Pickle-ball® is a game for the whole family. So it’s only fitting that it was invented by a family, too. The game got its start back in 1965, in Bainbridge Island, just a short ferry ride away from Seattle, WA When Congressmen Joel Pritchard, William Bell and Barney McCallum came home from a game of golf one day to find their kids bored and restless, they set out to create a game that would engage them through the lazy days of summer. They wanted to create a game that would be challenging, but still accessible. They handed the kids ping-pong paddles and a wiffle ball, and lowered the net on their badminton court. In the coming days both kids and adults alike fell in love with the game.
Basics Rules of Pickleball
• The serve must be hit underhand and each team must play the first shot off the bounce.
• After the ball has bounced once on each side, both teams can either volley the ball in the air or play it off the bounce.
• To volley a ball means to hit it in the air without letting the ball bounce.
• No Volleying is permitted within the 7-foot non-volley zone, preventing players from executing smashes from a position within this 7-foot zone on both sides of the net.
• Both players on the serving team are allowed to serve and a team scores points only when serving.
• A game is played to 11 points and a team must win by at least 2 points.
• Points are lost by hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the net, stepping into the non-velley zone and volleying the ball, or by volleying the ball before the ball has bounced on each side of the net.
Where to Play Pickleball in India Currently pickleball is played in 6 Indian states, including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Pondicherry, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Maharashtra (Sunil’s home state). In another three states, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, pickleball has a growing presence but is not as established as in the others.
So where can you play pickleball if you’re ever visiting lovely India? Sunil says there are centers for play in:
Mumbai in Maharashtra
Jaipur in Rajasthan
Ranchi in Jharkhand
Patna in Bihar
Indore in Madhya Pradesh
Pondicherry in South India
Panipat in Haryana
Sunil recommends that if you’re interested in playing at these locations, it’s best to plan sessions in advance by contacting the local teams. If you need help doing this, feel free to contact us at info@pickleballcentral.com and we can put you in contact with Sunil or the teams directly.
