Rosie Hall went outside the rule book when she tried two different ways to return the ball during a recent game at the Kingsport Senior Center. First, she threw her paddle in an attempt to connect with the plastic Wiffle-like ball. Several plays later, she attempted to return the ball with her left, non-paddle, hand.

Her illegal attempts resulted in points for the opposing team, and both plays drew laughter from players and spectators.

Welcome to the whimsical world of Pickle-Ball.

Pickle-Ball, which has nothing to do with food and everything to do with camaraderie and competition, was born during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Wash. Think of it as a cross among Ping-Pong, tennis and badminton.

It can be played indoors or outdoors, with doubles or singles, by players of any age. In Kingsport and Johnson City, it's the newest sporting rage among members of the 50 and older crowd.

The Kingsport Senior Center began offering Pickle-Ball two years ago, and the first time Hall saw it played, she had no idea what she was watching.

"I just came in here one day and I fell in love with it," she said. Hall, who has fibromyalgia, now plays three days a week.

"Anybody can play. We just come and get a partner. You get four, and you can go with it," she said. "I wish more people would come. They don't realize how much fun it is."

Pickle-Ball court dimensions are identical to a doubles badminton court. Essentially a game of tennis, Pickle-Ball - played with what looks like oversized Ping-Pong paddles and baseball-size plastic balls - is a game of shot placement and patience, not brute power or strength.

Both players on the serving team are allowed to serve - underhand only - and, according to the official rules, a team can score points only when serving. A game is played to 11 points and a team must win by two points. Points are lost by hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the net, stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying the ball, or by volleying the ball before the ball has bounced once on each side of the net.

At the Senior Center, however, the rules are changed slightly to speed up the game and give everyone a chance to play. Here, every serve is a point for one side or the other, and no points are lost for any reason. In this informal atmosphere, the players wind up their games about every 10 to 15 minutes. Anyone needing a water break can take a seat, and other players hop up to take a position on the court.

Currently, the sport is offered three days a week at the Senior Center - 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays, and 4 to 7 p.m., Thursdays.

"This gym stayed vacant a lot until they got Pickle-Ball," said Carl Mullins.

Karlene Gibson was responsible for talking the Senior Center staff into purchasing the Pickle-Ball equipment and establishing times for players to have the gym.

It's a great way to get some exercise, make new friends and, oh yes, enjoy a little friendly competition.

"We all play to win," Gibson said. "Some of them are really gracious about losing and some of them aren't," she said.

Mullins agrees. "It's very competitive. We want to beat each other, make good shots," he said.

That competitive spirit led the group recently to challenge their counterparts at the Johnson City Senior Center. Currently, not a sport played at the Tennessee Senior Games or the National Senior Games, these players hope that changes soon.

According to www.pickeball.com, the game is played in thousands of school physical education programs, parks and recreation centers, correctional facilities, camps, YMCAs and retirement communities across the nation.

The original Pickle-Ball was designed to be a game for the entire family, which ended up including the inventor's dog, Pickles.

Pickles would chase after the errant balls and hide in the bushes. Pickle's ball was later shortened to Pickle-Ball.