What Is Pickleball? The Answer in 10 Numbers

When Lebron James buys a pickleball team, the first question you need to ask yourself is, What is pickleball? Here’s that answer in 10 (or so) numbers.

 

1965

The year pickleball was invented in Bainbridge Island, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. Apparently, a few guys and their kids made up the game in a backyard, with the choice of pickle having a few possible origin stories. The paddle sport—which can be played indoors or outdoors and with two players (singles) or four players (doubles)—has been described as a cross between tennis, badminton, and ping pong and has since experienced impressive growth.

 

24

The combined length and width in inches that a pickleball paddle cannot exceed. (Length cannot exceed 17 inches.) A common paddle—made of non-compressible material such as composite, graphite, or wood—would be 15 inches in length and 8 inches in width. Paddle weight and thickness are not regulated.

 

26

The minimum number of circular holes in the Wiffle-ball-like ball—typically made of plastic—used in pickleball. The maximum number of holes is 40, and balls with smaller holes are often used in outdoor play to minimize the effect of wind.

 

44

The length in feet of a pickleball court. With a width of 20 feet, the square footage of a pickleball court is the same as that of a doubles badminton court and less than one third that of a tennis court. This means that more courts can be packed into a given space, and it also means that chubby, unathletic people can easily participate (not that there is any such firsthand experience at ComposeMD).

 

7

The minimum distance in feet from the net that a player must be in order to volley the ball (i.e. hit it before bouncing). This area is referred to as the non-volley zone, or kitchen.

 

3

That’s the height in feet of the net at its ends. (Technically, net height is only 34 inches in the middle.)

 

2

As in the two-bounce rule, meaning that the receiver of the serve must let the ball bounce prior to returning it, and the server must also let the service return bounce prior to hitting it. Only after this condition is met are volleys allowed in the rally (as long as the non-volley zone is honored).

 

11

The number of points required to win a pickleball game (with a requirement to win by two points). Side-out scoring is used, meaning that points can only be received while serving, which is done underhand (unlike tennis) and to the diagonal service court (like tennis). If desired, a match can be structured in a best-two-out-of-three-games format. In some tournaments, games are played to 15 or 21. Here’s a quick video that provides more details on scoring and some key visuals to put all of the above together.

 

70

The average noise level in decibels as measured about 100 feet away from a pickleball court. That noise results in part from the hard paddle striking the plastic ball—perhaps not the most pleasant sound—and has resulted in numerous noise complaints across the US.

 

2021

The year Major League Pickleball was formed. Consisting of 12 co-ed teams of four players each, a planned expansion to 16 teams has allowed Lebron James to get in on the ownership side. Have a look.

 

 

So go ahead and jump on board the pickleball craze—I think?