LARAMIE PICKLEBALL COURTS

LOCATIONS
Laramie Recreation Center
920 Boulder Drive
(307) 721-5269
https://www.cityoflaramie.org/163/Recreation-Center
 
Many LPA members are also members of the Laramie Community Recreation Center (to learn about membership options at the Recreation Center visit https://cityoflaramie.org/169/Memberships-Fees … current Non-Membership Daily Fee for an adult is $6.50); play times vary but are available year-round. To learn about what pickleball activities/opportunities are currently available at the Recreation Center
visit the “Activity Registration Page” at https://parksandrec.cityoflaramie.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/search.html identify Pickleball in the Search box and the Activity/Registration calendar should appear.
 
Pickleball Courts at Undine Park
North of 1010 S. 6th Street and 500 East Park Ave, Laramie
Weather permitting, many LPA members play pickleball year-round at these four outdoor courts (construction finished in 2020).  
 
North Gym Laramie Plains Civic Center  
710 East Garfield Street
(307) 745-8000
 Beginning Fall (when the weather chills), some LPA members play pickleball at the North Gym (Kenny Sailors Gym) of the Laramie Plains Civic Center (LPCC)  
http://lpccwy.org/kenny-sailors-gym
The LPA posts pickleball availability and helps support play in the LPCC (where admission is free) but contributions are welcomed. 

University of Wyoming Indoor Tennis Complex
2717 East Armory Road
(307) 766-6993
Another popular location for Fall and Winter indoor pickleball are the indoor pickleball courts at the University of Wyoming Indoor Tennis Complex. (For membership information and fees visit https://gowyo.com/sports/2018/12/8/tennis-facility.aspx.) With membership (currently $175.00 for adults per the 8-month indoor season) pickleball can be played 7 days a week from 9am to noon for a flat $5.00 drop-in rate; from noon to close courts can also be reserved for pickleball play. For more information, contact the UW Tennis Facility directly at (307) 766-6993.

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HISTORY OF THE GAME
Pickleball is a game assembled from spare parts. The year was 1965, the place was Bainbridge Island (around 10 miles from Seattle, Washington) and the home of 40-year-old Joel Pritchard, businessman and then a Republican member of the Washington State House of Representatives. The time was summer and after a game of golf, Pritchard and Bill Bell (a long-time friend) returned home and found their families sitting around rather bored, looking for something to do. So, Pritchard and Bell began problem solving: on the property was an old badminton court; they found the badminton net but not a full set of badminton rackets; but they did find some ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. So, they put up the net (about badminton height) gave the paddles and ball to the kids and play began -- first the kids, then the parents.
 
Initially the players volleyed the ball over the net but they soon discovered the plastic ball bounced well on the asphalt surface so the net was lowered to the ground (raising about 36 inches) and a game involving both a bouncing ball and a volleying ball followed.
 
The entire family seemed to enjoy playing the new game and the next weekend they introduced the game to neighbors; soon rules-of-play (initially relying heavily on badminton) emerged and experimentation with paddles and balls followed.
 
And so, today’s game of pickleball was born; it still adheres to many of the initial rules created on Bainbridge island (especially the 7-foot non-volley area on each side of the net and the double bounce rule), a game all family members should be able to play together.

RULES OF THE GAME
Pickleball Rules Summary
 https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/ifp-official-rules/rules-summary/
  
USAPA Pickleball  https://usapickleball.org/
USA Pickleball Association (USAPA)
The following is an abbreviated form of the rules to give a quick overview of how the game is played. If there is a conflict between this summary and the official rules, the official rules prevail. (2021)
 
