This is the American 'backyard game' which is set to overtake tennis in Scotland by 2030

It was invented in 1965 by a group of bored American children who had been unable to play badminton due to a lost shuttlecock.

Now, it has been predicted that pickleball will overtake tennis in popularity in Scotland by 2030, as it becomes one of the fastest growing sports in the country.

Anne Smillie, a board member of Pickleball Scotland, said participation across Scotland has grown by more than 10,000 per cent since 2018, with the number of players growing from just 50 in 2018 to more than 5,200 in 2024.

In Fife, the most popular area for pickleball in Scotland, it is played by more than hundreds of players across every leisure centre in the region.

Meanwhile, the Skechers Pickleball Scottish Open, which takes place this weekend in Glasgow, has doubled in size from last year.

Ms Smillie, who was Badminton Scotland’s chief executive for nearly 30 years, said: “I’m truly amazed by the rapid rise of pickleball in Scotland; I’ve never seen anything like this in my more than 40 years working in sport. The astronomical growth has all been down to the passion of volunteers and the enthusiasm of players, from teenagers to retirees.

“With proper funding and recognition, this sport could take off in ways we can’t even fully imagine right now.

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“It’s so inclusive and accessible, bringing together people of all ages and abilities. The way it breaks down barriers, both physical and social, is incredible. It’s the fastest growing sport I’ve ever seen.”

She added: “I’m absolutely convinced that with the right funding and institutional backing from Sportscotland, pickleball will become Scotland’s leading racket sport by the end of this decade. ”

The game was said to have been created by the children of Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, who challenged their offspring to invent a game when they returned home from a game of golf.

Pickleball, played with solid paddles and a light, plastic ball with holes in it, was recently named the fastest-growing sport in the US for the third year running, with more than 14 million active players, including the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, the Kardashians, and George Clooney - as well as Scottish tennis coach Judy Murray - who have contributed to the sport’s rapid rise around the globe.

Pickleball Scotland ambassador Ms Murray said the smaller court appealed to her.

She said: “You can get into the game very quickly if you understand the scoring system, and for me, that was a big thing. I didn’t want something with endless coaching. I could see how quickly I could get players that I worked with – young, old, to in-between – very quickly into the game, rather than it being endless coaching sessions. The fun of sport, of course, is playing the game and competing.

And matches in pickleball can be very, very short, which is great because the whole thing of learning how to win or lose, or playing different opposition, is incredibly important."

Over the past year, the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House College of Education and Sport has developed a 12-lesson pickleball plan that is set to be rolled out in schools across Scotland. PE teachers and active schools coordinators are being trained through workshops to introduce pickleball into after-school activities.

Meanwhile, at HMP Peterhead and Grampian Young Offenders Institution, around 40 inmates play regularly.

Lorraine Reid, tutor and learning coordinator at HMP Grampian, said: “Pickleball is a great leveller. It’s fostering healthy competition and camaraderie among prisoners and staff alike.”

The Scottish Open, which will take place at Scotstoun Sports Centre, has 900 matches scheduled and 370 competitors expected – including European champion Louis Laville, and a trio of former Team Scotland representatives at the Commonwealth Games: table tennis stars Lucy Elliot and Corinna Whitaker-Stone, as well as former badminton international Alison Fulton.