Turf Pickleball at Sōzu

Turf Pickleball at Sōzu – A Fun, Modified Version of Pickleball!

We’re thrilled to introduce Turf Pickleball to Trinidad and Tobago, a dynamic and exciting adaptation of traditional pickleball. Turf Pickleball is inspired by Sandy Pickle, a modified version of pickleball designed for playing on sand and grass. At Sōzu, we’ve brought this innovative sport to our turf surfaces, offering players a fresh take on the game while staying true to the core rules and spirit of the original Pickleball game. Using official Sandy Pickle equipment, we’re delivering all the fun and action in a format uniquely suited to our outdoor spaces. Turf Pickleball is perfect for all ages and skill levels, whether you're a pickleball pro or a first-time player. The game is designed to be easy to learn, fast-paced, and incredibly enjoyable on turf.

So it's like Pickleball?

Yes and No. Both games are played with standard pickle ball paddles and a regulation outdoor ball, but turf pickle ball is played on turf (of course). While many of the rules remain the same (or at least similar) the primary differences are outlined below:

KEY FEATURES OF TURF PICKLEBALL:

Playing Surface: Turf Pickleball has been adapted to our lush turf fields, providing a soft, forgiving surface for play.
Modified Rules: The rules of Turf Pickleball are based on Sandy Pickle, which has adjustments from the original pickle ball game that make it fun and exciting, whether you're playing casually or competitively.

1. Smaller Court Dimensions

Besides the fact that players can’t move as fast on grass or sand as on a hard court, with no bounces every shot is a volley.

Also, unlike the original pickleball where singles and doubles use the same boundaries, the Turf Pickleball singles court is smaller.

The singles* court width is 13′ 6″ (4.1 meters), and doubles is 16′ 8″ (5.1 meters), with baselines at 16′ for singles and 18′ for doubles.

As noted in #1, every shot in Turf Pickleball must be returned without a bounce. The net should be set to the approximate height of the tallest player on the court; this minimizes the spiking advantage of taller players.

*For tournament play, the default height is 6’ but may be modified to accommodate for optional height and/or skill divisions.

2. Adjustable Net Height

3. No Spike Zone

The area within 5’ of the net on each side is called the “No Spike Zone” (similar to the “Kitchen” in pickleball).

On each serve, the return must be made from behind the no spike zone line*; At all other times, the only restriction to playing inside this area is that spiking is not allowed inside the boundary. When playing inside this area, the contact point between the paddle and the ball can be no higher than the top of the net, with the resulting trajectory of the ball being either upward or flat; a downward ball path results in a fault.

*Note, the no spike zone extends upward from the line, meaning that if the paddle and ball contact point is above the net, that contact point must happen behind this imaginary plane.

Did we mention that pickleballs don’t bounce well on grass? Because of this, there is an addition of a 1-pass rule which gives a teammate the opportunity to send the ball back over the net. This rule applies in doubles play. The resulting longer, volley-only rallies make this already fast-paced game almost as fun to watch as it is to play!

4. One Pass, or "Bump"

5. Serving

Serves are made from behind the baseline on the right hand side of the court (similar to volleyball) with no limitations as to which side of the court the serve is hit to.

The non-serving partner plays the left (“backhand”) side of the court; teammates switch positions when the serve returns to their side after winning a defensive side-out.

The player serving continues until they lose a point, after which the opposing team takes over the serve (in Turf Pickleball the serve alternates sides at the end of each players serving opportunity, unlike pickleball in which both teammates serve before a side-out).

Also unlike pickleball, players may serve overhead, underhand, backhand, sidearm or otherwise so long as they serve from behind the baseline and the ball makes it over the net, beyond the no-spike zone, and within the boundaries.

A serve is “out” if it lands within the no-spike zone or outside court boundaries. If the ball hits the net but lands within the boundaries, it is considered “in” (similar to pickleball).

Like pickleball, games are played to 11 points and must be won by 2 (or more). A point is earned when the player or team serving wins the point. If the player or team RECEIVING the serve wins the point, they take over the serve.

5. Scoring

Ready to Play?

We provide the equipment and space for you to enjoy a fun game of Turf Pickleball! Have your own paddles and pickle balls? You are also free to bring them with you!