The history of pickleball
Invented on a summer afternoon in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, pickleball grew from a backyard family game into one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States.
A summer afternoon in 1965
Pickleball began in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, a short ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle. Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell returned from golf to find their families with nothing to do. The property had an old badminton court, but nobody could find a full set of rackets or a good shuttlecock. So they improvised with table tennis paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
At first the net was at badminton height, about 5 feet. Over that weekend they found the ball bounced well on the asphalt, so they lowered the net to roughly 36 inches. A few days later their friend Barney McCallum joined in, and the three men began writing down rules. Their stated aim was to create a game the whole family could play together.
Where the name came from
Two origin stories are told, and both come from the founding families.
- The pickle boat. Joan Pritchard said the name reminded her of the "pickle boat" in crew rowing, the boat filled with leftover rowers from other crews. The game was a mix of leftover bits from other sports.
- Pickles the dog. The Pritchards later had a dog named Pickles who liked to chase the ball. Many accounts say the dog was named after the game rather than the other way around.
Either way, the name stuck, and it has turned out to be great marketing.
Rules take shape
The founders borrowed freely from other sports:
| Borrowed from | What pickleball took |
|---|---|
| Badminton | Court size (20 x 44 feet) and underhand serve |
| Tennis | Net and baseline play |
| Table tennis | Solid paddles and a small ball |
Early on they added the two features that define the modern game. The two-bounce rule stopped the serving team from rushing the net and volleying the return. The non-volley zone, or kitchen, stopped tall players from standing at the net and smashing every ball. Read more in two-bounce rule and the kitchen.
McCallum and others began making wooden paddles in a garage workshop, and in the early 1970s the game spread through Washington and then to other states. Wooden paddles dominated for years, until composite and graphite paddles arrived from the 1980s onward. See paddle materials.
The governing body
The United States Amateur Pickleball Association was founded in 1984 and published the first official rulebook. The organization is known today as USA Pickleball and remains the national governing body. It sanctions tournaments, publishes the annual rulebook and keeps the list of approved paddles and balls. The first national tournament run under USA Pickleball took place in 2009.
The boom years
For decades pickleball grew quietly, especially in retirement communities and community centers, where the small court and gentle start were a perfect fit. Growth accelerated sharply in the late 2010s and again during 2020 and 2021, when outdoor socially distanced sports were in demand. Tennis courts were re-lined, parks added dedicated courts and schools added the sport to physical education classes.
In 2022, pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington, a fitting nod to its birthplace.
The modern era
Today pickleball has professional tours with prize money, televised events, team leagues, a rating system ecosystem and a large equipment industry. The sport is played in many countries, with national associations forming around the world. You can read about the competitive scene in pro tours explained and how ratings work in ratings and DUPR.
The original Bainbridge Island court is still there, and pickleball fans visit it as the birthplace of the sport.
