How did pickleball get its unique, gherkin-based name? What is pickleball? Why are there so many confusing pickleball terms?
To answer all of your pickleball-related questions, the Paddle Experts at JustPaddles conducted research and answered the question, "Where did pickleball get its name?" below.
Pickleball Origin & History
You may think of pickleball as a brand-new sport, but would you believe us if we told you that pickleball has been around for over 55 years? That’s right.
It all started with three young neighbors named Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. Little did they know that the Summer of 1965 would be the start of a global phenomenon. In Bainbridge Island near Seattle, Washington, the three neighbors made up a game, created rules, and crafted wooden paddles that were slightly larger than ping pong paddles to hit a wiffle ball over a badminton net. The three boys now had a fun game, equipment, and rules, but the only struggle for them was to come up with the name.
The boys played the game many times but couldn’t seem to land on a name that they felt fit the sport. That is, until one fateful day when Joel Pritchard’s family adopted a dog and decided to name it Pickles. Every time the boys would play their game, Pickles the dog would continuously chase the ball. If the ball went into the grass or in the bushes nearby, Pickles would chase it and bring it back. As they were sitting down one evening, one of the three suggested the name Pickleball, and it stuck!
The rest is history.
Since that night, the three families have always called it pickleball, and that’s how the name was born. With pickleball being a very family-friendly game, having a family dog be the inspiration behind the name is only fitting. Little did Joel, Bill, and Barney know that soon after naming the game, it would become as popular as it is today. The United States has shown the fastest growth in Pickleball, but the sport has also started gaining popularity in 35 other countries around the world.
By 1990, pickleball started being played in all 50 states. In 2005, the USA Pickleball Association was established. Then, by 2010, the International Federation of Pickleball was founded. Since then, its popularity has continued to skyrocket, partially due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic that drove us to find activities that could be done socially distanced.
The growth in popularity likely comes from how easy it is to learn, how family-friendly it is, and how fun the game truly is. Pickleball is something that will be around for a long time and can be played essentially anywhere with anyone at any age.
Pickleball is an addictive sport that combines the elements of badminton, tennis, and ping-pong into one easy-to-play game. Pickleball uses pickleball paddles, a perforated plastic ball, and a net. All games are played to 11 points, with the stipulation that the winning team must win by two. Only the serving team can score a point. You can play singles or doubles, and many players prefer to play pickleball over tennis because it’s less physically demanding.
Those who are extremely loyal to the game are called Picklers! Pickleball can easily be enjoyed by players of all ages. Understanding the rules can be difficult, check out our guide below to get started, or simply refresh yourself on common regulations!
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Do you have any other pickleball questions? Are you in the market for a new pickleball paddle? If you answered yes to either of these questions, our Paddle Experts are here to help! They’re available via phone at 866-382-3465, email at experts@justpaddles.com, or live chat! Don’t forget, we’re here for you from Click To Court!
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