Pickleball is an easy-to-learn paddle sport for all age groups that has gained prominence at both leisurely and professional levels. The sport has also been inculcated as a part of many physical and mental therapies for improving the motor and cognitive skills of children and adults alike.
Despite its manifold advantages, the sport has a shortcoming in terms of the noise level that it generates. The wiffle ball used in Pickleball is a perforated ball made of durable mouldable rubber plastic. When it contacts the wooden paddle it generates a sharp popping sound which can become unpleasant when rallies last longer. Pickleball courts that are located within residential areas have led to locals complaining about the Pickleball sounds that are disturbing or uncomfortable.
Since the sport gained widespread popularity in USA, most of these complains were lodged in that part of the world. This led to temporary bans on selected Pickleball courts. The average sound generated from a Pickleball court has been recorded to be approximately 70 decibels, 100 feet away from the court. This is equivalent to the sound generated by a washing machine.
The sound emitted from Pickleball courts opened up a new avenue for sound blocking, noise-proofing and fencing markets. Fence dampening solutions around the Pickleball facilities became popular, which decrease the sound levels.
In certain cities like Denver, a law was passed stating that Pickleball courts must be constructed at least 250 feet away from a residential zone. Such a law is specific to the perimeters of Denver. Different cities have passed or are in the process of framing such laws. Thus, there is no central law regarding noise pollution mitigation for pickleball.
