If you are interested in what Para Pickleball is, it is an international sport that was specifically designed for people who are physically disabled and have mobility impairments. This game, even though is really similar to the regular pickleball – has some modifications. This game has two court levels – one with an elevated net, and one with a net at ground level. Normally, the game starts when both players stand on different sides of the net, and it ends when one of the teams reaches 11 points and captures the ball from the other side. Another option where the game ends would be when one player loses all the balls. If you are interested in finding out more about this interesting sport, or maybe you just want to know the difference between regular and para pickleball, keep reading!
What is actually Para Pickleball/ Adaptive Pickleball?
Pickleball is not accessible for everyone, even though it combines elements of ping-pong, badminton, and tennis and it also has an easy-to-learn handicap system. Para Pickleball or Adaptive pickleball on the other side, is played with the same rules as the traditional game, yet it is slightly different. This one involves two teams. The first team has three players, and the other team has four. Now, the point of the game is to score points by serving or returning the ball back to the opponent’s court so you can win control of it.
A point can be also earned if the ball is volleyed before the payers touch it or return for the second point if they manage to hit the ball towards their baseline and past their opposing team.
This sport, which is very popular can be played in singles or doubles. It is very competitive, but it can also be recreational, therefore it is an easy way to lower the level of stress.
Like it was mentioned before, even though this sport is great for everyone, it is specially designed for people with disabilities. Anyone who people find it hard to play other styles of pickleball will love this particular style! Even if it looks complicated, once you get the hang of how to play this sport, you will realize how easy it actually is and you will love it.
This Game is Popular, But Why?
Compared to the other sports that provide an open environment for people of all skill levels, this sport has its own upsides. One of them is that it is really affordable, which is one of the reasons why this game is so popular. Another reason is that it is suitable for a wide audience and it is accessible for all-level athletes. The best thing about this game is that it can be played by people of all ages.
One more thing that makes this sport really popular is that it is a great way to interact with others. Since it is an interactive sport, people who play it sign up for it with the hope that they will meet new people.
Para Pickleball’s History of Development
This sport has an extremely interesting history. It started in 1965 when Joel Pritchard played rubber balls and felt tip pens in his backyard. His family and his friend Bill Bell’s family were bored one summer day on the Fourth of July. So the two friends decided to invent a new game so their families are not bored anymore. Therefore, the first reason behind inventing the sport of pickleball was so that all members of the family can play.
The property didn’t have the equipment necessary, so the two men traveled to other facilities in search of an old badminton court. Whether it was because they needed something to do or because the kids wanted something different from what grown-ups usually offer, one thing led to the next until they had enough materials to create a set of goalposts and inventoried an old ball for pickleball play.
The game of pickleball is played with a modified ping-pong paddle and an elastic ball that has been improvised through the years. The original form of pickleball was played with a badminton net and the ball volleyed over. When participants arrived, they found that the ball bounced well on asphalt and there were soon organized pickleball games.
The following weekend, John decided to spread the word about the newly invented game and introduced it to his friend Barney McCallum. The first three men decided to play badminton, relying on their prior experience with the game as the rules.
Playing for Commercial Purposes
Pickleball has been played for commercial purposes since 1968, with the first national championship being held by 1967. The first pickleball tournament was held in 1976 at South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington. On the first para pickleball tournament Steve Paranto placed second in the Men’s Singles competition, David Lester took first place.
The participants of this tournament seemed to be mostly college tennis players who used large wood paddles and a softball-sized ball. In 1981, the sport had become a demonstration event at the Paralympic Games!
The Rulebook
The first rulebook for Para Pickleball was published in 1984 by the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.). U.S.A.P.A.’s first Executive Director was Sid Williams, who served from 1984 to 1998. Williams was followed by Frank Candelario, who held the position until 2004.
To get back in time a little bit, in 1990, Pickleball was played in 50 countries – which was a huge success. When the Arizona Senior Olympics introduced this sport eleven years later, sports participation doubled to over two million people worldwide. After that, the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) was established in 2010 to foster the growth and popularization of the sport all over the world.
Recently, the United States Association of Pickleball (USAPA) rebranded to USA Pickleball in order to better represent itself among other governing bodies and international tournaments. The rebranding included a new name, logo and website.
The rebranding was intended to unite pickleball enthusiasts throughout the United States with a worldwide image as the recognized world leader in promoting gamesmanship for pickleball matches that foster partnerships and friendships among players of all ages and skill levels. This includes a range of diverse backgrounds who enjoy the game’s healthful benefits.
