Why Pickleball's Taking Over Your NJ Town: 5 Things To Know

NEW JERSEY — They're building pickleball courts in Madison and Middletown, in Berkeley and Camden County.

The game isn't just taking over New Jersey. It's so prevalent that in other parts of the country, tennis players have complained that pickleball players are taking over their court space. Police were even called in San Diego as a result of a clash.

Why is this sport everywhere? And are you missing out?

"Tennis is still very popular. Now pickleball is popular. We wanted to make sure it wasn’t a fad, and it’s not a fad," said Berkeley, N.J. Mayor Carmen Amato during a council meeting in late 2021, while the body was considering adding courts.

If you haven't tried it, you may soon be in the minority. Reports say the number of pickleball players in the U.S. has grown 40 percent in just two years.

Here's a quick primer for those who want to know what the big "dill" is.

5 Things To Know About Pickleball

1. It was invented by three dads in 1965. They were on an island near Seattle and wanted to keep their kids busy. They found an old badminton court and improvised with ping pong paddles, creating rules that were easy to follow.

2. The game combines tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, and basically involves hitting a Wiffle-type ball back and forth over a net. The game starts by serving underhand.

3. Because the court is smaller than tennis, it's easy for all ages to play, either as doubles or singles. "Because the playing surface is about one-fourth the size of a tennis court," says the L.A. Times,"there’s little ground to cover, especially in doubles. The sport is so physically forgiving that it’s unremarkable to see a gray-haired pair put a beating on their teenage grandkids."

4. Here's how it differs from tennis: After a serve, the ball must bounce once on each side of the net. There is a "no man's land" 7 feet from either side of the net, from which you aren't allowed to volley. And a pickleball is lighter than a tennis ball, so it doesn't bounce as high.

5. The rules are uncomplicated. Here's a video for beginners on how to play.

There are already dozens of pickleball courts all over New Jersey, and more to come. Towns like Livingston have placed measures on their council agendas this year to approve costs for courts.

'The Sport Is A God'

Ridgewood resident George Cheah started the New Jersey Pickleball Association in his Bergen County town in 2015 to increase the sport's visibility.

He noted how easy it is for anyone to play.

"The sport is a god sent to all walks and ages of life," he said. "I have played many sports including baseball, table tennis, platform paddle, tennis, basketball, badminton and soccer. This is one sport that has a level playing field for everyone."

He added, "But most importantly, it serves a fundamental basic need of humans. It provides a social arena to engage in a healthy sport and prolongs their health physically and mentally."

Others have noted the social aspects of the sport too.

"I started NJPA 7 years ago [and] no one heard of pickleball in Bergen County," he added. "Now the need for pickleball court space is getting contentious. Although the sport has been around for over 50 years, the growth is still at its nascent stage (5 million players in the USA). Expectation for 10 million within two years."

Want to play or learn more? Here's a list of courts in NJ.