Pickleball has developed from a backyard family game into one of the most widely played sports in the United States. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s 2026 report, 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, compared with 4.2 million in 2020.
The sport combines a compact court, simple introductory rules and enough tactical depth to remain challenging as players improve. It also has several similarities to tennis, but its paddles, ball, serving rules, scoring and net play give it a distinct identity.
What Is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a paddle sport played as singles or doubles. Players use solid paddles to hit a lightweight perforated plastic ball over a net.
The court and net resemble smaller versions of those used in tennis, but pickleball is not simply miniature tennis. The sport has its own rules, including an underhand serve, the two-bounce rule and a non-volley zone commonly called the kitchen.
Pickleball is often described as combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. That comparison helps beginners visualize the sport, but modern pickleball has developed its own equipment, techniques and strategies.
Who Invented Pickleball?
Pickleball was created during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Its founders were Americans Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum.
Pritchard and Bell initially used table tennis paddles and a perforated plastic ball on a badminton court. After the original paddles began breaking, McCallum helped produce stronger paddles and contributed to the development of the equipment and rules.
The game was designed as an activity that family members of different ages could enjoy together. It gradually developed from a backyard game into an organized sport with formal rules, dedicated equipment and tournaments.
The first known pickleball tournament was held in Tukwila, Washington, in 1976. Many of its participants came from tennis and had limited previous pickleball experience.
You can read the complete story in Who Invented Pickleball and Why Is It Called Pickleball?.
Why Is It Called Pickleball?
One popular story claims that pickleball was named after the Pritchard family’s dog, Pickles. However, historical evidence indicates that the dog joined the family several years after the sport was created.
The better-supported explanation comes from Joel Pritchard’s wife, Joan. She compared the game’s mixture of equipment and sporting ideas with a “pickle boat,” a rowing term associated with a crew assembled from leftover rowers.
The family dog was likely named after the game rather than the game being named after the dog.
What Equipment Do You Need?
A basic pickleball setup requires:
- A pickleball paddle
- An indoor or outdoor pickleball
- A correctly sized court
- A pickleball net
- Supportive court shoes
A pickleball paddle is solid and does not contain strings. Modern paddles commonly use composite faces and polymer cores, although their shapes, thicknesses and materials vary.
The ball is made from plastic and contains holes. Indoor and outdoor balls are constructed differently because wind, court surfaces and playing conditions affect their performance.
You should not use a tennis racket or tennis ball as a replacement. The weight and bounce of a tennis ball would produce a completely different game.
Beginners looking for suitable equipment can compare the best pickleball paddles for every level.
Pickleball Court Dimensions
A regulation pickleball court measures 20ft wide and 44ft long. The same court dimensions are used for singles and doubles.
The net is 36in high at the sidelines and 34in high at the center. Each side contains a right and left service court divided by a centerline.
A 7ft area extends from the net on both sides. This is officially called the non-volley zone but is almost universally known as the kitchen.
A pickleball court is considerably smaller than a tennis court. This reduces the amount of ground players must cover, although fast exchanges near the net can still require excellent reactions, balance and positioning.
Basic Pickleball Rules
The objective is to hit the ball over the net and into the opponent’s court while preventing the opponent from returning it legally.
A rally ends when a player commits a fault. Common faults include:
- Hitting the ball into the net
- Hitting the ball out of bounds
- Allowing the ball to bounce twice
- Volleying while touching the kitchen
- Serving into the wrong area
- Failing to clear the kitchen with the serve
Most court lines count as in. The important exception is the kitchen line during a serve. A serve touching the kitchen line is a fault because the ball must completely clear the non-volley zone.
For a more detailed explanation, see the complete rules of pickleball.
Serving
The server stands behind the baseline and serves diagonally into the opposite service court. The serve must clear the kitchen and its boundary line.
Players may use an underhand volley serve or a drop serve. With a traditional volley serve, the ball is struck before it bounces using an upward motion. With a drop serve, the player releases the ball and strikes it after the bounce.
Unlike tennis, players do not receive a second attempt after missing a serve. A service fault immediately ends that server’s rally.
The Two-Bounce Rule
After the serve lands, the receiving team must allow it to bounce before returning it. The serving team must then allow the return to bounce before playing its next shot.
Once the ball has bounced once on each side, players may either volley it out of the air or allow it to bounce.
This is called the two-bounce rule. It prevents the serving team from immediately rushing forward and volleying the return, creating a more balanced start to the rally.
The Kitchen Rule
Players cannot volley the ball while touching the kitchen or its boundary line. They also cannot allow their momentum to carry them into the kitchen after completing a volley.
Players are allowed to enter the kitchen at any other time. They may step into it to play a ball that has bounced, and they may remain there when they are not volleying.
