PICKLEBALLWILLIAMSBURG MIDDLE SCHOOL

PHYSICAL EDUCATIONFIT FOR LIFE

History• Pickleball was created during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island- a

short ferry ride from Seattle, WA. The original purpose of the game was to provide a sport for the entire family, according to co-inventors U.S. Congressman Joel Pritchard, William Bell, and Barney McCallum.

• PICKLEBALL IS A COMBINATION OF TENNIS, BADMINTON, & PING PONG.

• The name came from a dog-named “Pickles”, who would run away with the ball every time it landed on the ground.

• It may be a silly name, but it’s a serious sport! It’s fast paced, easy to learn, great exercise, and lots of FUN!!!

• Today Pickleball is played throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Western Europe

RULES

• Scoring and Winning: Points are scored by the serving side only and occur when the opponent faults (fails to return ball, hits ball out of bounds, etc.). The server continues to serve, alternating service courts, until server faults.The first side scoring 11 points and leading by at least a 2-point margin wins. For example, if both sides are tied at 10 points, then play continues until one side wins by 2 points.

• Singles Play: The server serves from the right side of the court when his or her score is even and from the left side when the his or her score is odd.

• Pickleball is a simple paddle game played using a special perforated, slow-moving ball over a tennis-type net on a badminton-sized court. The ball is served underhand without bouncing it off the court and is served diagonally to the opponent's service court.

• The Return: The receiving team must let the ball bounce before returning the serve. Also, the serving team MUST let the returned ball bounce once more before hitting it back. This means that there will be two bounces during the first two hits of the rally (known as the double-bounce rule).

• The Non-Volley Zone: A line seven feet from the net delineates the non- volley zone. You are not allowed to hit the ball without letting it bounce first if your foot is on or between this line and the net, or if you stumble into this zone after hitting the ball. You may not serve the ball into the non-volley zone.

• Scoring: Only the serving team can score points.

SKILLS

• Forehand Hit- Any ball that is hit on the racket side of the body

• Backhand Hit- Any ball that requires the racket to come across the body

• Volley- To hit the ball in the air before it bounces. All volleying must be done with the player’s feet behind the non-volley zone line.

• Lob- High arching shot that lands near the baseline.

• Smash- A hard, overhand shot usually resulting from an opponent’s lob, high return or high bounce.

STRATEGY

• Mix up serves (high, deep, hard driven, flat) to keep your opponents off balance

• Smash

• Use passing shots by opponents at the net

• Lob

• Fast volley exchanges

• Hit the ball deep into an opponent’s court

• Hit to an opponent’s weak side

FAULTS• Hitting the ball out of bounds

• Not clearing the net

• Stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying the ball

• Not applying the double-bounce rule after the serve

• Letting the ball bounce more than once

• Doesn’t serve the ball diagonally on the serve

• Getting hit with the ball

• Double hit

DOUBLE BOUNCE RULE

• EACH TEAM MUST PLAY ITS FIRST HIT OFF THE BOUNCE

• The receiving team must let the serve bounce and the serving team must let the return of the serve bounce before playing it

• Once the two bounces have occurred, the ball can be either volleyed or played off the bounce

THE SERVE

• PLAYER MUST KEEP ONE FOOT BEHIND THE BASELINE

• SERVE MUST BE UNDERHAND AND BELOW THE WAIST

• THE BALL MUST BE TOSSED IN THE AIR AND HIT BEFORE IT HITS THE GROUND

• THE SERVER MUST SERVE TO THE COURT DIAGONALLY OPPOSITE OF HIM/HER AND CLEAR THE NON-VOLLEY ZONE

• ONLY ONE SERVE ATTEMPT IS ALLOWED, EXCEPT IN THE EVENT OF A “LET” (the ball touches the net on the serve and lands on the proper service court)

• THE PLAYER IN THE RIGHT HAND COURT WILL ALWAYS SERVE FIRST AND THEN ALTERNATE FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AS LONG AS SERVER HOLDS SERVE

COURT

• Court Dimensions- The court is identical to a doubles badminton court. The court dimensions are 20’ x 44’ for both doubles and singles.

• Net Height- The net is 36” (3 ft)

• Non-Volley Zone- Extends 7 ft on each side of the net

ETIQUETTE• IF THERE IS A DISAGREEMENT WHETHER THE BALL WAS CLEARLY IN OR OUT, PLAY THE POINT OVER

• NEVER WALK BEHIND A COURT, OR ENTER ONE,WHILE A RALLY IS IN PROGRESS

• WHEN A POINT IS OVER, RETURN THE BALL TO YOUR OPPONENT, NOT MERELY IN HIS/HER DIRECTION

• IF THE OPPONENT CLAIMS THERE WAS A MAJOR DISTRACTION WHILE HITTING A SHOT (SUCH AS A BALL BOUNCING ONTO THE COURT), DON’T HESITATE TO REPLAY THE POINT.

• VERBAL OUTBURSTS ARE DISTRACTING TO YOUR OPPONENT AND TO PLAYERS ON OTHER COURTS

• THROWING EQUIPMENT IN ANGER IS UNSPORTSMANLIKE AND DANGEROUS. CONTROL YOUR TEMPER ON THE COURTS AT ALL TIMES

• GIVE YOUR OPPONENT TIME TO GET INTO POSITION BEFORE YOU SERVE

• IT IS THE SERVER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CLEARLY ANNOUNCE THE SCORE BEFORE YOU SERVE

• KNOW THE RULES OF THE GAME AND OBSERVE THEM

TECHNICAL FOULS• PROFANITY

• EXCESSIVE ARGUING

• THREATS OF ANY NATURE TO ANY PLAYERS OR REFEREE

• PURPOSELY BREAKING THE BALL

• PURPOSELY THROWING THE PADDLE

• ANY OTHER ACTIONS THAT ARE CONSIDERED UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOR

• If any of these fouls occur then 1 point is awarded to the opponent. If a second foul occurs then that player will forfeit the game. Student might have to serve detention or be sent to the office.

VOCAB/TERMS• Dink Shot: A soft shot that is intended to arc over the net and land within the non-volley zone

• Double Bounce: A ball that bounces more than once, on one side, before it is returned

• Double-Hit: One side hitting the ball twice before it is returned over the net. Double hits may occur by one player or could involve both players on a team,

• Drop Shot: A groundstroke shot that falls short of the opponent’s position

• Fault: A fault is any action that stops play or a rule violation.

• Groundstroke: Hitting the ball after one bounce.

• Lob: A shot that returns the ball as high and deep as possible, forcing the opposing side back to the baseline

• Non-Volley Zone: The section of court, adjacent to the net in which you cannot volley the ball.

• Rally: Continues play that occurs after the serve and before a fault

• Overhead Slam/Smash: A hard overhand shot usually resulting from an opp. lob, or high return.