About Pickleball

What is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two players (singles) or four players (doubles) hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball with paddles over a 0.86 m high net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played indoors and outdoors.

The game was first invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island- United States – a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington. Three dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities — are credited for creating the game. Pickleball has evolved from original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport and it gradually grew into now being the fastest-growing sport in the US. It’s also rapidly gaining popularity in the UK and the rest of the world.

It’s a game played by young, old, and everyone in between. It truly is “A Game for Everyone”.

How is it played?

Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with ping pong-type rectangular paddles, a tennis ball sized plastic hollow ball with holes in and some simple rules designed to make the game less aggressive and rally friendly. It can be played as a singles game (with two players) or a doubles game (with four players).

Pickleball is fun, social and friendly! The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game.

Basic rules of Pickleball

2025-USA-Pickleball-Rulebook Download

Rating System

Most pickleball players figure out their skill level by self-rating, where they rate themselves from 1.0 to 5.5 or higher.

The International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) Rating System was created to help describe differences in the various skill levels and being able to self-rate your level.

By reading the description, players can place themselves in a rating level.

More impartial and accurate ratings exist such as the UTPR (USA Pickleball Tournament Player Rating) and the DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating). These systems only factor games/ tournament results.

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