The History of Paddleball
Both four-wall and one-wall paddleball are American games, with similar, but distinct histories. Derived from handball, both games can be played as singles, one-on-one, or doubles, two-on-two. Players work to keep a single running ball in play, hitting it against a wall or walls with a paddle without allowing it to bounce against the floor too many times.
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Origin
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The exact origin of handball is unknown. Similar games are recorded in Egypt as early as 2000 B.C. The modern game of handball, in which a ball is bounced off of walls, is first recorded in the Gaelic cultures of Ireland and Scotland during the 15th century. It was played in Europe according to local rules until the 1800s, when a standardized set of rules for Gaelic handball were developed. It was carried to America by immigrants during the 18th and 19th centuries, and Americanized. The first known handball court was built in San Francisco around 1851.
One-Wall Paddleball
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Immigrants playing handball outdoors against the walls of buildings in New York soon discovered that the city’s winter temperatures made handball playing uncomfortable. To save their hands, the players began carving wooden paddles to hit the ball with. In time, using a paddle to hit the ball spread, and the practice gained popularity in other cities. It became simply paddleball, a stand-alone game rather than a handball modification.
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Organization of One-Wall Paddleball
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By the 1950s one-wall paddleball had become so popular that players began to organize and standardize the sport. In 1960, the U.S. Paddleball Association was formed. It was replaced in the late 1960s by the American Paddleball Association. In 1973, a second major paddleball association was formed, the Paddleball Players Association. All of these organizations worked to organize tournaments and expand competition in the sport.
Four-Wall Paddleball
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By the 1930s indoor handball, played on a court with four walls, had become popular. Earl Riskey, director of intramural sports at the University of Michigan, decided that a game played with wooden racquets on the indoor handball courts would do well in his intramural sports program. He drew his inspiration from the tennis players who used the handball courts to practice during inclement weather. He called the game “paddle tennis on a court” but its title was quickly shortened by students to simply “paddleball."
Spreading Four-Wall Paddleball
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The game was played only as an intramural sport at the University of Michigan until, during World War II, soldiers were stationed at the University of Michigan during training and they began playing the sport. It was quickly adopted by the U.S. Army Conditioning Committee as an official sport of the American military. Veterans after the war sought to continue to play and YMCAs began to include the sport, making accommodations for play on handball courts. In 1965, the National Paddleball Association was formed to regulate play and organize competitions.
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