Pickleball is a fun game to play on a court or inside on a hard floor. To play, you need a hard, flat surface to allow the ball to bounce before you hit it. If you’re on the beach, there is no way to get the ball to bounce right before hitting it.
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a racquet game that requires a smaller court and lower net than badminton, the court is about twenty feet long and the space between both players totals a short 14 feet, so it is a shorter distance than most racquet courts. It’s similar to a mix of racquetball, tennis, and ping pong. It’s played by hitting a ball across the court and letting the ball bounce once before hitting it back. Fourteen feet is the longest you can hit it in bounds and you can play both singles and partners.
Due to needing to let the ball bounce, the game cannot be played on the beach without modification, but many beaches offer courts or have tennis courts. You do need to lower the net or bring your own Pickleball net.
If you want to play it on the beach, you need paddles and the pickleball. You may or may not use a net. If you don’t want to use a net, all you need are the paddles and pickleball. You simply hit the ball back and forth without allowing the ball to hit the ground. Like traditional Pickleball, you end the game at 11, 15, or 21 points.
How Do You Play?
You play Pickleball by hitting a ball over a net and letting the ball bounce once between hits. The ball must be in bounds, and in bounds is only fourteen feet. The rules of Pickleball are:
- The ball must stay in bounds.
- Serving must be on the baseline.
- Serve has to land in bounds.
- The game ends at 11, 15, or 21 points
The rules of modified are the same, but you do not allow the ball to bounce. You hit the ball back and forth in the air.
What Type of Equipment Do You Need?
To play Pickleball, you need the racket, which is similar to badminton. You will also need a low to the ground net and the pickleball. If you do want to play while you’re on the beach, you may be able to find tile or boards that are made of a material that will allow the ball to bounce, but it would be a long shot. The best type of flooring would be either concrete or asphalt. If you’re doing it inside, using a squash or racquetball court would also work, as long as the space was the right size, and the net was at floor level.
The best bet with playing at the beach is to use a badminton court built around the sand or find a tennis court and lower the net to touch the ground.
You will find pickleball courts at nearly any beach. If you can’t find one, or it’s too far away for your taste, you can find tennis courts. You could even take a net and use a basketball court. Just make sure the net touches the ground and any outdoor court can be used.
The 7 Best Beach Games for Adult Team Building. Learn more here.
What Can You Do Instead of Playing Pickleball?
If you have rackets and want to play something while you’re on the beach, badminton can easily be played. It uses birdies instead of balls and doesn’t require bouncing. Volleyball is a lot different, but it can easily be played on the beach. You just need a ball and a net and at least 2 people and you can play on any surface. There is no bouncing required and it’s still a very competitive game that’s fun to play with groups of nearly any size.
Another game you can play is paddleball. You can set the net up and hit the ball back and forth without allowing the ball to hit the ground. Or you can play without a net, just bat the pickleball back and forth without letting it touch the ground. This is the best modification for Pickleball for playing directly on the beach. This game can easily be a modified version of Pickleball, use a regular pickleball and it can be modified. The only difference would be that you do not allow the ball to bounce in between hits.
If you really want to try to play on the beach, you can create a wood floor and attach a pickleball net to the board and carry it with you, make sure it’s at least fourteen to twenty-eight feet but this may be a little hard to carry with you from your car or hotel room to the beach and if the floor is uneven, it may be difficult to let the ball bounce properly. If you live on the beach or have a private area, you can build the wood floor and leave it on the beach, so you do not have to carry it around so much.
Remember, you would need the board floor to be larger than the playing court, so you have room to move. You also need to make sure the areas are marked, so you can see if the ball is being hit in or out of bounds. It’s also best to make sure the entire board is even and smooth so the ball won’t hit an uneven area and the bounce will be even.
Another way to play is to play beach tennis. It has similar rules to regular tennis but instead of allowing the ball to bounce, you hit it directly. Like regular tennis, you can’t put your racquet over the net, and you can’t reach over the net. You do not hit the ball to your partner, if you’re playing on teams, there is a one-hit per point rule. Beach tennis is similar to pickleball.
Are There Any Pickleball Leagues?
There are a couple of Pickleball organizations and leagues, some centered around playing at the beach.
If you go to Delray Beach in Florida, they have an ongoing Pickleball group that meets. You can find the information here. They are geared towards adults and meet a lot at a community center.
If you go to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, you can find a group that meets to teach and play. They provide paddles and teach beginners.
On the West Coast, you can find plenty of places to play in California on this site.
With a simple search, you can find places to play or people to play with in any other state or beach.
If you’re going to be in Venus Beach, Pickleball by the Sea is something to check out. They host training and play in the area and welcome people to come to check them out.
You can go to the USA Pickleball organization to find tournaments and championships held all over the US.
Further Reading:
What Are Some Similar Games to Pickleball?
A few other games that have similar equipment or rules to pickleball are badminton, tennis, racquetball, table tennis, squash, or volleyball. All those require either hitting balls with rackets or use nets. Some can be played outside, and others (racquetball) require indoor space.
Is Pickleball Good For Seniors/Retirees?
Yes, Pickleball is a very good game to play for older people. It is a lower impact sport, like tennis, but it’s also a good aerobic workout that can help seniors stay healthy. It’s also good for children, it is easy to learn and can help kids with hand/eye coordination.
Is Pickleball an Outside or Inside Game?
Pickleball can be played both indoors or outdoors and is a great game to play in all seasons and weather. If you want to play outside, look for asphalt or concrete and if you play indoors, an indoor recreation center- racquetball or indoor tennis court is ideal.
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult a legal expert or medical professional to address your specific needs.