A dispute over a rule led to a fight during a pickleball game at a central Florida country club, authorities said, with one player hitting his opponent in the face with a paddle and punching him to the ground before others got involved.
A 63-year-old man was charged Sunday with two counts of felony battery on a person 65 or older, and his 51-year-old wife, who participated in the fight in Port Orange, was charged with one count of felony battery on a person 65 or older, according to an arrest affidavit.
The two were playing with another couple when they started arguing about shots being made in the so-called kitchen, a marked area on each side of the net. By rule, players can only shoot at the spot if the ball lands there; otherwise they must avoid it.
The players exchanged insults, and at the end of the game, the man insulted his opponent’s wife. The men exchanged words, and the 63-year-old man attacked his opponent, according to an affidavit.
Matt Thompson, an attorney for the man, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
About 20 players were involved in the fight, according to the affidavit.