One of the fastest-growing sports in the United States in 2022 is pickleball, but you should know that it has absolutely nothing to do with pickles. (We'll get to the name later.)
Pickleball is a lot like tennis. There's a court with white lines, a ball, and a net, and the point of the game is to hit the ball over the net before it bounces twice on your side of the court. If you don't, that's a fault, as is hitting the ball into or under the net or over the sidelines. Players win and lose points—not to mention games and matches—because of faults.
But pickleball has several features that are all its own. You hit the ball with a paddle instead of a racket, and the ball is plastic and has holes in it. There's also an area on either side of the net called the non-volley zone (NVZ). If your foot—even just a toe—happens to be in the NVZ when you're initiating or returning a volley, that's a fault. The thing is, sometimes you can't stay out of the NVZ because of how fast you're running to hit the ball—and then you're really in a pickle.
The game was invented in the summer of 1965 by U.S. Representative Joel Pritchard. He, his pal Bill Bell, and their families were bored one day. So together with a neighbor, they whipped up a game with ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. Pritchard's wife, Joan, came up with the name. She said that the way pickleball combined parts of other sports reminded her of a pickle boat in crew. (In a rowing competition, boaters from different teams who are left out of the main boat race are thrown together in the pickle boat.)
Nearly 60 years later, about 5 million Americans play pickleball regularly in parks, community centers, retirement communities, and as part of leagues. The game is catching on internationally, too. Clearly, pickleball is a sport that people everywhere seem to really, um…relish.
Pickleball is a rapidly growing sport in the United States, with about 5 million Americans regularly playing the game. Despite its name, pickleball has nothing to do with pickles. The game is similar to tennis, with a court, net, and ball, but there are unique features that differentiate it.
In pickleball, players use a paddle instead of a racket to hit a plastic ball with holes in it. The objective is to hit the ball over the net before it bounces twice on your side of the court. Faults are incurred if the ball is hit into or under the net, over the sidelines, or if it bounces twice on your side. Players win and lose points, games, and matches based on faults.
One distinctive aspect of pickleball is the non-volley zone (NVZ), which is an area on either side of the net. If a player's foot touches the NVZ while initiating or returning a volley, it is considered a fault. This can be challenging, as players may find themselves in the NVZ due to the speed at which they are running to hit the ball, putting them in a pickle.
The game was invented in 1965 by U.S. Representative Joel Pritchard and his friend Bill Bell. They created the game using ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball when they were looking for an activity to entertain their families. Pritchard's wife, Joan, named the game pickleball because it reminded her of a pickle boat in crew. A pickle boat combines boaters from different teams who were left out of the main boat race.
Since its invention, pickleball has gained popularity in parks, community centers, retirement communities, and leagues across the United States. The game is also growing internationally. With its unique rules and equipment, pickleball is a sport that people all over seem to enjoy and appreciate.
Which of the following sentences expresses the main idea of the article?
A.Pickleball is a unique sport that combines parts of several sports, and it is growing in popularity.
B.Pickleball is often played in parks, but it's also played by residents in retirement communities.
C.Pickleball players must steer clear of the non-volley zone, but that can be very difficult at times.
D.Pickleball games are competitive, and players win points by hitting the ball over a net before it bounces twice.
A. Pickleball is a unique sport that combines parts of several sports, and it is growing in popularity.
Which passage from the article best supports the idea that it can be tough to score points in pickleball?
A.If your foot—even just a toe—happens to be in the NVZ when you're initiating or returning a volley, that's a fault.
B.You hit the ball with a paddle instead of a racket, and the ball is plastic and has holes in it.
C.[Pritchard's wife] said that the way pickleball combined parts of other sports reminded her of a pickle boat in crew.
D.[U.S. Representative Joel Pritchard], his pal Bill Bell, and their families were bored one day.
A. If your foot—even just a toe—happens to be in the NVZ when you're initiating or returning a volley, that's a fault.
Pickleball is a rapidly growing sport in the United States and internationally. It is similar to tennis, with a court, ball, and net, but there are some distinct features that make it unique. The objective of pickleball is to hit the ball over the net before it bounces twice on your side of the court. If you fail to do so, it's considered a fault, as are hitting the ball into or under the net, or hitting it over the sidelines.
In pickleball, players use a paddle rather than a racket to hit the ball. The ball itself is plastic and has holes in it, distinguishing it from a traditional tennis or ping-pong ball. Additionally, there's a specific area on each side of the net called the non-volley zone (NVZ), which has its own set of rules. If any part of a player's foot, even just a toe, touches the NVZ while initiating or returning a volley, it results in a fault.
The origins of pickleball date back to the summer of 1965 when U.S. Representative Joel Pritchard and his friend Bill Bell were looking to create a game to entertain their families. They used ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball to invent what is now known as pickleball. Joel Pritchard's wife, Joan, came up with the name, comparing the combination of elements from different sports in pickleball to a pickle boat in crew. A pickle boat is a boat in rowing where boaters from different teams who are not part of the main race come together.
Today, pickleball has gained immense popularity, with around 5 million Americans regularly playing the sport in various settings such as parks, community centers, retirement communities, and organized leagues. It is also gaining traction internationally. The growth of pickleball demonstrates its widespread appeal and enjoyment among people of all ages and backgrounds.