What is pickleball? Game Friends star Matthew Perry was playing hours before his death, explained

The death of Friends star Matthew Perry at the weekend has come as a shock not only to his legions of fans but also those close to him.

The television star, who died on Saturday at the age of 54, appeared to “incredibly happy” in the days leading up to his death a friend told People magazine and was reported to have been playing the game pickleball just hours before he died.

He is understood to have been a keen fan of the sport, which is not as well known in the UK as tennis or badminton, to help with his recovery from alcohol and drug dependency.

Perry’s coach Matt Manasse said the actor would play the game five times a week.

“He thought it was something that could help with his recovery and he was doing an awesome job”, he told People, “He loved it. He came out five times a week, would always talk about it. [He] got so much better, always made everyone laugh.”

We take a look at the game, where its from and what the rules are.

What is pickleball?

Pickleball was invented in the US in the 60s and combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. It can be played both indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court with a modified tennis net.

Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net.

Suitable for all ages, backgrounds and abilities, there are now more than 270 pickleball venues in the UK.

What are the rules of the game?

According to Pickleball England, the ball is served underhand from the right side of the court and is played diagonally across to the other service court.

The defending side must let the ball bounce first before it can be returned and then the serving side also has to let the ball bounce.

Only on the third ball can it be returned immediately. Either you can play a volley, or you can let the ball bounce first.

Points can only be scored by the serving side.

You win a point if the defending side does not manage to return the ball, hits the ball out, does not let the serve ball bounce, volleys in the non-volley zone or is hit by the ball.

When a side scores a point, the same person serves but from the other side of the court. When a player loses a point, his or her partner serves from the side of the court where he or she is standing at that time.

If this service also fails to score, service goes to the opponent and the opponent begins the service on the right.

The game ends when one of the sides gets 11 points, with a two-point lead.