Basic Rules
Pickleball is played either as doubles (two players per team) or singles; doubles is most common The same size playing area and rules are used for both singles and doubles
The Serve
The server’s arm must be moving in an upward arc when the ball is struck. Paddle contact with the ball must not be made above the waist level. The head of the paddle must not be above the highest part of the wrist at contact. A ‘drop serve’ is also permitted in which case none of the elements above apply. At the time the ball is struck, the server’s feet may not touch the court or outside the imaginary extension of the sideline or centerline and at least one foot must be behind the baseline on the playing surface or the ground behind the baseline. The serve is made diagonally crosscourt and must land within the confines of the opposite diagonal court. Only one serve attempt is allowed per server.
Serving Sequence
Both players on the serving doubles team have the opportunity to serve and score points until they commit a fault *(except for the first service sequence of each new game). The first serve of each side-out is made from the right/even court. If a point is scored, the server switches sides and the server initiates the next serve from the left/odd court. As subsequent points are scored, the server continues switching back and forth until a fault is committed and the first server loses the serve. When the first server loses the serve the partner then serves from their correct side of the court (except for the first service sequence of the game*). The second server continues serving until his team commits a fault and loses the serve to the opposing team. Once the service goes to the opposition (at side out), the first serve is from the right/even court and both players on that team have the opportunity to serve and score points until their team commits two faults. In singles the server serves from the right/even court when his or her score is even and from the left/odd when the score is odd.
*At the beginning of each new game only one partner on the serving team has the opportunity to serve before faulting, after which the service passes to the receiving team.
Scoring
Points are scored only by the serving team.     Games are normally played to 11 points, win by 2. Tournament games may be to 15 or 21, win by 2. When the serving team’s score is even (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) the player who was the first server in the game for that team will be in the right/even court when serving or receiving; when odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) that player will be in the left/odd court when serving or receiving. Two-Bounce Rule
When the ball is served, the receiving team must let it bounce before returning, and then the serving team must let it bounce before returning, thus two bounces. After the ball has bounced once in each team’s court, both teams may either volley the ball (hit the ball before it bounces) or play it off a bounce (ground stroke). The two-bounce rule eliminates the serve and volley advantage and extends rallies.
Non-Volley Zone
The non-volley zone is the court area within 7 feet on both sides of the net. Volleying is prohibited within the non-volley zone. This rule prevents players from executing smashes from a position within the zone. It is a fault if, when volleying a ball, the player steps on the non-volley zone, including the line and/or when the player’s momentum causes them or anything they are wearing or carrying to touch the non-volley zone including the associated lines. It is a fault if, after volleying, a player is carried by momentum into or touches the non-volley zone, even if the volleyed ball is declared dead before this happens. A player may legally be in the non-volley zone any time other than when volleying a ball. The non-volley zone is commonly referred to as “the kitchen.”
Line Calls
A ball contacting any part of any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered “in.” A serve contacting the non-volley zone line is short and a fault.
Faults
A fault is any action that stops play because of a rule violation. A fault by the receiving team results in a point for the serving team. A fault by the serving team results in the server’s loss of serve or side out. Determining Serving Team
Any fair method can be used to determine which player or team has first choice of side, service, or receive. (Example: Write a 1 or 2 on the back of the score sheet.)

 
COMMON PICKLEBALL TERMS & DEFINITIONS
Some Basic Pickleball Definitions
Taken from Gale H. Leach, The Art of Pickleball (Fourth Edition, 2013) pp. xvii-xx
To order:
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Pickleball-Fourth-Techniques-Strategies/dp/B0157IYB0E
 
Rally – Hitting the ball back and forth between opponents.
 
Fault – An infringement of the rules that ends the rally.
 
Game – Regulation games are played to 11 points (a team must win by two points).
 
Non-Volley Zone – A seven-foot area adjacent to the net within which you may not volley the ball. The non-volley zone usually includes all lines around it.
 
Volley – To hit the ball before it bounces.
 
Double Bounce Rule – After a serve, each team must play their first shot off the bounce, after which the ball can be played off the bounce or volleyed.
 
Even Court – The right half of the court. It is called this because, in singles, your score will be even when you are serving from this side.
 
Odd Court – The left half of the court. It is called this because, in singles, your score will be odd when you are serving from this side.
 
Baseline – The line at the back of the pickleball court (22 feet from the net).
 
Centerline – The line bisecting the service courts that extends from the non-volley zone line to the baseline.  
 
Server Number – When playing doubles, either “1” or “2,” depending on whether you are the first or second server on your side. The number is appended to the score when it is called.

 

 

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