What is Pickleball?

Overview

Pickleball is a racket sport in which two (singles) or four (doubles) players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated hollow plastic ball over a net. It combines elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton, but with its own distinct rules, scoring system, and court layout.

The game is played on a court roughly the size of a doubles badminton court — 20 ft × 44 ft — with a net set at 34 inches at the centre. Its relatively small court size, underhand serving rule, and the unique "kitchen" (non-volley zone) right at the net give pickleball a pace and strategy all of its own.

History

Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum, and Bill Bell. The three families found themselves bored one summer afternoon and, with no shuttlecock for badminton, improvised a new game using ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball on a badminton court.

The game's name has an entertaining origin story. According to Joan Pritchard, she named it "Pickle Ball" because it reminded her of the pickle boat in crew rowing — where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats — reflecting how the game itself was assembled from leftover equipment of other sports.

The sport spread through the Pacific Northwest before accelerating through the 1990s and 2000s, particularly among retirement communities. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 sparked a dramatic surge in growth globally, as people sought outdoor, socially distanced activities.

Equipment

The Court

A regulation pickleball court is 20 ft wide × 44 ft long (6.1 m × 13.4 m) — the same dimensions as a doubles badminton court. Courts are used for both singles and doubles play.

Key areas:

• Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) / "The Kitchen" — a 7-foot zone on each side of the net. Players may not volley (hit the ball in the air) while standing in the kitchen or on its lines.
• Service Courts — the left and right halves of the court behind the NVZ. Serves must land diagonally in the opponent's service court.
• Baseline — the back line, 22 feet from the net, behind which the server must stand.
• Centreline — divides the service courts into left (even) and right (odd) halves.

How to Play

Play begins with an underhand serve, hit below waist height, diagonally into the opponent's service court. The key rule that makes pickleball unique is the two-bounce rule: the serve must bounce before the receiver returns it, and the return must also bounce before the server plays their next shot. After those two bounces, either team may volley the ball (play it in the air).

From that point, rallies continue until one side commits a fault — hitting the ball out of bounds, into the net, volleying from the kitchen, or letting the ball bounce twice on their side.

Strategy often revolves around dinking — soft, controlled shots into the kitchen area — to draw opponents forward and create openings, and driving when the opportunity arises. The kitchen rule prevents both teams from simply charging the net and smashing every ball.

Want to learn the full rules? Read our Pickleball Rules Guide →

Why Play Pickleball?

• Easy to learn — most beginners can have a fun game within an hour of learning the basics.
• Great exercise — provides cardiovascular, agility, and coordination benefits without the physical demands of tennis.
• Social — doubles play and compact courts encourage conversation and community.
• All ages & abilities — the underhand serve, smaller court, and slower ball make it accessible for all fitness levels.
• Affordable — a good starter paddle costs £20–£50, and many parks have free public courts.
• Competitive ceiling — while easy to start, developing advanced dinking, stacking, and power-drive techniques takes years to master.

Global Growth

Pickleball has grown from a backyard pastime into a global phenomenon. The sport grew over 300% between 2021 and 2024, with an estimated 20 million players worldwide and new communities forming on every continent.

Growth is accelerating across North America, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia — with India, Thailand, and the Philippines among the fastest-growing markets. Professional tours and organised leagues now operate across multiple continents, and the sport is pushing for Olympic inclusion.

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