Introducing Pickleball
Ready for a rally? Pickleball is coming to Virgin Active Clearview, with 4 outdoor courts opening up this June.
First invented in the summer of ‘65, Pickleball has been around for over 60 years and it’s becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. Nearly 36% of everyone registered with Pickleball England only signed up in 2025.
So what is it? Should you get involved? And, more importantly, how?
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a court sport played with solid Pickleball paddles and a ball. The paddles look like the kinds you play ping-pong or bat ‘n’ ball with, only slightly taller than they are wide.
Pickleball is often described as a mixture of tennis, badminton and table tennis and is played on a badminton-sized court. This makes it a fast-paced game with more nippy shots than you get on a tennis court.
The aim of the game is to get the ball over the net onto your opponent's side of the court, while keeping the ball in play.
How to play Pickleball
Pickleball is a great sport for beginners because you can learn all the rules in a single session and perfect your technique from there. The paddles are easy to grip and the ball moves slower, giving you a few more seconds to plot your next move before you have to play it.
What are the rules of Pickleball?
Pickleball is played like many other racquet sports: you make a serve, your opponent returns it and then you rally until someone scores the point. But in Pickleball, the gameplay is set up to prevent aggressive shots.
Serving must be done underhand and you’ll hit the ball diagonally across the court into your opponent’s box. You only get one serve attempt.
After the serve, the ball must bounce once on the receiving side and once on the serving side straight after the serve. Only in later shots can it be volleyed (hit without touching the ground first) or hit off the bounce.
Now you continue to rally the ball until someone scores.
How does scoring work?
Only the serving team can score points and they get them when their opponent fails to return the ball legally or until someone makes a fault.
That means, the serving team scores a point when the opposing team:
Hits the ball out of bounds
Hits the ball into the net
Volleys standing in the 7 foot wide ‘kitchen’ on either side of the net
Misses the ball
Doesn’t let the ball bounce correctly after the serve (aka the ‘double bounce rule’)
If you’re serving and win the rally, you score a point and keep on serving.
If you’re on the opposing team and win the rally, you don’t score a point but you do win the serve.
Games are played until one team has scored 11 points and you must win by 2 clear point advantage.
How long does a Pickleball game last?
Because of its quick-fire nature, games can last between 15 - 30 minutes. It makes Pickleball a fast-paced cardio hit which often leaves you saying: ‘one more match and then we’ll stop?’
What do I need to play Pickleball?
The kit for Pickleball is relatively simple. You’ll need:
A Pickleball paddle
A Pickleball ball
Comfy sports clothes
A Pickleball court
If you’re playing at Virgin Active and you don’t have your own kit, you can rent your paddles and purchase balls directly from us at reception.
Where can I play Pickleball at Virgin Active?
We’re launching our very first Pickleball courts in Virgin Active Clearview this summer so get ready to play from the start of June. We’ve got 4 outdoor courts which you can play on as a team of 2 or group of 4.
FAQs
Is Pickleball good for beginners?
Yes! Pickleball is a fast-paced social sport which is easy to learn and doesn’t need tonnes of specialist equipment. It’s great for your cardio and keeping you on your toes.
Is Pickleball a singles or doubles game?
Pickleball can be played in doubles or single - but the scoring gets a little more tricky with doubles. A singles game gives you more movement while doubles is all about team work and strategy.
Where can I find Pickleball near me?
If you’re a member of Virgin Active and live near Clearview, you’ll find 4 outdoor courts at our club.
Can I borrow Pickleball Kit?
If you don’t have your own kit, you can hire paddles and purchase balls in club.
Is Pickleball included in my Virgin Active membership?
Pickleball court bookings are free for all Virgin Active members.
