What is pickleball?
The easiest racket sport to learn: a small court, a slow plastic ball and simple scoring. Three indoor courts at the Park, and your first intro is free.
Doubles or singles
Most play is doubles: social and chatty.
The kitchen
No volleying in the 7-foot zone by the net.
Quick to learn
Rallying in your first five minutes.
Easy on the body
Smaller court, less running, all the fun.
Pickleball in 60 seconds
Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a small court with solid paddles, a perforated plastic ball and surprisingly addictive rules. The serve is underhand, only the serving team can score, and games go to 11. The court is small enough that newcomers rally within minutes.
The court
A pickleball court is 13.4 metres long and 6.1 metres wide, about a third the size of a tennis court, with a net across the middle a touch lower than tennis. Each side has a 2.13-metre non-volley zone by the net, known as the kitchen.
The gear
- Paddle: solid composite with a rectangular head. Lighter than a tennis racket.
- Ball: perforated plastic. Indoor and outdoor balls feel slightly different.
- Shoes: court shoes with good sideways grip.
No paddle yet? Hire one from the vending machine 24/7, or the pro shop during staffed hours.
How a point plays out
- Serve underhand from behind the baseline, below the waist, cross-court.
- The double bounce: the serve and the return must each bounce before anyone volleys.
- The kitchen: no volleying while you’re standing in the non-volley zone.
- Scoring: only the serving team scores. Games go to 11, win by 2.
Want the full rulebook? Read our complete guide to pickleball.
How pickleball compares
If you've played a racket sport before, pickleball will feel familiar in some ways and brand new in others. The Park runs both pickleball and padel, so you don't have to pick before you've tried.
| What | Pickleball | Padel | Tennis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court | 13.4m × 6.1m, open | 20m × 10m, enclosed in glass | 23.77m × 8.23m, open |
| Walls | None | In play after the bounce | None |
| Ball | Perforated plastic | Low-pressure tennis ball | Pressurised tennis ball |
| Racket or paddle | Solid, rectangular, lighter | Solid, drilled face, no strings | – |
| Serve | Underhand, below the waist | Underhand, below the waist | Overhand |
| Format | Singles or doubles | Doubles (mostly) | Singles or doubles |
| Scoring | Games to 11, win by 2 | 15-30-40-game, like tennis | 15-30-40-game |
| Special rule | The kitchen: no volleying in the 7-foot zone by the net | The walls are part of the play | None |
| Time to first rally | About 5 minutes | About 10 minutes | Depends on your background |
| On the body | Low: small court, less running | Moderate: quick sideways sprints | – |
| Feel | Social, simple, addictive | Social, fast, tactical | Classic, athletic, demanding |
Your first weeks of pickleball
Ready for your own paddle?
Starter bundles and forgiving paddles from the Park shop, picked for your first months on court.
Playing every week?
A Pickleball pass from $3 a month takes 20% off your pickleball court bookings and Open Matches. Or go all in: The Park Membership is $75 a month with 300 minutes of court time included, and you can book 14 days ahead.
Students and over-60s get 50% off off-peak court bookings, free to add: students · over 60s