The rule does not mean that players must always stay out of the kitchen. It only restricts volleys made while a player is touching the non-volley zone.
How Does Pickleball Scoring Work?
Traditional pickleball uses side-out scoring. Under this system, only the serving side can score a point.
If the serving side wins the rally, it receives a point and the same server continues. If the receiving side wins, it does not receive a point. Instead, the serving opportunity moves to the next eligible server.
In doubles, both partners normally receive a serving turn before service passes to the opposing team. The exception occurs at the beginning of each game, when the first serving team receives only one serving turn.
This is why a doubles game traditionally begins with the score called as 0-0-2:
- The first number is the serving team’s score.
- The second number is the receiving team’s score.
- The third number identifies the first or second server.
Games are normally played to 11 points, and the winner must lead by at least two. Games to 15 or 21 may be used in certain formats.
Rally scoring, where a point is awarded after every rally, is also recognized in certain tournament formats. However, traditional side-out scoring remains the format most beginners are likely to encounter in recreational play.
Pickleball vs Tennis
Pickleball and tennis share several fundamental skills, including tracking the ball, controlling the paddle or racket face, positioning, volleying and anticipating an opponent’s next shot. The differences become clear once play begins.
| Feature | Pickleball | Tennis |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Solid paddle | Strung racket |
| Ball | Perforated plastic ball | Pressurized or pressureless rubber ball |
| Court | 20ft × 44ft | Larger singles and doubles court |
| Serve | Underhand or drop serve | Predominantly overhead |
| Scoring | Side-out or rally scoring | 15, 30, 40 and games |
| Non-volley zone | 7ft kitchen on each side | No equivalent area |
| Typical doubles positioning | Both teams work toward the kitchen line | Formations vary considerably |
Tennis generally involves more court coverage, higher ball speeds and longer swings. Pickleball places greater emphasis on compact technique, quick reactions, patient kitchen play and soft shots known as dinks.
The complete tennis vs pickleball comparison explains these differences in more detail.
Why Is Pickleball Growing So Quickly?
Pickleball is relatively easy to learn. A beginner can understand the basic objective and participate in rallies without spending months developing an overhead serve or learning to cover a full tennis court.
Its smaller court also makes doubles highly social. Partners and opponents remain close enough to communicate easily between rallies, helping organized open-play sessions create a strong community environment.
Other reasons for its growth include:
- Equipment is relatively simple
- Games can be completed quickly
- Singles and doubles are available
- Players of different ages can participate
- Existing facilities can convert suitable spaces into courts
- Community leagues and tournaments are expanding
- The sport becomes tactically deeper as players improve
Accessibility does not mean that high-level pickleball is physically easy. Competitive singles can require considerable speed and endurance, while advanced doubles demands quick reactions, precision and disciplined positioning.
Pickleball is not currently an Olympic sport and is not included in the LA28 program. Its growth has nevertheless created professional tours, major tournaments and an expanding international player base. Read Is Pickleball an Olympic Sport? for more information.
Is Pickleball Good for Tennis Players?
Tennis players already possess several transferable skills. Volleys, split steps, anticipation, directional control and hand-eye coordination can make the transition easier.
However, tennis habits can also cause problems. Large groundstroke swings may be difficult to control on the smaller court, and attempting to attack every ball can lead to mistakes near the kitchen.
Tennis players normally need to adjust by:
- Using shorter swings
- Learning the underhand serve
- Respecting the two-bounce rule
- Developing dinks and drop shots
- Moving forward with their partner
- Avoiding volleys inside the kitchen
- Becoming more patient during soft exchanges
Pickleball can complement tennis, but the two sports should not be treated as technically identical.
How to Start Playing Pickleball
Begin by finding a dedicated pickleball court or a facility with correctly marked temporary courts. A safe, level playing surface and suitable footwear are more important than purchasing an expensive paddle immediately.
Learn the serve, two-bounce rule and kitchen rule before worrying about advanced tactics. These three areas explain most of the confusion experienced by new players.
Doubles is usually the easiest introduction because each player covers less space and can learn positioning with a partner. Once the basic rules feel natural, singles provides a more physically demanding alternative.
The complete how to play pickleball guide can help you prepare for your first game.
Final Thoughts
Pickleball has grown because it combines accessibility, social play and genuine competitive depth. New players can begin rallying relatively quickly, while experienced players can continue developing their positioning, shot selection, spin and touch.
You only need a paddle, a proper pickleball, court shoes and access to a suitable court to begin. Learn the basic rules, find other beginners and allow the ball to bounce once on each side before moving forward.
For tennis players, pickleball offers familiar racket-sport concepts in a faster, more compact format. For complete beginners, it provides an approachable introduction to paddle sports without sacrificing the opportunity for long-term improvement.