History of Pickleball
Pickleball can be traced as far back as 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington (near Seattle). Joel Pritchard, Congressman from Washington State, and Bill Bell, successful businessman, returned home one afternoon from a game of golf. Wanting to continue playing games, the men decided to play badminton. Unfortunately, they could not locate the corresponding equipment to play. In an effort to play, despite the missing equipment, the men located two sets of ping pong paddles and a perforated ball. They lowered the badminton net to ensure the ball would clear the net. From there, the game continued to be modified until it became formerly known as 'Pickleball'.
Where did the name 'Pickleball' come from?
There is some dispute as to where the name actually came from as no pickles were involved. Both men have beliefs that the name derived from their own experiences but there is no official explanation.
For the full history of Pickleball and stories of its naming process, please click the link below.
Where did the name 'Pickleball' come from?
There is some dispute as to where the name actually came from as no pickles were involved. Both men have beliefs that the name derived from their own experiences but there is no official explanation.
For the full history of Pickleball and stories of its naming process, please click the link below.
How to play - the basics
- Pickleball can be played as 1 vs 1 (singles) or 2 vs 2 (doubles)
- Court size remains the same for both singles and doubles (unlike tennis where the doubles court is larger)
- Serves must be underhand and the paddle must remain lower than the belly button
- You may not step over the line when serving and the serve must go diagonally to the opposite box
- There is only one serve
- Both players serve before the other team is allowed to serve
- Serves continue until the server faults or the team loses the point
- Points are only scored by the serving team
- Games are played to 11, win by 2
- There is a non-volley zone at the front of the court, marked by a line, called 'the kitchen'
To see the full set of rules, please click below.
*Pickleball history and ruling information from USAPA Pickleball
THE Owners
BenBen is owner and head coach at Big Point Tennis. He has been in the racquet sport industry for 15 years. Ben first played Pickleball with his family in Naples, Florida (USA). Not long after, contact was made with various sponsors and Ben enthusiastically made the decision to bring Pickleball back to Perth, WA.
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MichaelMichael is the head assistant coach at Big Point Tennis. Originally from the UK, Michael is a passionate Pickleball player and coach.
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