The History of Pickleball

Pickleball is a racquet sport sweeping the world with its fun and easy playstyle. What is it? How did it get started? Is it named after a dog, or is the dog named after it? Find out about more below:

Pickleball is a court game that combines elements of several different sports (namely, tennis, ping-pong and badminton). It is played with a pickleball specific paddle, a ball that looks similar to a wiffle ball, and it is played on a court that resembles a tennis court but has the dimensions of a badminton court. For detailed information on how to play and what you'll need to get started, check out our article: How To Play Pickleball

Pickleball was invented in 1965 in Brainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. Although the exact details behind the origin of the sport are often debated, it is said that on one summer afternoon at the Pritchard family cabin, the men were wanting to find an activity for their families to take part in. Finding themselves with a badminton net but not enough racquets on hand, they began to improvise. They gathered some ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball, and from there the game started to take form. In 1967, the first permanent pickleball court was constructed, and throughout the next two decades, the sport continued to gain traction with it being played in all 50 states by 1990.

Just as details behind the origin of the sport are somewhat obscure, the reasons behind calling the sport "pickleball" are also often contested. Two main stories exist that explain where the sport got its name. The first story stems from the Pritchard family. Joan Pritchard, who used to be a competitive rower, is said to have come up with the name based off of the pickle boat concept. However, according to the McCallum family, the sport was named after the Pritchard's dog "Pickles" who liked to pick up the plastic ball and run off the court it with it. The Prichards claim that they first got Pickles a couple years after inventing the sport, and that the dog was named after the sport, not the other way around. It seems the verdict is still out on this one!