Pickleball
History
Official
Pickle-Ball Rules
Pickle-Ball was created during the summer of
1965 on Bainbridge Island outside of Seattle, Washington. The original purpose
of the game was to provide a sport for the entire family. Pickle-Ball was
invented by US Congressman Joel Pritchard, William Bell, and Barney McCallum.
Originally people played in their backyards on hard surfaces and driveways.
Since the mid-1970's Pickle-Ball has grown from a family activity game to a
sport with formalized rules.
Equipment
Each
player will use an official Pickle-Ball paddle. The game can played with an
official Pickle-Ball or wiffle ball (approximately size of
baseball).
Court
The size of the court is 20' x
44' for both singles and doubles, the net is approximately 36" 36” on the sides
and 34" in the center.
Serve
A player must serve
with one foot behind the back line, hitting the ball with an underhanded motion
(the paddle must pass below the player’s waist). When serving, you need to
serve the ball diagonally across the net and it must clear the non-volley area.
Only one service attempt is allowed. In the case of a let serve (when the ball
hits the net and still goes into the correct service area) the serve is
repeated. In doubles, at the start of a new game the first team to serve is
allowed only one fault before the serve is turned over to their opponent. After
the first serve, members of each team will serve and fault before the ball is
turned over to the opponent. The player in the right hand court will always
start the serve.
Fault
A fault can be: • hitting
the ball out of bounds • a ball not clearing the net • stepping into the
non-volley area and volleying a ball (A player may only step into
the
non-volley area if a bounced ball has brought him/her into the
non-volley area.) • volleying the ball before the double bounce rule has
occurred.Double Bounce Rule
Official
Pickle-Ball Rules
Each team must play their first shot off of
the bounce. That is, the receiving team must let the serve bounce, and the
serving team must let the return of serve bounce before playing it. After the
two bounces have occurred, the ball can be volleyed or played off the
bounce.
Volley
A volley is to hit the ball in
the air without first letting it bounce. All volleying must be done with the
player's feet behind the non-volley zone line. It is a fault if the player
steps over the line on his volley follow
through.
Scoring
A team can score a point only
when serving. A player who is serving shall continue to serve until a fault is
made by their team. The game is played to 11 points and a team must win by two.
In physical education class the game is played for the entire period unless
otherwise instructed by your teacher. You must still win by
two.
Doubles Play
Official Pickle-Ball
Rules
The player in the right hand court (facing the net player
on the right side) always serves first. The serve should be diagonally across
the court to the receiver in the opposite right hand court. After complying
with the double bounce rule the ball can be volleyed or played off of the
bounce until a fault is made. When the serving team makes its’first fault,
players will stay in the same court and the second partner will then serve.
When they make their second fault they will stay in the same courts and turn
the ball over to the other team. Players switch courts only
after scoring. A ball landing on the line is
good.
Singles Play
All rules of doubles apply
except: when playing singles each player serves from the right hand court when
their score is 0 or even, and from the left hand court when
their score is an odd number.
Doubles
Strategy
Pickle-Ball involves strategies that include lobbing,
overhead slamming, passing drive shots from the baseline and fast volley
exchanges at the net. The key strategy to remember is that the team that
reaches the front court in a net volley position first will be in the best
position to win the point. Remember, the serving team must stay back until the
ball has bounced once (double bounce rule) on their side prior to moving
forward into the net volley position. The player receiving the serve should
play with 1-2 feet behind the baseline anticipating a deep serve. The receiving
team should hit a deep return shot and move forward to the net volley position
side-by- side with their partner. This is an ideal attack position. The serving
team needs to stay side-by- side behind the baseline for the serve and return
of serve in order to play the ball after it bounces. They should try to use a
passing shot, lob shot, or drop shot to avoid their opponent and allow them to
come to the net.
Pickle-Ball is a sport where shot placement,
steadiness, patience, and tactics have a far greater importance than brute
power and strength.
