PICKLEBALL

HISTORY OF THE GAME

1965

After playing golf one Saturday during the summer, Joel Pritchard,
congressman from Washington State and Bill Bell, successful
businessman, returned to Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island, WA
(near Seattle) to find their families sitting around with nothing to do. The
property had an old badminton court so Pritchard and Bell looked for
some badminton equipment and could not find a full set of rackets. They
improvised and started playing with ping-pong paddles and a perforated
plastic ball. At first they placed the net at badminton height of 60 inches
and volleyed the ball over the net. As the weekend progressed, the
players found that the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface and soon
the net was lowered to 36 inches. The following weekend, Barney
McCallum was introduced to the game at Pritchard’s home. Soon, the
three men created rules, relying heavily on badminton. They kept in mind
the original purpose, which was to provide a game that the whole family
could play together.

1967

first permanent pickleball court was constructed in the backyard of Joel

Pritchard’s friend and neighbor, Bob O’Brian

1972

A corporation was formed to protect the creation of this new sport

1975

The National Observer published an article about pickleball followed by a

1976 article in Tennis magazine about “America’s newest racquet sport.”

1976

During the spring of 1976, the first known pickleball tournament in the
world was held at South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington.
David Lester won Men’s Singles and Steve Paranto placed second. Many
of the participants were college tennis players who knew very little about
pickleball. In fact, they practiced with large wood paddles and a softball
sized plastic ball.
 1978
The book, The Other Raquet Sports, was published and included
information about pickleball.

1982

Pickleball pioneer, Sid Williams began playing and organizing tournaments

in Washington state.

1984

The United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.) was

organized to perpetuate the growth and advancement of pickleball on a
national level. The first rulebook was published in March 1984.
The first Executive Director and President of U.S.A.P.A. was Sid Williams
who served from 1984 to 1998. He was followed by Frank Candelario who
kept things going until 2004.
The first composite paddle was made by Arlen Paranto, a Boeing
Industrial Engineer. He used the fiberglass/nomex honeycomb panels that
commercial airlines use for their floors and part of the airplane’s structural
system. Arlen made about 1,000 paddles from fiberglass/honeycomb core
and graphite/honeycomb core materials until he sold the company to
Frank Candelario.

1990

Pickleball was being played in all 50 states.

1992

Pickle-Ball, Inc. manufactured pickleballs in-house with a custom drilling

machine.

1997

Joel Pritchard passed away at age 72. Though he was Washington State’s
Lieutenant governor from 1988 to 1996, he is probably better known for
his connection to the birth of pickleball.

1999

The first pickleball internet website, Pickleball Stuff, launched and

provided players with information, equipment, and products.
 2001

The game of pickleball was introduced for the first time in the Arizona
Senior Olympics through the efforts of Earl Hill. The tournament was
played at Happy Trails RV Resort in Surprise, AZ and drew 100 players. It
was the largest event ever played to that point. Over the next few years
the event grew to nearly 300 players.

THE GAME

Pickleball is a paddle sport played using a special perforated ball on a 20-

foot-by-44-foot court with a tennis-type net. The court is divided into
right/even and left/odd service courts and non-volley zones.

The ball is served diagonally across the net to the opponent’s receiving
court using an approved motion. The ball is struck back and forth across
the net until a player fails to return the ball in accordance with the rules.
Points are scored only by the serving side when the server or the server’s
team wins the rally, or the opposing side commits a fault. The server
continues to serve, alternating service courts, until the serving side loses
the rally or commits a fault. Typically, the first side scoring 11 points and
leading by at least a 2-point margin wins. Pickleball can be played as
singles or double

THE PLAYERS

Pickleball is a game that requires cooperation and courtesy. A sense of

fair play from giving the opponent the benefit of any doubt is essential in
maintaining the game’s underlying principles of fun and competition. To
that end:

 All points played are treated the same regardless of their

importance; the first point of the match is as important as match
point.

 Either partner in doubles can make calls, especially line calls; there
is no place in the game for one partner telling another, “that was
my call, not yours”. 2 USA PICKLEBALL Official Rulebook (2023)

 Prompt calls eliminate the ‘two chance option’. For example, a

player cannot claim a hinder from a ball rolling on the court after
they hit a ball ‘out’; they gave up their ability to call the hinder by
choosing instead to hit the ball.
  Players strive to cooperate when confronted with a situation not
covered by the Rulebook. Possible outcomes can be a replay,
allowing the rally to stand, or in extreme cases, asking for a referee
to resolve a dispute.

