You couldn’t have played the volley more beautifully, right into the opponent’s corner. But the point goes to your opponents because one of your feet was in the kitchen – i.e., in the non-volley zone. Because in pickleball, balls hit out of the air are prohibited. 

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Pickleball: a mixture of tennis, table tennis, and badminton

Tennis is undoubtedly a great sport, but it is also quite demanding: it takes a comparatively long time to reach a high level. This is why racket sports that are also accessible to inexperienced players after a short familiarisation phase are becoming increasingly popular.

These include padel tennis, crossminton, and pickleball, for example. The latter is the fastest-growing sport in the United States. And, as is often the case, this trend is slowly but surely spreading across the ocean to Germany.

Pickleball combines elements of tennis, table tennis, and badminton. The sport is easy to learn, less demanding in terms of technique and coordination, and nowhere near as fast as the three aforementioned hitting sports. Suitable playing fields can be set up quickly in sports halls or even on car parks and other concrete surfaces, and the necessary equipment is comparatively inexpensive.

Although the trend sport was invented back in the 1960s, it is only now really taking off. In 2023, Major League Pickleball (MLP) will take place in the United States for the first time, featuring 24 teams.

What you need for a pickleball match

Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles, so you need at least one playing partner. Doubles is the more common variant in this sport.

All players need a racket that resembles a paddle and is approximately twice the size of a table tennis racket. The aim is to hit a perforated plastic ball the size of a tennis ball over a badminton net that is stretched out at ground level on the court.

In the U.S., some tennis clubs are already converting their courts into pickleball courts, but in Germany, there are still only a few places to start. However, courts can be set up quickly in sports halls, and the sport can also be played on asphalt surfaces.

The players don’t need much space: measuring 6.1 x 13.4 metres, the court is the same size as a badminton court. If you want to mark out a court yourself, you can purchase special pickleball court markers.

Very simple rules: Pickleball is easy to learn

Similar to volleyball in the past, players could only score points if they served themselves. The serve must be made diagonally over the net from below, and there is only one attempt. The opposing team may only return the ball once it has touched the ground, and the same applies to the subsequent return by the serving team. Volleys from the air are then also permitted.

A special feature is the non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen. Volleys may not be played from this area, which covers 2.13 metres on either side of the net, at any time. The serve must also land behind this zone.

Whoever scores eleven points first and has at least a two-point lead wins the match.

Pickleball in Germany

Pickleball is also on the rise in Germany. The first clubs were founded here in the early 2010s, and the German Pickleball Association was established in 2017, which now has 62 clubs (as of January 2023).

The third German Championships were held in 2022, and the fourth edition will take place in Gelsenkirchen from April 14 to 16, 2023. The tournaments in Burgholzhausen (International Open, 11/12 March 2023) and Cologne (Cologne Open, 28-30 April) are also well established.

Close-up of a player serving a pickleball ball on an outdoor sports field

Two paddles with a perforated ball and a hard surface are simple requirements for a pickleball match.

The future belongs to pickleball

More than five million Americans play pickleball regularly, and the trend is on the rise. In Germany, development is still lagging a little behind, but there is no doubt that this sport will continue to grow. If tennis clubs and other sports facilities make more courts available and pickleball is one day even included in the PE curriculum at schools, the sport may soon become popular with the masses.

What speaks in favour of this is that even older people or children can quickly develop into challenging opponents with a little practice. Some pickleball enthusiasts even dream of the trend sport becoming an Olympic discipline in Los Angeles in 2028.