Pickleball has emerged as a popular sport, particularly among older individuals seeking to stay active. That's not to say that matches — even among married couples — can't get dangerously competitive.
As reported by The Associated Press, a dispute over rules led to a brawl during a pickleball game at a Central Florida country club, with one player hitting his opponent in the face with a paddle and punching him on the ground before others got involved.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Anthony Sapienza, 63, was charged last week with two counts of aggravated battery causing bodily harm and two counts of felony battery on a person 65 or older. His wife, 51-year-old Julianne Sapienza, also joined the fight in Port Orange and is accused of battery on a person 65 or older, according to an arrest affidavit.
The two were playing another married couple when they began arguing about shots being made in the kitchen, a marked area on either side of the net. By rule, players can only take a shot in the area once the ball has landed there.
The players exchanged insults, and at the end of the match, the man insulted his male opponent’s wife. The men exchanged words, and the 63-year-old man attacked his opponent, according to an affidavit.
As many as 20 players became involved in the brawl, the affidavit said.
The Sapienzas are now out on bond.
