Where Can I Play Pickleball in Scotland? Locations, rules, scoring and history of the trendy racket sport

In 2018 there were only around 50 players of the racket sport, but that’s grown to over 5,200 this year - an increase of more than 10,000 per cent.

Meanwhile, last weekend saw a record 380 players duke it out in over 900 matches at the Skechers Pickleball Scottish Open, at the National Badminton Centre at Glasgow Club Scotstoun.

Speaking at the recent tournament, Judy Murray raved about the game: “It’s just fun and engaging, and it’s incredibly inclusive. And for Scotland, it’s a perfect fit for us. We have terrible weather, we have badminton courts everywhere - in every community centre and sports centre. Even church halls have badminton courts. So, in terms of setting up quickly, wherever you are, I think it’s a perfect fit for getting more people more active, more often in Scotland. It’s a perfect transfer out of tennis into something that will keep me in a similar game, but at the other end of the scale, I could also see how it’s a great introduction to any kind of racket sport because it’s so doable.”

It’s not just Judy who’s a fan in the Murray family, with Andy Murray having installed a court at Cromlix Hotel, in Dunblane, which he owns with wife Kim.

We still have some way to go to match the success of pickleball in the US, where it’s estimated around 13 million people play, including celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, the Kardashians, and George Clooney.

But Anne Smillie, who was Badminton Scotland’s chief executive for nearly 30 years and now sits on the board of Pickleball Scotland, believes it’s on track to overtake tennis as Scotland’s most popular racket sport by 2030.

She explained: “I’m truly amazed by the rapid rise of pickleball in Scotland; I’ve never seen anything like this in my more than 40 years working in sport. The astronomical growth has all been down to the passion of volunteers and the enthusiasm of players, from teenagers to retirees. I’m absolutely convinced that with the right funding and institutional backing from Sportscotland, pickleball will become Scotland’s leading racket sport by the end of this decade.”

Here’s everything you need to know about the sport.

Who invented pickleball?

The sport was invented in 1965 by former Lieutenant Governor of Washington Joel Pritchard at his summer home on Bainbridge Island, in the USA - assisted by his friends Barney McCallum and Bill Bell. They had recently been playing golf and returned home to find Pritchard’s family bored. Intending to play badminton, they could’t find a shuttlecock so set out to invent a new game - and shuttleball was born. To this day, it is still played on badminton courts with a lowered net.

Why is it called pickleball?

There are a couple of theories as to how Pritchard came up with the name.

According to Pritchard’s wife Joan the name came from the pickle boat at racing events. The pickle boat is one that is crewed by available rowers who don’t already have a boat and is drawn at random. Similarly, the elements of pickleball were chosen at random and thrown together to create the game.

Others believe that that the name comes from the family dog, who was called ‘Pickles’, however it’s now thought the dog was named after the game, rather than the other way around.

What equipment is required to play pickleball?

One of the reasons that pickleball is so popular is that it can be played on any badminton court - so no special venue is required.

Other than that, all you need is a couple of the speciasl smooth-faced pickleball paddles and the pickleball itself - a perforated, hollow plastic ball. A complete set can be picked up for as little as £30.

Where can I play pickleball in Scotland?

Pickleball Scotland have a regularly-updated list of all the places you can play in Scotland. Check it out here - and find your local pickleball club.

What are the rules of pickleball?

According to Pickleball Scotland, a voluntary association with the sole purpose of promoting and developing the sport of pickleball: “The start of a game begins with a serve. The player standing in the right service court is always the first server, whether at the the beginning of a game or on a side-out. Before serving the server must call the score. A Pickleball serve can be hit underhanded from behind the baseline cross court into the opposing team’s service court. You can also drop the ball to bounce and serve. If the ball hits the net and lands in the play continues. The serve must clear the net. Sometimes the ball will hit the net but still land in the correct serving court. If the ball hits the net and lands in the kitchen, it is a fault.”

How does the pickleball scoring system work?

The scoring couldn’t be much simpler. The winner is the first player or team to reach 11 points but, like a tie-break in tennis, you have to win by two clear points. If the score is tied at 10-10, you keep going until one side goes two points clear. You can only score a point while serving (like in squash) and you have to verbally call your score just before you serve.