If you’ve seen folks with rectangular paddles at your local recreation center, or if your tennis club has suddenly converted a portion of its space to smaller courts with lower nets, you might be wondering about the rapidly growing sport of pickleball.
With over 9,000 places to play, pickleball is available in every U.S. state and Canadian province. USA Pickleball reports 4.8 million people played the sport in 2021, with approximately 1.4 million “core” players who play eight or more times per year.
Whether you are a veteran pickleballer or have only just discovered the sport, here’s the information you need.
Pickleball is an easy-to-learn, accessible racquet sport that relies on reaction time, precision and strategy to win. According to Sports Imports, the game combines elements of ping-pong, tennis and badminton.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 by three dads — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum — in order to provide a fun pastime for their families, according to USA Pickleball. At the time, it was played with a wiffle ball, but today there are perforated, plastic balls made specifically for the sport.
Since its invention, the sport’s development has focused on being accessible to players of all ages and abilities as a source of family entertainment. The game, which can be played indoors or outdoors, has continually grown in popularity since its creation.
According to Long Cove Club, there are two competing stories for the origin of the sport’s name. Pritchard’s wife, Joan, says she started to call it pickleball because “the combination of sports reminded me of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.”
McCallum, though, claims the game is named after the Pritchard family’s dog, Pickles, who liked to steal the ball from them while they were playing.
How much do NFL refs make?:Referee salaries, paths to officiating and female referees.
What are the CrossFit Games?:Five-time champ Mat Fraser explains fitness event.
The sport taking America by storm::What Is Pickleball? And Why Is Everyone Playing It?
Pickleball has gained popularity in recent years for a few key reasons, according to Sports Imports:
In 2021, USA Pickleball membership reached 50,000, a 43% increase from 2020 membership. This marks the single biggest year of growth in the history of the sport, according to USA Pickleball.
To play pickleball, you’ll need a few things:
According to How They Play, here are the rules of pickleball:
According to How They Play, a pickleball court is 20 feet by 44 feet, with a net that is 36 inches tall.
Just curious?:We’re here to answer your everyday questions.
Pickleball-mania:Fast-growing sport popular in prisons
