00:00Paddle is taking over the UK with more than 1,000 courts across the country, a huge increase
00:05from only 50 in 2019 and more than 400,000 players. So I thought as KMTV's resident
00:11sports guy that I'd show you the do's and don'ts of the court.
00:14Now it seems to be fairly simple on paper but there's quite a few rules to be aware
00:18of whether you're a beginner baller or a pro paddler.
00:21So to help me try out the sport I've assembled some of KMTV's finest. Now it has to be played
00:26in double so we'll be doing a 2v2 match. Winners will get supreme bragging rights in the office
00:31and be crowned the KMTV 2026 Paddle Champions. Let's play.
00:36We're Team Paddle Rangers.
00:39And we're Team Finale.
00:42And we were off. For some quick rules you have to serve behind the line. The ball can bounce
00:47once on the ground and wall but not on the first serve. And if it hits the back wall or
00:51the side right away then it's your opponent to point.
00:53The game is played with the same scoring system as tennis. You have to win six games with
00:57a two game lead and to win a game you need to get four points with a two point advantage.
01:02We decided to play only three games and in the end Team Finale won two to one but it was
01:07pretty close so I decided if I wanted to take my game elsewhere I should probably seek more
01:12expert opinion.
01:13I do think it's quite useful to maybe watch a bit. I think there's the first Premier Paddle
01:19event in London coming up in the summer. That will be broadcast on TV. I think people could
01:26access watching Paddle on YouTube and I think that just kind of gets people a general sense
01:30of how the game works. Helps them understand the rules and then they can come in and they
01:33can sort of have that perspective before they start.
01:36Platform 26 is an office space rental company that decided to add Paddle Courts to their venue
01:41due to the growing popularity of the sport.
01:43It's been a really good move for the community. It's elevated the business centre. It's just
01:50created such a nice atmosphere. We meet so many nice people. So many people have such a genuine
01:55love for the sport. We've got lots of new customers. I think Paddle people just seem to love it because
02:01it's such a social sport and it's so inclusive. So you can come along, get some exercise in but
02:08also catch up with friends and family, meet new friends.
02:11With Paddle popping up more and more around Kent and the country, I'd say the ball's in
02:15your court if you want to get involved in the low impact social sport just in time for the
02:19sun coming out. Finn McDermid for KMTV in Medway.
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