 Where possible, rules accommodate players with various adaptive

needs

 Players avoid wearing clothing that closely matches the ball color

 Players should not question or comment on an opponent’s call,

although any player may appeal a rally-ending line call to the
referee before the next serve occurs

COURT AND EQUIPMENT

Court Specifications

The dimensions and measurements for the standard pickleball court are
The court shall be a rectangle measuring 20 feet (6.10 m) wide and 44
feet (13.41 m) long for both singles and doubles matches.

Court measurements shall be made to the outside of the perimeter and

non-volley zone lines. All lines should be 2 inches (5.08 cm) wide and the
same color, clearly contrasting with the color of the playing surface.

Lines and Areas

Baselines

The lines parallel to the net at each end of the court.

Sidelines

The lines perpendicular to the net on each side of the court.

Non-Volley Zone (NVZ).

The area of the court, specific to each team, on either side of the net
bounded by a line between the two sidelines (nonvolley zone line) parallel
to and 7 feet (2.13 m) from the net. All NVZ lines are part of the NVZ.
Service Court.

The area beyond the NVZ on either side of the centerline, including the
centerline, sideline, and baseline.

Centerline.

The line down the center of the court on either side of the net extending
from the NVZ to the baseline separating the odd and even service courts.

Right/Even Court.

The service area on the right side of the court when facing the net.

Left/Odd Court.

The service area on the left side of the court when facing the net.
PICKLE BALL COURT LINES AND AREAS
Net Specifications.

The net may be made of any mesh fabric material that will not allow a ball
to pass through it.

Posts.

Net posts should be 22 feet +/- 0.0 Inches (6.71 m) from the inside of
one post to the inside of the other post. The maximum diameter of the
net post should be 3 inches (7.62 cm) Size.

The net length should be at least 21 feet 9 inches (6.63 m) extending

from one post to the other. The net height from the bottom edge of the
net to the top should be at least 30 inches.

Edge

The top of the net should be edged with a 2- inch (5.08-cm) white tape
binding over a cord or cable running through the binding. This binding
must rest upon the cord or cable.

Center Strap and Height.

A center strap is recommended for a permanent net and must be placed

at the center of the net to enable easy adjustment to the 34-inch (86.36-
cm) requirement at center. The top shall be 36 inches (91.44 cm) high at
the sidelines. If the net drapes onto the court and such a configuration is
not corrected by the tournament staff prior to the start of play, and if the
referee deems a ball is affected by the draping net, it shall result in a
replay
Ball Specifications.

Design.

The ball shall have a minimum of 26 to a maximum of 40 circular holes,

with spacing of the holes and overall design of the ball conforming to
flight characteristics.

Approval.

The Tournament Director will choose the tournament ball. The ball
selected for play in any USA PICKLEBALL-sanctioned tournament must be
named on the official list of approved balls posted on the USA PICKLEBALL
website

Construction.

The ball shall be made of a durable material molded with a smooth

surface and free of texturing. The ball will be one uniform color, except
for identification markings.
Paddle Specifications.

Material.

The paddle must be made of any material deemed safe and not prohibited
by these rules. The paddle shall be made of rigid, non-compressible
material meeting the criteria located on the USA PICKLEBALL website.

Surface.
The paddle’s hitting surface shall not contain delamination, holes, cracks
or indentations that break the paddle skin or surface.

Reflection.
The paddle’s hitting surface shall not be adversely reflective, such that it
has the potential to negatively affect the vision of opposing player(s).

The combined length and width, including any edge guard and butt cap,
shall not exceed 24 inches (60.96 cm). The paddle length cannot exceed
17 inches (43.18 cm). There is no restriction on paddle thickness.

Weight.
There is no restriction on paddle weight.
Alterations.
Altered paddles must meet all specifications. The only alterations or
additions that may be made to a commercially made paddle are edge
guard tape, lead tape, changes to the grip size or grip wrap, and name
decals and/or other identification markings on the paddle face. Decals and
tape can extend no farther than 1.0 inch (2.54 cm) above the top of the
grip 8

DEFINITIONS

Carry – Hitting the ball in such a way that it does not bounce away from
the paddle but is carried along on the face of the paddle.

Coaching - Communication of any information, including verbal,

nonverbal, and electronic, from someone other than a player’s partner,
that a player or team may act upon to gain an advantage or help them
avoid a rules violation.

Court – The area inside the outer dimensions of the baselines and
sidelines.

Cross-Court – The court diagonally opposite of the court from which the
ball was last struck.

Dead Ball – A ball that is no longer in play.

Distraction – Physical actions by a player that are ‘not common to the

game’ that, in the judgment of the referee, may interfere with the
opponent’s ability or concentration to hit the ball. Examples include, but
are not limited to, making loud noises, stomping feet, waving the paddle
in a distracting manner or otherwise interfering with the opponent’s
concentration or ability to hit the ball.

Double Bounce – When the ball bounces twice on one side before it is
returned.

Double Hit – Hitting the ball twice before it is returned.

Ejection - A behavior violation so flagrant that it warrants ejection from

the tournament by the Tournament Director. The player may stay at the
venue but may no longer play in any matches. 12 USA PICKLEBALL
Official Rulebook (2023)

Expulsion – A behavior violation so flagrant that the Tournament

Director prohibits the player from playing in any current and any future
brackets of the tournament. In addition, the player shall leave the venue
immediately and not return for the remainder of the tournament.

Fault – A rules violation that results in a dead ball and/or the end of the
rally.

First Server – In doubles, the player who shall serve from the right/even
service court after a side out, according to the team’s score. 3.A.13.
Forfeit – An egregious behavior violation or a combination of technical
warnings and/or technical fouls that result in either a game or match
being awarded to the opponent.
Groundstroke – A strike of the ball after the ball has bounced.

Hinder – Any transient element or occurrence not caused by a player

that adversely impacts play, not including permanent objects. Examples
include, but are not limited to, balls, flying insects, foreign material,
players or officials on another court that, in the opinion of the referee,
impacted a player’s ability to make a play on the ball.

Imaginary Extension. A term used to describe where a line would

extend if it projected beyond its current end point. Players and referees
are to project where the line would extend if it were not limited to the
boundaries of the playing area.

Left/Odd Court – The service area on the left side of the court, when
facing the net. The starting server in doubles or the singles server should
be positioned on the left/odd side of the court when their score is odd. 13
USA PICKLEBALL Official Rulebook (2023)

Line Call – A loud word(s) spoken by a player or line judge(s) to indicate

to the referee and/or players that a live ball has not landed in the
required court space. The preferred word to indicate a line call is “OUT”.
Distinctive hand signals can be used in conjunction with a line call. Words
such as “wide”, “long”, “no”, “deep” are also acceptable.

Live Ball/In Play – The point in time when the referee or server (or
server's partner per rule starts to call the score.

Momentum – Momentum is a property of a body in motion, such as a

player executing a volley, that causes the player to continue in motion
after contacting the ball. The act of volleying produces momentum that
ends when the player regains balance and control of their motion or stops
moving toward the non-volley zone.

Non-Volley Zone (NVZ) – The 7-foot-by-20-foot area adjacent to the

net and specific to each team’s end of the court relating to NVZ faults. All
lines bounding the NVZ are part of the NVZ. The NVZ is two dimensional
and does not rise above the playing surface.

Paddle Grip Adjustments – Non-mechanical devices that change the

size of the grip or stabilize the hand on the grip.

Paddle Head – The paddle, excluding the handle.

Permanent Object – Any object on or near the court, including hanging

over the court, that can interfere with play. Permanent objects include the
ceiling, walls, fencing, lighting fixtures, net posts, net post legs, the
stands and seats for spectators, the referee, line judges, spectators when
in their recognized 14 USA PICKLEBALL Official Rulebook (2023) positions,
and all other objects around and above the court.

Plane of the Net - The imaginary vertical planes on all sides extending
beyond the net system.

Playing Surface – The court and the area surrounding the court
designated for playing.

Profanity – Words, phrases or hand gestures, common or uncommon,

which are normally considered inappropriate in “polite company” or
around children. Typically included are four-letter words used as
expletives or verbal intensifiers.

Rally – Continuous play that occurs after the serve and before a fault.

Receiver – The player who is positioned diagonally opposite the server to

return the serve. Depending on the team’s score, the player who returns
the serve may not be the correct receiver
Replay – Any rally that is restarted for any reason without the awarding
of a point or a change of server.

Retirement - A player/team’s decision that stops the match and awards

the match to the opponent.

Right/Even Court – The service area on the right side of the court,
when facing the net. The starting server in doubles or the singles server
should be positioned on the right/even court when their score is even.

Second Serve – In doubles, a term used to describe the condition when

a serving team loses the first of its two allocated serves.

Second Server – In doubles, the first server’s partner. The second

server serves after the first server loses serve. 15 USA PICKLEBALL
Official Rulebook (2023)

Serve – The initial strike of the ball with the paddle to start the rally.

Server – The player who initiates a rally. Depending on the team’s score,
it is possible that the player who serves may not be the correct server.

