The Evolution of Pickleball: What's New in 2024?

Pickleball is rapidly being recognized by people as a fun sport nationwide which attracts many trends and advancements. In 2024 too, pickleball continues its rapid evolution with exciting new trends and technological advancements. 

This blog explores the basics of pickleball sports and the new trends of pickleball gears for 2024. 

What is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a fast-growing sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It’s played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes, often on a badminton-sized court with a modified tennis net. The game is popular for its simplicity, making it easy for beginners to pick up, while also offering a competitive edge for more advanced players.

Related Article - Pickleball Vs. Tennis : Difference & Similarities

Pickleball Gears: 

• Court Size: 20 feet wide by 44 feet long (same for both singles and doubles).
• Net Height: 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle.
• Paddle: A solid paddle (smaller than tennis, larger than table tennis paddles).
• Ball: A perforated plastic ball, similar to a wiffle ball.

Pickleball History

Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three friends — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. The story goes that they were looking for a way to entertain their families during the summer. Finding limited sports equipment, they improvised using a perforated plastic ball (similar to a wiffle ball), table tennis paddles, and a badminton net.

Initially, the game was played in Pritchard’s backyard on an old badminton court. They soon modified the rules to make the game easier for people of all ages to enjoy, such as lowering the net and developing specific rules, which drew from elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.

The sport quickly gained popularity, spreading throughout the U.S. In 1972, a corporation was formed to protect the creation of the sport, and in 1984, the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) was established to govern the sport's rules and oversee national tournaments. The game's simplicity and low equipment cost contributed to its rapid growth.

Today, pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. and worldwide, with millions of players across various countries, appealing to a wide age group due to its accessibility and fun, competitive nature.

Pickleball Rules 

Serving:

• Serve must be made underhand, with contact below the waist.
• The server must serve diagonally across the net, aiming for the opponent's service box.
• The serve must clear the non-volley zone (also called the "kitchen") and land in the diagonal service court.
• The server only gets one attempt unless the ball touches the net and lands in the correct service area, resulting in a "let" serve and a redo.

Scoring:

• Points are scored only by the serving team.
• Games are typically played to 11 points, and a team must win by at least 2 points.
• In doubles, each player on the serving team gets a turn to serve before the serve switches to the opponents (except for the very first service of the game).

Double-Bounce Rule:

• After the serve, each team must let the ball bounce once before hitting it (i.e., the receiving team and then the serving team must let the ball bounce).
• After the ball has bounced once on each side, players can either volley (hit it in the air) or play it off a bounce.

Non-Volley Zone (The Kitchen):

• The non-volley zone is a 7-foot area on either side of the net.
• Players cannot step into this zone or hit the ball while standing in it unless the ball has bounced in the kitchen first.
• Volleying is not allowed in this area to prevent smashes near the net.

Faults:

A fault is any action that stops play, such as:

• Hitting the ball out of bounds.
• Failing to clear the net.
• Volleying the ball before it has bounced on each side at least once.
• Stepping into the kitchen to volley the ball.

Winning:

• The first team to reach 11 points, leading by at least 2 points, wins the game. Games can also be played to 15 or 21, depending on the tournament format.

Doubles Play:

• The right-hand player on the serving team always serves first.
• The server continues serving, alternating sides, until a fault occurs, at which point the second player on the team serves.
• After both players have served and faults have been made, the serve goes to the other team.