If you have haven’t already noticed it by now, here’s a newsflash for you: pickleball is kind of a big deal. According to a 2022 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the sport has over 4.8 million participants nationwide and has experienced sensational growth of 39.3% over the last two years. This has made pickleball America’s fastest-growing sport for a second straight year. The sport is even reaching celebrity status, attracting new converts like LeBron James and Stephen Colbert to courts across the country.

As with any new craze, some growing pains are to be expected. Pickleballs rise in popularity has most notably caused players to scrutinize how its scoring system is established during play. There are quite a few factors to consider when it comes to better adapting the pickleball scoring system to serve a more vast and diverse set of players.

Different age groups

One significant factor is the growing age disparity between players. From 2020 to 2021, the age of the average pickleball player decreased by 2.9 years, according to the USA Pickleball Association. What’s more, players under 24 years of age have become the fastest growing age group in the sport, while annual growth among players 55 years of age and older is significantly less.

One of the great social aspects of pickleball is that it mixes different age groups together. Also–as any seasoned pickleball player will tell you–youth alone doesn’t always equal greater skill and success. However, a growing youth movement in the sport will doubtlessly forge a gulf between players. A more all-inclusive pickleball scoring system can help offset any potential battle of the generations.

Organizing under skill level

In addendum to differing age groups, it is important to consider how players stack up against one another. Though we all enjoy an athletic challenge, we also want a fair fight. When novices find themselves on the court with advanced level players, it is often no fun for anyone. The newbies lose their enthusiasm when facing an impossible task, while the well-polished experts find themselves poorly positioned to improve their skills when matched up against such easy competition. A scoring system that matches players with those of their same skill level will only enrich the sport.

Speed of the experience

Picture this: you’ve just finished playing an exciting down-to-the-wire pickleball match. Riding the wave of endorphins and exhilaration, you excitedly look around your local club for your next matchup, only to find a scene of polite chaos unfolding before your eyes. Conversations about who should play who and on which court abound, taking up precious court time, and no one seems to want to offend or step on someone else’s toes. Sound familiar?

If a comprehensive pickleball scoring system could be devised that paired players with their competitive equals, it would eliminate the guess-work and decision-making that so often clutters up the pickleball clubs across the country. The more time spent actually playing the sport, the better. That’s something that pickleball players of all skill levels and abilities can agree on!