Service Court – The area on either side of the centerline, including the
centerline, sideline, and baseline, excluding the NVZ.

Serving Area – The area behind the baseline and on and between the
imaginary extensions of the court centerline and each sideline.

Side Out – The awarding of the serve to the opposing team after a
singles player or doubles team loses its serve.

Starting Server – For each doubles team, the player designated to serve
first at the start of the game. In doubles tournament play, the starting
server shall wear a visible form of identification determined by the
Tournament Director.

Technical Foul – A referee’s assessment of a behavioral violation that

results in one point being removed from the score of the offending team,
unless their score is zero, in which case a point shall be added to the
score of the opposing side. A technical foul shall be issued if one technical
warning has already been given and a second technical warning is
warranted; or when warranted by a player’s or team’s action, based on
the referee’s judgement.

Technical Warning – A referee’s warning of a behavioral violation given

to a player or team. Points are neither awarded nor deducted for a
technical warning. 16 USA PICKLEBALL Official Rulebook (2023)
Verbal Warning – A referee’s warning of a behavioral violation. A single
verbal warning may be issued to each team once per match.

Volley – During a rally, a strike of the ball out of the air before the ball
has bounced.

Wheelchair Player – Any person, with or without a disability, who plays

the game in a wheelchair. The wheelchair is considered part of the
player’s body. This can be a player with a disability or anyone that wants
to play in a wheelchair.

Withdrawal – A player/team’s request to be removed from any

upcoming play in a specified bracket.

THE BASIC STROKES:

A stroke is different than a shot. A stroke is the basic fundamental of how

you apply action to the ball. The shot is what happens after you’ve made
a stroke. A shot is more specific, whereas a stroke is based on principles
and is broader.

There are 3 basic strokes in pickleball.

Groundstroke:

A groundstroke is simply any shot you make after the ball has bounced
once. Most of the shots that you will make in pickleball, like dinks, for
example, will be groundstrokes.

Volley

To put it simply, a volley is any shot that is made before the ball hits the
ground. It doesn’t matter if you hit the ball near the ground or over your
head, as long as it hasn’t bounced, it’s a volley! Volley shots are typically
much more powerful. A popular type of volley is the overhead smash.
Keep in mind that you can’t volley in the kitchen!

Dink

A dink is a type of groundstroke that’s only used at or near the net. The
main characteristics of a dink are that they are done at the kitchen, are
very soft and just barely get over the net. There are tons of different
types of dink shots that you can use during a pickleball match.

So how do you perform a dink stroke? As softly as humanly possible.

The dinking stroke is gentle but precise. You want it to be as soft as

possible because you don’t want them to be able to return the shot hard
to you. But the precision part is a bit more important. Again, the whole
purpose of a dink is to make your opponent mess up. Is your opponent
better with their backhand or forehand? You want to hit it to whichever
side is weaker. That requires precision.

You can perform a dinking stroke however you want. Just keep in mind
that it should be a controlled, mindful and focused shot. It requires an
enormous amount of touch and precision. But as always, the more you
practice it, the better you get.

THE BASIC SHOTS:

There are a lot of shots to learn in pickleball, but the most important ones
to master are the basic ones.

The serve

The serve is the shot that gets the point started. It’s neither a volley nor a
groundstroke. It’s just the serve. There are many different ways that you
can serve.

The lob

The lob shot in pickleball is infamous. This is a shot where you hit it high
up into the air and over the heads of your opponents. It forces your
opponents to turn around quickly to run the ball down in backcourt. The
sudden change of pace can make your opponent panic and their likelihood
of making a mistake increases. This shot is used almost primarily for one
reason: it helps to reset the tempo (pace of play) of a point. If your
opponent is smashing ball after ball at you and you can’t seem to slow
down the pace, the lob can help you reset all of this. Lobbing the ball into
backcourt forces your opponent to run away from the net, allowing you to
take the net instead. You don’t want to do this too often though because
lobbing it too short can result in them smashing it back at you, or it can
easily go out if you lob it too far.

Cross-court dink

A cross-court dink is simply a dink stroke that is sent from one side of the
court to the opposite side of the opponent’s court.

The cross-court dink is one of the most brutally effective shots in

pickleball. It’s also very hard to master which can make it one of the most
frustrating shots in pickleball. But learning how to perform a cross-court
dink and return them is crucial.

The key here is to understand your distances. A dink that’s going straight
ahead of you is going to be much shorter in distance than a dink that’s
going cross-court. It’s at least twice as long. This means that you have to
use more power to get it over there.

