Everything You Need to Know about Wheelchair Pickleball
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America and is appropriate for players of all ages, and skill levels. Wheelchair pickleball is becoming more prevalent and has been recently showcased in a Pickleball for All exhibition sponsored by the Carvana PPA Tour. What some people may not know is that wheelchair athletes can hold their own against standing pickleball players when playing pickleball.
What is Wheelchair Pickleball?
Wheelchair pickleball is a pickleball game where one or more players on the pickleball court participating are in a wheelchair. Wheelchair pickleball is an adaptive form of pickleball with special rules for participants, including that they must remain seated in the wheelchair at all times during play.
How Wheelchair Pickleball Was Added to the USAPA
Jim Loving and Joe Dowling are the catalysts for wheelchair pickleball, which is quickly gaining popularity. On the Pickleball Fire podcast, Jim explained how he met a wheelchair player for the first time when he was playing at a private venue in South Atlanta. They often had Canadian players come down to play at that location, and they received news that there was going to be a wheelchair player accompanying his friends. Having been a former tennis competitor, the wheelchair player performed well against the standing players.
After that experience, Jim had the idea of creating a separate division for wheelchair players in pickleball tournaments. It was not until a year later, while arranging the USAPA mid-Atlantic regional in Myrtle Beach that Jim acted on his idea.
He began reaching out to wheelchair players in the area and invited them to participate. Along the way, he met Joe Dowling, an athlete and wheelchair competitor who helped find players to participate.
Pickleball is a game where wheelchair players can play at much the same level as other competitors. They can also grow very competent at pickleball, and Jim noticed that. That was why he decided to open up an opportunity for wheelchair players to play pickleball in tournaments.
The First US Pickleball Tournament with a Wheelchair Division
The first US pickleball tournament with a wheelchair division was conducted in 2019. Only six to eight wheelchair players participated. As there were so few wheelchair players, they didn’t distinguish between genders or skill sets. They had divisions for doubles and mixed doubles and played alongside standup partners.
“All the players were very excited and appreciated the opportunity to play in the event,” said Jim Loving, President of the Myrtle Beach Pickleball Club and USAPA District Ambassador East South Carolina. “At the social before the events, we gave each player a plaque recognizing their participation in the first-ever wheelchair division, and Onix gave each player a paddle. Hopefully, wheelchair divisions will become a part of all future pickleball tournaments.”
Joe Dowling: Wheelchair Pickleball Ambassador
Joe Dowling is a wheelchair athlete and participated in the first wheelchair pickleball tournament. He considers the game of pickleball an excellent opportunity for inclusivity for wheelchair pickleball players who would otherwise be restricted in their movements and socialization. Joe was asked to help in the development of the adaptive rules for wheelchair pickleball. He was also invited to South Carolina to meet other pickleball ambassadors and show them what wheelchair pickleball was like.
USAPA Wheelchair Pickleball Rules
The USA Pickleball Association is responsible for creating the official rulebook that governs the rules of pickleball in tournaments. They have created adaptive rules for wheelchair pickleball.
A player’s wheelchair is considered part of the player’s body. The rules of pickleball for player’s bodies apply to a player in a wheelchair, aside from the non-volley zone rules, such as a pickleball hitting a player’s wheelchair (resulting in a fault.)
A wheelchair pickleball player can hit the pickleball off of a double bounce, unlike standing players where double bounces are considered a fault.
If a pickleball court doesn’t have 5 feet of clearance on the sides of the court or 8 feet behind the baseline, replays may be called if wheelchair players aren’t able to return the ball due to the lack of space.
If a standing player is playing against or with a wheelchair player, the rules for standing players apply to the standing player, and wheelchair rules will apply to wheelchair players.
Larger pickleball court size - wheelchair pickleball court has been expanded to 74ft x 44ft instead of the standard pickleball court size of 44ft x 20ft to allow for extra space to maneuver.
Non-volley zone faults are based on the back wheels of a wheelchair. The front wheels of a wheelchair may be inside the NVZ when volleying, but the back wheels must not be in the non-volley zone when volleying.
Singles pickleball for brackets for a 3.5 skill level and less. Play is restricted to half of the pickleball court for singles wheelchair players with a skill level of 3.5 or below. For players with a 4.0 rating and above, the entire pickleball court is used.
The rear wheels of a wheelchair must be in the correct serving area at the point of contact on the serve. A wheelchair player’s front wheels on the wheelchair may be on the baseline or on the court, but the rear wheels must have contact with the proper serving area.
What are the Benefits of Adaptive Pickleball?
Mixed-ability play in pickleball tournaments allows those with disabilities to play alongside non-disabled players. This inclusivity enriches the sport and brings people together in the spirit of the creation of pickleball.
Where to Play Wheelchair Pickleball
There are several pickleball clubs throughout the country offering pickleball clinics and adaptive open-play sessions or official tournaments like the US Open. To find a clinic or club near you, check out USAPA’s “Places 2 Play” or check out some of these clubs and events below:
Watch the Wheelchair Pickleball Gold Medal Match of the US Open below:
