It's the game with a funny name.
Even before playing pickleball for the first time, now-devoted players weren't sure of what to make of the game.
"Who wants to play a game called pickleball?" they told the News-Optimist Thursday afternoon at the NationsWEST Field House.
It turns out many people want to play the game once they get a chance at it. The game made its way to the Battlefords last April after vacationers played pickleball in Mexico. Players met once a week during the summer last year.
As more people vacationed to Mexico and Arizona, the development of the game in the Battlefords increased. Now, players meet officially Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. Unscheduled games can also be found on open courts in the evenings and on weekends. Anywhere between eight and 24 players show up for the afternoon sessions. Usually more players attend once golf season is over.
Pickleball is a game that takes elements from tennis, badminton and ping pong. It is played on a badminton-sized court with a low net like tennis. The paddles used are similar to - but larger than - ping pong paddles. The ball is designed like a Wiffle ball, but more durable.
According to the Pickleball Canada website, the game was created during the summer of 1965 near Seattle, Wash. The original intent was to create a "fun game" that the whole family would be able to play. As the sport grew in the 1970s, pickleball evolved from a family game to a "paddle court sport with formalized rules."
While predominantly a game played in teams of two, singles matches of pickleball can be played. Games of pickleball are played to a score of 11 with the serving team being the only side that can earn a point.
The player on the right serves first to the opposite court. Rallies continue until the ball bounces twice on one side or the ball lands out of bounds. After the serve, the ball has to bounce once on each side before it can be played in the air. There is also a "non-volley zone," which is a seven-foot rectangle in front of the net. A player can only play the ball in that zone only if it bounces in the rectangle first.
It is a game that is growing internationally as well. Players at the field house Thursday afternoon said they have played against people from Regina all the way to Australia.
If you want to try pickleball, new players are always welcome during the Tuesday and Thursday afternoon sessions. More experienced players take the time to explain and demonstrate how to play the game to newer players.
