Officials in a number of South Jersey municipalities have caught onto the pickleball craze, approving funds to build courts at local parks so residents can enjoy the fast-paced game.
The Cinnaminson police department decided to do the same by sponsoring its first Pickleball With Police on Wednesday, March 23.
“We know it’s a growing sport,” said organizer and police Sgt. Michael Czarzasty, as he welcomed beginner and experienced players for a pickleball course at the Cinnaminson High School gymnasium. “We wanted to reach out to the community and display the good things about Cinnaminson.
“This is our first try with pickleball,” he added. “We want to see if it is successful, and then decide if we will keep it going.”
“Relax, it’s just a game,” instructor Dr. Neal Sundberg told the 11 bright-eyed, pickleball first timers at the high school. “Don’t squeeze the paddle. Hold it kind of loose.”
The class began at 6 p.m., and an hour later, novice doubles games were played. At 8 p.m., competitive doubles for experienced pickleball players began.
“The most important thing is to warm up and not get hurt,” advised Sundberg, while showing the class how to stretch out leg and arm muscles. Then he displayed ways to hit the ball with the paddle, adding that it was better to hold the paddle with a fist rather than using an extended finger, so it is easier to switch from forehand to backhand.
There were three pickleball courts each about half the size of a tennis court set up on the gymnasium floor. Sundberg explained the out-of-bounds lines and the rules, then three practice matches went on simultaneously.
Cyndi Lamon – who has played pickleball before – and Donna Bruno were learning the game as partners. They both hope the program continues; police will advertise the next date on the town’s website if they decide to keep the game going.
For people wanting to try out the popular game, the rules are easy to understand and similar to racket or paddle sports. Pickleball can be played as singles (one vs. one) or doubles (two vs. two), the most common way.
According to the International Federation of Pickleball’s official tournament rule book, the playing area and rules do not change between singles and doubles pickleball play – except in doubles, each player gets to serve on every exchange of serve.
Like volleyball, only the serving team in pickleball can score points, and the first team to reach 11 – by two points – wins. Tournament games can encompass 15 or 21 players and also have to be won by two points. When the serving team’s score is even, 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 the score is odd, that player will be in the left/odd court when serving or receiving.
The pickleball serve must be made underhand, and paddle contact with the ball has to be below the server’s waist, at the navel level. The server must be a foot or more behind the baseline, and neither foot may contact the baseline or court until after the ball is struck. A ball contacting any line, except the non-volley zone line on a serve, is considered in bounds. A serve contacting the non-volley zone line is considered a fault.
The pickleball kitchen rules are especially important to understand because they’re unique to the game. The kitchen is an area that players cannot step inside to volley, and under one rule, “a fault will be declared if, in the act of volleying the ball, a player or anything the player is wearing or carrying touches the non-volley zone or any non-volley line.” The ball must bounce first before a player can be in the kitchen area and hit the ball.
Learning how to play pickleball and learning the rules was fun for the participants, who hope the second “Pickleball with Police” happens soon. It is open for people 10 years old to 100 years old.