The drive

A drive is simply a groundstroke or volley that you hit at, or near as hard
as you can. Drives are meant to be hard, fast and unstoppable. Drives are
great for people who have the upper body strength to pull it off but will be
very difficult for people who aren’t very strong. Drives should be used as
a tool and not a shot to use regularly. If you see an opening in the court
or if your opponent is running towards you, driving to any of these
positions can be very effective.

Block shot

In pickleball, the block shot is used to stop third shot drives or just
regular drives from giving your opponent the advantage. It’s easy to mess
up if an opponent hits a hard shot at you. But the block shot is here to
help.

Block shots are also a great way of slowing down the game so that your
opponent doesn’t have the advantage.

Deep return serve

This is a very important shot to learn how to do well. It’s not exactly
difficult, it just takes time to learn how to do effectively.
Understandably, it can be very difficult to know how far you’re hitting the
ball into backcourt. Our depth perception gets a bit funky when we’re
trying to judge distances that far. The best way to train this is to find a
friend or pickleball buddy and return serve to them. They can then tell
you how far you’re hitting it in order to help you figure things out.
Eventually, your brain will develop a pattern and you’ll get used to it.

Backhand punch

This is a cool little shot that always catches the opponent off guard. The
backhand punch is a shot typically made at the net that literally involves
you punching at the ball. This shot is designed to turn a high dink that
your opponent made to a shot that shoots straight for them.

It’s simple to perform. Just put your paddle in the backhand position and
pretend like you’re punching with your fist! Easy!

Overhead smash

The overhead smash is designed for one thing and one thing only: to
destroy the ball and make it impossible for your opponents to return it.
It’s an opportunity shot. If your opponent’s pop up a shot that goes
slightly over your head, then it’s your chance to put it away! Reach up
and smash the ball downward. The key here is accuracy. If you’re hitting
them into the net, don’t use as much wrist action. But if you’re hitting
them out the opponent’s baseline then either use more wrist action or use
a lighter paddle.

Third shot drop

The third shot drop is the most important shot to master in pickleball.
This shot is absolutely essential to learn in advanced pickleball play. A lot
of points are lost on the third shot. The reason is that players feel a lot of
pressure when trying to make this shot. The opponents are already at the
kitchen with a huge advantage, but you and your partner are still at or
near the baseline.

Third shot drops are soft shots that arc upward then land softly into the
kitchen. The soft landing will force your opponent to dink the ball instead
of drive it. If you hit your shot too far, or too high, your opponent can
smash or drive the ball making it likely that you lose the point.

The dink fake

This is one of the sneakiest and slyest shots in pickleball. The dink fake is
brutal if done correctly, but it’s difficult to pull off.
The dink fake is when you make yourself look like you’re about dink a
semi-high ball, but you end up driving the ball instead. It’s sudden, fast
and can also be used for a third shot drive if the return was short.

The key here is to make it seem that it’s coming out of nowhere. You
want to shock your opponents!

This shot is also very effective if you aim it right at your opponent.

Backspin return serve

This shot is not only effective when used correctly, but it’s absolutely
hilarious when it’s done perfectly.

To do this shot, wait for a semi-high serve to come your way. When it
looks soft and easy, slice straight downward with your paddle. The ball
will sail up into the air softly but will land with a tremendous amount of
sidespin on it. The ball should bounce straight to the side and be nearly
impossible for your opponent to return. When done perfectly, the shot will
land on either side of the kitchen, and bounce a foot off the ground and to
the side. Brutal!

Around-the-post shot

It’s one of the most flashy shots considering it’s rarity and prestige. The
only way you can pull this shot off is if the opponent makes a powerful
cross-court shot or dink that is bouncing way out of your side of the
court. The key here is actually to run with the ball to keep up with the
speed. As long as the ball has bounced far enough out the sideline, you
can hit it around the post.

Remember though, if it hits the side post, it’s automatically a fault, even
if it lands in the opponent’s side of the court!

Backhand spin dink

If you’re already comfortable with a dinking stroke, then you may want to
look into upgrading it to something a bit more special. This kind of shot
only works if it’s a cross-court dink shot being made with your backhand.
If you’re right-handed, you will be on the left side of the court and vice
versa for lefties.

This is such a fun shot to use if you’re confident enough. The trick is to
cut underneath the ball to apply some backspin. Your opponent will
probably see the shot in action and will be ready for it, but that doesn’t
mean that mistakes won’t happen.
This shot is deceptive because the dink is usually soft, but the backspin
makes everything much more unpredictable. A common mistake with this
shot is to hit it too high. If you’re playing against tall players with huge
wing spans then you may want to stick with a normal cross-court dink.