickleball And How Do You Play It?
Pickleball is very similar to some existing popular sports. The game requires a paddle, a bouncing plastic ball with holes, and a net.
A standard pickleball court happens to be around the same size as a doubles badminton court and the court measures 44 feet long (inclusive of lines) and 20 feet wide (inclusive of lines) while the net height of a pickleball court is 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches high in the middle.
In fact, Pickleball is a combination of a few sports, including tennis, badminton, and Ping-Pong. Pickleball is easy on the joints, and very easy to pick up without any experience and minimal athletic ability.
The Five Basic Rules Of Pickleball
Pickleball has five basic rules, which are easy to understand and remember.
In simple terms, the five rules are: the ball must stay inbounds, there should be one bounce per side, serving must be done at the baseline, the serve can’t land in the no-volley zone, and the game ends at 11 or 15 points.
But like all competitive sports, there are plenty of nuances, some rule exceptions and some strategies that players can use to make the rules work to their advantage.
Learning these rules and aspects of the game will help you to become more competitive in the sport. So given below are the five most basic rules of Pickleball.
Rule No. 1: The Ball Must Stay Inbounds
Like most sports that are played on a field or on a court, the ball must always stay in bounds to be in play. The Pickleball has to stay within the white lines on either side of the court when in play.
For example, in Ping-Pong, players lose their serve and give the ball to the other team if they hit the ball out of bounds. This puts the other team at an advantage and impacts the results of the game.
However, Pickleball requires the ball to bounce during the serve and return. So if the ball goes “out” on a serve players have a better chance “at net” returning the opponent’s serve.
Rule No. 2: There should be one bounce per side
This second rule is what sets apart Pickleball from other net sports.
If a player lets the ball bounce twice on their side, it is returned to the other team. If a player serves or returns the ball to the other side, it must only bounce once on their side.
A player’s serve is over once the ball bounces more than once or goes out of bounds. In simple terms, let the ball bounce once before returning it to the other side.
However, once the player returns the ball after a single bounce and again returns it after a single bounce by the server to the other side, the two-bounce rule is completed.
Both players can now play the ball in the air or let it bounce moving forward on that turn.
Rule No. 3: Serving Must Be Done At The Baseline
This third rule is one of the most important regulations when it comes to serving in Pickleball. Players need to perform every serve at the baseline with one foot behind it.
Officials determine the serve by a coin flip or random number selection, but traditionally, a flip. Moreover, players need to serve underhand with the ball held below the waistline and serve diagonally to the opposite side.
Breaking these rules will result in a fault. Once this happens, the serve will go to a teammate in doubles or directly to the opponent in singles.
Rule No. 4: The Serve Can’t Land In The No-Volley Zone
This zone is anywhere inside of the lined box that is 7 feet from the net. The no-volley zone is on both sides of the court and it is often called the kitchen line.
Players often use the term, “stay out of the kitchen” when referring to the no-volley zone. Players lose a serve if the ball touches the no-volley zone on a serve.
After the serve though, players may drop the ball in the kitchen, which is called a “drop-shot”. But, generally deeper serves are better.
Rule No. 5: The game ends at 11 or 15 points.
Traditionally, Pickleball ended at 11 points. But, similar to volleyball and tennis, the winning team must win by at least 2 points.
This means that if you’re at 11 and the other team gets 10, the game will go on and you need to score another point to gain a 2 point lead and win.
Some of the games now go up to 15, but players still need to win by at least 2 points. Both teams always need to discuss the ending score beforehand.
When playing to 11, both teams switch sides of the court when the first team hits 6 points. For those who are playing to 21, both teams switch sides at 8 points.
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