Est. 1965 · Bainbridge Island, Washington
America's fastest-growing sport, named after a dog (maybe)
Where it began
One summer afternoon in 1965, congressman Joel Pritchard and businessman Bill Bell came home to bored kids and an old badminton court with no full set of rackets. With neighbor Barney McCallum they improvised a game using ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball, lowering the net and inventing rules as they went. The backyard hybrid stuck, and the trio later formalized it.
From the margins
The origin of the name is genuinely disputed: Joan Pritchard said it came from the 'pickle boat' of leftover rowers in crew — the family dog Pickles, per most accounts, was named after the game, not the other way around.
The rules, rewritten
1965
A backyard improvisation
The founders lowered a badminton net to hip height and settled on a plastic wiffle-style ball, discovering that keeping servers back and softening the net game made rallies last.
1967
The first purpose-built court
A dedicated pickleball court was constructed at a neighbor's home on Bainbridge Island, fixing the 20-by-44-foot dimensions borrowed from badminton.
1984
The first rulebook
The USA Pickleball Association formed and published the first official rulebook, codifying the two signature rules: the double-bounce rule and the seven-foot non-volley zone, the 'kitchen'.
2010
Going international
The International Federation of Pickleball was founded to standardize rules across countries as the game spread beyond North America.
2021
Rules for the boom
Amid explosive growth, USA Pickleball tightened service rules — legalizing then quickly banning the chainsaw-style spin serve in subsequent revisions — as the pro game outgrew its backyard origins.
Current edition
Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the United States for several years running, with tens of millions of players and two rival professional tours. The sport is expanding internationally, with global federations openly campaigning for future Olympic inclusion.
The objective
Win rallies to score points; first team/player to 11 points (win by 2) wins.
Rules as played today
One game, many houses
The dominant social format, built around dinking duels at the kitchen line.
The full-court solo game, far more physically demanding.
A popular training and recreational format using only half the court width.
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