Everything you need to know to start playing pickleball: Rules, equipment, where to play

Have you ever played pickleball? Even if you haven't, it is likely that one of your friends or family members have as the giant ping pong, small tennis, short badminton looking sport has taken over the United States, becoming the country's fastest growing sport over the last couple of years.

If you are one of the few people who have not tried it out, here are some tips to get you started.

Where to play pickleball

The first step in most new sports or hobbies is finding the opportunity and location to play or learn. Luckily for pickleball players there is no shortage of places to play.

According to U.S.A. Pickleball there are over 11,000 known places to play around the country. You can check out the organization's Places2Play feature where you can input your location and see courts near you.

On a more local level, North Jersey will soon be getting the largest indoor pickleball facility in the state in Wayne. This 50,000-square-foot arena will offer 20 courts and plenty of opportunity for current and interested pickle ball players to pick up a racket and practice, even during New Jersey's cold winters.

Getting started

Starting any new hobby can be stressful as it can sometimes take a lot of time, money, and pressure to figure out exactly what you need, where to go, and how to do it.

Pickleball Kitchen, a website that puts written, visual, and audio pickleball content out into the world, created a beginner's guide to the sport.

The site's first tip into getting started is to find a friend. Typically, pickleball is played in doubles but it can also be played in singles with one person on each side of the net. Seek out a friend or family member who plays and set up a day out on the court where they can play with you and teach you. Another plus is that if they already know what they are doing it is likely they will have a paddle and a ball ready to go so you do not need to go buy any equipment right off the bat.

The second tip is to know the few pieces of equipment that you need to successfully practice pickleball. According to Pickleball Kitchen you will need:

• A pickleball paddle

• A sturdy pair of shoes

• A place to play

• and a pickleball

The last thing that you will need in order to play pickleball is a basic knowledge of the rules and the court setup.

The pickleball court

A regulation pickleball court is a 20-foot-wide and 44-foot-long rectangle.

There is a centerline that divides the court longways into two equal sides. The baseline is the line at the back of each end of the court. The sideline is the line on both sides of the court.

There is a net in the middle that measures 36 inches on its side and 34 inches in its center.

Finally, there is a marked area that is 7 feet from the net on each side measuring 14 total feet. This area is called the non-volley zone or "the kitchen."

Pickleball rules

You can check out the official pickleball rulebook on U.S.A. Pickleball and watch the how-to videos that are posted on their website for all of the nitty-gritty details. For now, here are the basics.

A pickleball game or match lasts until one team reaches eleven points and wins by two. A point can be earned either because the ball bounced more than twice, or a team made a fault or a penalty. Faults can include things like hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the ball into the net, or contacting the ball with anything other than your paddle or your hand in contact with the paddle below your wrist.

When starting a game, the player on the right side serves first. If you win the point, the serving team is awarded the point, and the partners switch places. All serves have to be made underhand and served cross-court to the box diagonal of the server. When serving, your feet cannot cross the baseline, centerline, or sideline.

Then, you rally back and forth similar to other racket sports such as tennis, badminton, and ping pong, the three sports that people often refer to when explaining pickleball.

Two important rules for pickleball beginners

According to Pickleball Kitchen, there are two very important rules that you must know to start playing pickleball.

The first rule is to be aware of the kitchen and mind your feet. As previously mentioned, there is a space in the middle of the court called the kitchen or the non-volley zone. You are not allowed to volley the ball while your feet are inside of the kitchen or if the momentum from hitting the ball causes you to step into the kitchen.

According to Pickleball Kitchen the reason for this is "so that people don't stand at the net and just smash everything over. That would obviously be ridiculous."

The second most important rule to understand is the double bounce rule which means that the ball must bounce once after the serve and the return serve. After the first two touches a player may hit the ball out of mid-air.

Of course, there are ton of fine details and other rules that you will learn as you play but these are the basics.

The history of pickleball

According to U.S.A. Pickleball, the sport was first invented in 1965 when Congressman Joel Pritchard and businessman Bill Bell went to Pritchard's home in Washington state to find their families sitting around with nothing to do.

There was an old badminton court on the property, but they couldn't find a full set of rackets, so they started playing with ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. They figured out that the ball bounced well on the asphalt, lowered the net, and soon found themselves creating rules.

The first permanent and court was created in 1967 in the backyard of Pritchard's friend's house and in 1972 a corporation was formed to protect the creation of the new sport.

Over the years, pickleball took off and by 1990 it was being played in all 50 states. Since then, pickleball has continuously grown. Its growth is widely attributed to its popularity within PE classes, YMCA facilities, retirement communities, and community centers.

Today there are international clubs and governing bodies on multiple continents and tournaments played all over the country and world. Thousands of people have gotten involved of all communities, ages, and now different countries. So, if you are looking to learn, grab a friend, find a court and get out there. It is never the wrong time to try out a new hobby.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How do you play pickleball? A guide to the rules, where to play