History
Official
Pickle-Ball Rules
Pickle-Ball was created during the summer of
1965 on Bainbridge Island outside of Seattle, Washington. The original purpose
of the game was to provide a sport for the entire family. Pickle-Ball was
invented by US Congressman Joel Pritchard, William Bell, and Barney McCallum.
Originally people played in their backyards on hard surfaces and driveways.
Since the mid-1970's Pickle-Ball has grown from a family activity game to a
sport with formalized rules.
Equipment
Each
player will use an official Pickle-Ball paddle. The game can played with an
official Pickle-Ball or wiffle ball (approximately size of
baseball).
Court
The size of the court is 20' x
44' for both singles and doubles, the net is approximately 36" 36” on the sides
and 34" in the center.
Serve
A player must serve
with one foot behind the back line, hitting the ball with an underhanded motion
(the paddle must pass below the player’s waist). When serving, you need to
serve the ball diagonally across the net and it must clear the non-volley area.
Only one service attempt is allowed. In the case of a let serve (when the ball
hits the net and still goes into the correct service area) the serve is
repeated. In doubles, at the start of a new game the first team to serve is
allowed only one fault before the serve is turned over to their opponent. After
the first serve, members of each team will serve and fault before the ball is
turned over to the opponent. The player in the right hand court will always
start the serve.
Fault
A fault can be: • hitting
the ball out of bounds • a ball not clearing the net • stepping into the
non-volley area and volleying a ball (A player may only step into
the
non-volley area if a bounced ball has brought him/her into the
non-volley area.) • volleying the ball before the double bounce rule has
occurred.Double Bounce Rule
Official
Pickle-Ball Rules
Each team must play their first shot off of
the bounce. That is, the receiving team must let the serve bounce, and the
serving team must let the return of serve bounce before playing it. After the
two bounces have occurred, the ball can be volleyed or played off the
bounce.
Volley
A volley is to hit the ball in
the air without first letting it bounce. All volleying must be done with the
player's feet behind the non-volley zone line. It is a fault if the player
steps over the line on his volley follow
through.
Scoring
A team can score a point only
when serving. A player who is serving shall continue to serve until a fault is
made by their team. The game is played to 11 points and a team must win by two.
In physical education class the game is played for the entire period unless
otherwise instructed by your teacher. You must still win by
two.
Doubles Play
Official Pickle-Ball
Rules
The player in the right hand court (facing the net player
on the right side) always serves first. The serve should be diagonally across
the court to the receiver in the opposite right hand court. After complying
with the double bounce rule the ball can be volleyed or played off of the
bounce until a fault is made. When the serving team makes its’first fault,
players will stay in the same court and the second partner will then serve.
When they make their second fault they will stay in the same courts and turn
the ball over to the other team. Players switch courts only
after scoring. A ball landing on the line is
good.
Singles Play
All rules of doubles apply
except: when playing singles each player serves from the right hand court when
their score is 0 or even, and from the left hand court when
their score is an odd number.
Doubles
Strategy
Pickle-Ball involves strategies that include lobbing,
overhead slamming, passing drive shots from the baseline and fast volley
exchanges at the net. The key strategy to remember is that the team that
reaches the front court in a net volley position first will be in the best
position to win the point. Remember, the serving team must stay back until the
ball has bounced once (double bounce rule) on their side prior to moving
forward into the net volley position. The player receiving the serve should
play with 1-2 feet behind the baseline anticipating a deep serve. The receiving
team should hit a deep return shot and move forward to the net volley position
side-by- side with their partner. This is an ideal attack position. The serving
team needs to stay side-by- side behind the baseline for the serve and return
of serve in order to play the ball after it bounces. They should try to use a
passing shot, lob shot, or drop shot to avoid their opponent and allow them to
come to the net.
Pickle-Ball is a sport where shot placement,
steadiness, patience, and tactics have a far greater importance than brute
power and strength.