Why pickleball?
What is pickleball?
Pickleball is easy to learn and a lot of fun. Combining tennis with badminton and table tennis, it’s played on a smaller court. A pickleball game often involves fast rallies requiring quick reflexes and tactical thinking, which many players enjoy. No wonder it’s gaining rapid popularity throughout Australia.
Four pickleball players tap paddles together prior to a game in a gesture of sportsmanship.
A fast-paced game of mixed doubles on a compact pickleball court with a lower net than tennis.
A pickleball player prepares to return a ball after it successfully bounces in the service box.
Participants enjoying the AO Pickleball Slam during the Australian Open in January 2025.
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How do I play pickleball?
The court
Pickleball and tennis courts share a similar basic layout, however, a pickleball court is significantly smaller – 6.1m x 13.41m. The compact court contributes to the game's fast-paced nature. The net is also lower.
Pickleball can be played one-on-one or as doubles.
The serve
- Serves must be underhand.
- Two-bounce rule: ball must bounce once on each side after the serve before players can volley.
- Ball lands in the service box? Valid serve!
- Ball lands on the non-volley zone or ‘the kitchen’? Fault!
Scoring
- Games are scored using either 'traditional' scoring, where only the serving team can score points, or 'rally' scoring, which allows either team to score points on each serve.
- Games can be played to 11 points or 15 points, and a team must win by at least two points.
Non-volley zone ('The kitchen'):
- A 2.13m zone on each side of the net that extends from sideline to sideline
- Players are not allowed to volley the ball while standing in or touching ‘the kitchen’ zone.
Get the gear
A pickleball paddle is larger than a table tennis paddle but smaller than a tennis racquet. The pickleball paddle has a flat surface and the ball is made from perforated plastic, which helps its aerodynamics and allows for more predictable bounces.
Comfort and the ability to move easily are key to your outfit. Court shoes are recommended for footwear, as they're great for quick stops and sideways actions.
Frequently asked questions
Pickleball was created in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. Needing to find a game their children could play together, they creatively combined badminton nets, with table tennis bats and a wiffle ball. The Pritchard family named the game pickleball after their family dog, Pickle, who often chased after stray balls.
Both sports share a similar playing properties. A primary difference between pickleball and tennis is that pickleball has a unique non-volley zone which introduces an additional strategic element.
Both sports are played on a court much smaller than a tennis court. POP Tennis shares the same scoring system as tennis but doesn’t have a non-volley zone and the two-bounce rule of pickleball.
Whilst pickleball is played with a plastic-type paddle, padel is played with a more robust paddle and tennis-ball equivalent. The padel court is surrounded by glass walls and mesh fences, adding an additional tactical layer.
Playing pickleball on a traditional tennis court is common, as tennis courts can easily be modified into a pickleball court. Simply mark out the pickleball court boundaries within the tennis court, which can be done using temporary tape.
