Here at Red Bay Acres, we offer a variety of activities, one of them being a pickleball court. Now, we know some of you have never heard of pickleball or have only heard of it, so we are here to tell you just what it is and how to play it! Pickleball is a paddleball sport that was invented in 1965 outside Seattle, Washington on Bainbridge Island. It combines aspects of tennis, tabletop tennis, and badminton. The goal was to allow people of any age and ability to play. Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with special paddles, usually made out of wood. The ball is very similar to a wiffle ball, but it is smaller. The net is lower than a traditional net for tennis or badminton. The lower net allows someone with a disability to play more easily. Teams can be single person or double. When playing, the ball is served diagonally starting with the right-hand service square. Points can only be scored by the serving side. Players on either side must allow the ball to bounce once before they are allowed to volley. To prevent spiking, there is a 7-foot no-volley zone on each side of the net. The game continues by alternating serves and the first side to score 11 points wins! However, a team must win by 2 points. Serves should only be done underhand with the paddle below the waist with both feet behind the backline. The ball should be hit in the air without being bounced. The serving side continues to serve until a fault occurs, at which point the other side serves. A players feet must be behind the no volley zone in order to hit the ball. If their feet cross into that zone, a fault is made. To score points, you must be on the serving team. You win points when the other team faults on your score. If you or the other person on your team faults, the serve is given to the other team and they have a chance to win points.
