What Is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a paddle sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It is played on a small court with a solid paddle and a perforated plastic ball, and it has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States — largely because it is genuinely easy and fun to pick up.

The basics

Two or four players hit a light plastic ball over a low net, on a court about the size of a badminton court (20 ft × 44 ft). You serve underhand and diagonally, the ball has to bounce once on each side before anyone can hit it out of the air, and there is a 7-foot “kitchen” near the net where you cannot volley. Games go to 11, and only the serving side scores. That is genuinely most of it — the full rules guide covers the rest.

What you need to start

• A paddle. A solid paddle, smaller than a tennis racket. A cheap fiberglass beginner paddle is all you need.
• A ball. A perforated plastic ball — an outdoor or indoor ball depending on where you play.
• Court shoes. Not running shoes — court shoes for lateral support.
• A net and a court, which most local rec centers, parks and clubs now provide.

If you want everything in one order, a beginner set bundles paddles and balls together.

How it compares to the games it borrows from

Pickleball vs tennis

Smaller court, lower net, slower ball, solid paddle, simpler serve. Much easier to start, and gentler on the body — the full breakdown is in pickleball vs tennis.

Pickleball vs badminton

Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court, but the similarity ends there. Badminton uses a shuttlecock that never bounces and a lightweight stringed racket; pickleball uses a bouncing plastic ball and a solid paddle, and the ball stays in play off the ground.

Pickleball vs ping pong (table tennis)

Pickleball is essentially table tennis scaled up to a court you stand on. The solid paddle and the emphasis on placement and spin feel familiar to table-tennis players — but you are now moving your whole body, not just your arm.

Pickleball vs wiffle ball

The pickleball itself is often compared to a wiffle ball because both are perforated plastic. The pickleball is purpose-made for the sport, with a standardized weight, bounce and hole count (40 holes outdoors, 26 indoors), rather than the loosely-made wiffle ball designed to curve when pitched.

Why it took off

Pickleball grew fast for a simple reason: the barrier to a fun first game is remarkably low. The court is small, the ball is slow, the paddle is easy to control, and the serve is underhand — so a complete beginner, or a lapsed athlete, or a family of mixed ages can rally within minutes. Add a strong social, doubles-first culture and inexpensive gear, and it is easy to see the appeal. Ready to start? The beginner hub has everything you need.