About the History of Paddle in Canada

The sport of Paddle in Canada had its beginnings in Calgary, Alberta.
The sport was introduced to Canada by Bill Stamile, who first saw the game played while on vacation in Argentina in 1992. He founded the Paddle Association of Canada in February 1992, as a federally incorporated Canadian Registered Amateur Athletic Association. The main objective of the PAC is to encourage and develop the widest participation and highest proficiency in Paddle in Canada.

The first Paddle court was built in mid-1992 by Bill and his brother, Angelo inside a Calgary warehouse, which operated for nearly one year. The court was used to attract some of Calgary’s top tennis and squash players, many of whom still play the game today. In May 1993,the first Paddle team representing Canada internationally played the Corcuera Cup in Acapulco, Mexico.

The PAC was invited to join the World Paddle Federation at this time and has continued as a member in good standing. The PAC has participated in over a dozen other tournaments including six world championships, most recently in Murcia, Spain in October of 2006. 

The PAC has been actively involved in promoting the sport of Paddle to Canadians through a series of clinics, orientations, tournaments and special events. The current PAC headquarters located at a public school facility in Calgary has provided a base for a substantial increase in outdoor Paddle participation with demand growing for a year round indoor Paddle facility.

About the History of Paddle

Paddle originated in Acapulco, Mexico in 1969. Mr. Enrique Corcuera a Mexican industrialist in search of a less strenuous family oriented racket game altered tennis court dimensions, rules and the racket to create the new sport. Paddle was enjoyed by the Mexican elite until it was picked up by the Spanish royal family and taken to Madrid, where it was first introduced to Europe. In the late 1970’s the game was introduced into Argentina as a game for the elites. By the early 1980’s several public courts were built on a popular Argentine beach resort allowing the general public to access the game. In the mid 1980’s, many more public courts were built in Buenos Aires and since then, the sport has grown at a tremendous pace. Currently, over 5 million participants play the sport in 20 countries. Paddle is growing internationally and is organized under the World Paddle Federation.

About the Game of Paddle

Paddle is considered a scaled down version of tennis and squash. It has gained rapid acceptance due to its simplicity and similarities to other popular racket sports.

The racket is solid being made mostly from light composite materials. The surface is perforated to lighten the racket and to allow for airflow. The face of the racket is relatively large measuring 26cm X 29cm (10in x 12in) and the overall length is 45cm (18in). The short racket is much easier to control than a longer stringed racket. In this way from the first time on court, novices of all ages and racket skills can enjoy a well-paced game with plenty of rallies.

The game of Paddle is always a doubles game using mainly tennis rules and scoring with some key adaptations such as an underhand serve The game is played in an enclosed structure and the rules allow for the use of the back wall and sidewalls resulting in longer rallies.

The court is rectangular in shape with a dimension of 10m wide by 20m long and is divided in the middle by a net. At the end of each court there is a half box shaped wall consisting of 10m wide back wall with two side walls of 4m extending along the sidelines. The height of the back wall and sidewalls is 3m. The balance of the court is enclosed with mesh wire that is also 3m high. Three paddle courts can be placed in the same surface area as one tennis court.