Pickleball is a relatively young sport with a fun and somewhat whimsical history. It was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three dads—Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. They were trying to entertain their families and came up with a game that combined elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong.
The original game used a perforated plastic ball and wooden paddles. The story goes that the name “pickleball” came from Pritchard’s dog, Pickles, who would chase after the ball and run off with it. Although this is a popular explanation, Pritchard himself later mentioned that the name was more about the combination of different sports, likening it to a “pickle boat” in crew, which is a boat made up of leftover rowers from other boats.
The game quickly gained popularity in the Pritchard family and among their friends. It was formalized with rules and an official court size, and the first pickleball tournament was held in 1976. Over the decades, pickleball has grown from a backyard pastime to a widely played sport across the U.S. and around the world. It’s especially popular among seniors due to its relatively low-impact nature and easy-to-learn rules, though players of all ages are increasingly drawn to it.