Para Pickleball has become an international powerhouse, showing up at one hundred tournaments every year.
The Game Rules
Basic Outline
When you play Para Pickleball, you have to know three simple rules:
The first rule – Para Pickleballs are modified so they bounce two times as high. Players must use their hands or arms when playing, which is one of the modifications to the standard gameplay.
Rule No. 2 – Players are out when they lose contact with their paddle and the surface of the court simultaneously. If you fall down during gameplay due to a natural cause, the player will be restored on top of the baseline before taking any further action according. If this doesn’t happen, the player remains in play and all points scored by either side are canceled. Interesting, isn’t it?
Third Rule – If you want to block a ball from the back of the court, it must first go out of bounds and then bounce into an empty space on their opponent’s half.
Para Pickleball / Wheel chair pickleball is a sport where two teams – one made of four, the other one made of three players compete to reach out to a certain number of points. If the game reaches this point, both opponents have canceled each other out and are in overtime. Each player on one side gets to shoot from their end line with their opponent returning volley shots for three minutes. Overtime can only occur once per set/game.
The Serve
It is important to serve from the right service square, alternating between left and right each time. To serve, the ball cannot be in the 7ft line that is in front of the net or hit below before contacting the ground.
In order to serve in Para Pickleball, a player should stand behind the backline with their feet on either side of the service court. The ball must be hit into the air from behind the person’s waist, without it being bounced first. Teams can keep serving until there’s a fault in service on one server. If a goal occurs on any faults, then the opposite teams get to hit next – but only as long as they hit before it touches the net!
Since this game is played in a best-of-five-games match, the server, standing on their opposite side of the table sends the ball up into the air from a forehand or backhand position with a downward motion. Players take turns serving at a point midway between them.
When a serve is not touched by the net and lands on the other side, one attempt is allowed to hit it back into play. Before every new game, the team that serves can only make one fault before they surrender and lose a point to the other team.
Of the two competing teams, if the first player to serve (the server) fails to make a legal serve and it gets their opponents to hit that ball, then the fault will automatically give a point. If they miss on their second try, play is passed on to the other team’s left side. The winning team starts off with a point in this case as well but most often players like this because it means less effort needs to be exerted when trying for points.
The Volleys and Double Bounce
Pickleball is a game in which players must hit the ball into the air and not let it bounce. You can’t hit the ball if your feet are in front of the non-volley zone line (seven feet behind the net).You need to stand with both of your feet behind this non-volley line.. This is what they call “The Volleys Rule”.
While not common in North American Para Pickleball, the double bounce rule mandates that teams can only play their first shot from off of the bounce. Team A can only volley or block after the “bounce” from team B returns to it. Likewise, Team B can only volley or block after the “bounce” from team A has returned to it. Once these two bounces have been met, either player on each team can volley or block in any order they want.
Fault and Scoring
A serve is called for the other player when the server fails to send their ball outside of the non-volley zone without first making contact with it. If a rally has not started yet, any hit received before the first bounce will be volleyed from either side.
The player who starts the game with serve is called “Serving Partner.” When the play of the game moves to a different team, that team can then score by winning points in return or making an opponent commit fault (when they are at risk). What you need to remember is that a team needs to win two games before their opponents do.
The Positioning Movements of Double Play
The first player from the serving team throws the ball across to the receiver on their right-handed side of the court. The receiver can’t return the serve until the ball bounces, and this has to be two bounces max. The return team cannot touch the ball before it bounces twice. After each bounce, the ball can be volleyed or played off of a bounce until a fault is made.
When you’re serving, whoever made the last point will stay in that same court position while the other player switches. Each team member then stays on serve until they make a mistake. If one team makes two consecutive mistakes, they switch courts and turn the serve over to the other team.
The popularity of pickleball has increased at a rapid pace in recent years, making it an attractive option for athletes.
One of the first features worth mentioning about this awesome sport is that it can be enjoyed by most people, not only by those with disabilities. Para Pickleball is social and competitive which makes it a great game for the family, local leaes, or national tournaments. These qualities make this sport an excellent way to keep your mind and body active.
Para Pickleball, a niche sport that has exploded in popularity over the last few years, is quickly becoming one of America’s most popular activities.
Although the sport has only 4.1 million players, tennis is nearly triple the size with 21.5 million players, according to a Statista report featured in Forbes. But both games may have a new rival on their hands- while pickleball prohibits volleys and scoop shots, pop tennis allows them – meaning that much of its strategy can be applied with the lowest skill level possible.
