Pickleball History Guide

The History of Pickleball: From a Backyard Game to a Global Sport

Pickleball began in 1965 as a family game on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Sixty years later, it has grown into a major recreational and competitive sport with millions of players, national governing bodies, professional tours, dedicated facilities, youth programs, and tournaments around the world.

Updated September 2026

Where Pickleball Stands Today

According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, up from 4.2 million in 2020. SFIA says pickleball has now been the fastest-growing sport in the United States for five consecutive years.

1965Pickleball is invented on Bainbridge Island
24.3MU.S. participants in 2025
100,000+USA Pickleball members by 2025

Who Invented Pickleball?

Pickleball was invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum.

According to USA Pickleball's official history, the families were looking for something to do. They improvised with ping-pong paddles, a perforated plastic ball, and an existing badminton court. As the game developed, the badminton net was lowered and the group began creating rules that borrowed ideas from tennis, badminton, and table tennis.

What started as a family activity gradually became a distinct sport with its own court, rules, equipment, and style of play.

Original pickleball court associated with the sport's early history
The early game grew out of a backyard court and improvised equipment.

Where Did the Name “Pickleball” Come From?

This is one part of pickleball history where the official record acknowledges two competing stories.

Joel Pritchard's wife, Joan, said the game reminded her of a “pickle boat” in rowing, where a crew could be assembled from leftover rowers. Barney McCallum later recalled that the game was named after the Pritchards' dog, Pickles.

USA Pickleball's own history notes that the Pritchards bought the dog a year or two after the game was invented. Because of that timing, the organization does not treat the dog story as a simple settled fact and notes that both accounts have circulated for years.

The safest answer: the pickle-boat explanation is the earlier family account, while the Pickles-the-dog story became part of the sport's folklore. USA Pickleball itself presents the name's origin as disputed.

Early Pickleball Growth: 1967–1990

1967
First permanent pickleball courtUSA Pickleball says the first permanent court built specifically for pickleball was constructed at Joel and Joan Pritchard's home in Magnolia Bluff, Seattle.
1972
Pickle-Ball, Inc. is formedThe company was created to protect and support the new sport.
1975
National media begins noticing the gameThe National Observer published a story, followed by Tennis Magazine coverage in 1976.
1976
First known pickleball tournamentThe event was held at South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington. Many competitors were college tennis players who were new to pickleball.
1984
First national association and official rulebookThe United States Amateur Pickleball Association was organized, and the first official rulebook was published in March 1984.
1984
First composite paddleBoeing engineer Arlen Paranto developed a lighter composite paddle using fiberglass and honeycomb materials.
1990
Pickleball reaches all 50 statesUSA Pickleball's official timeline says the sport was being played in every U.S. state by 1990.

The 2000s: Pickleball Becomes a National Sport

2005
USA Pickleball Association is establishedA new corporation, USAPA, was formed to promote and organize the sport.
2008
National media exposure growsGood Morning America aired an in-studio pickleball segment, which USA Pickleball identifies as the sport's first major mass-media exposure.
2009
First USA Pickleball National TournamentThe first Nationals was held in Buckeye, Arizona, with almost 400 players from 26 states and several Canadian provinces.
2010
International organization beginsUSAPA created the International Federation of Pickleball to help support growth beyond the United States.
2017
National infrastructure expandsUSAPA membership reached 22,000 and the organization reported nearly 5,900 Places2Play locations.
2025
USA Pickleball membership tops 100,000The national governing body reported passing the 100,000-member mark.

The Biggest Growth Period: 2020 and After

Pickleball was already growing before COVID-19, but the years after 2020 changed the scale of the sport.

The game was relatively easy to play outdoors, required only a small amount of equipment, and worked well for families and small groups. That made it attractive during a period when many indoor activities and team sports were disrupted.

Participation continued growing after those restrictions ended. SFIA's current data show the sport expanding from 4.2 million U.S. participants in 2020 to 24.3 million in 2025.

Younger players joined in large numbersSFIA says ages 13–24 now have the highest participation rate of any age segment.
More women entered the sportWomen accounted for 42.9% of U.S. pickleball players in 2025.
Regular participation deepenedCORE players—those playing eight or more times per year—reached 7.5 million in 2025.
Facilities kept expandingPublic agencies, private clubs, schools, and indoor operators continued adding dedicated pickleball capacity.

For the newest participation numbers, see our 2026 pickleball statistics and growth guide.

Professional Pickleball

Professional pickleball has changed quickly. The PPA Tour was founded in 2019, with its first event held in 2020. Major League Pickleball later created a team-based format that added another professional structure to the sport.

In 2024, the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball completed a merger under a unified professional holding company while keeping the PPA and MLP brands and formats distinct.

The PPA's current history says the tour expanded internationally in 2025, with events across five continents. Professional pickleball now includes individual tour competition, team competition, broadcast coverage, sponsorships, and significant prize money.

One correction from the older version of this article: it previously grouped the APP Tour and PPA Tour together as if they had the same origin and timeline. The modern professional landscape is more complicated, so this update focuses on the documented PPA/MLP development rather than oversimplifying it.

Pickleball Around the World

Although the sport began in the United States, it is now played internationally. National organizations, professional events, clubs, and recreational communities have developed across Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and other regions.

I would be careful with claims that pickleball is “about to become an Olympic sport.” It is not currently an Olympic medal sport, and future Olympic inclusion depends on international federation recognition, global participation, and decisions outside the control of any one pickleball organization.

Pickleball in Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi has followed the same broader growth pattern. Public courts, indoor facilities, tournaments, clinics, after-school programs, and open-play communities have expanded around the islands.

On Oʻahu, players now have options ranging from public dedicated courts at Keʻehi Lagoon and Kailua to indoor play at Pickles at Forté, local tournaments, and organized coaching programs.

For current local information, use our Oʻahu court guide, open-play guide, and Hawaiʻi tournament calendar.

Why Pickleball Grew So Quickly

Easy to startBeginners can learn the basic rules and begin rallying relatively quickly.
SocialDoubles and open play make it easy to meet and rotate with other players.
Works across age groupsThe same sport can be adapted for children, adults, seniors, and competitive athletes.
Small-court footprintExisting tennis, gym, and multi-use spaces can often be adapted for pickleball.

From Backyard Game to Established Sport

The most interesting part of pickleball history is not that the sport started with improvised equipment. Many games begin informally. What makes pickleball unusual is how far it traveled from that backyard setting.

In about six decades, it moved from one family court to all 50 states, national championships, professional tours, international competition, schools, dedicated facilities, and tens of millions of U.S. participants.

And the game is still changing. Equipment, scoring formats, facilities, professional structures, and the age of the player base continue to evolve.

Related Pickleball Guides

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Primary sources for the 2026 update: USA Pickleball's official history and rulebook archive, SFIA's 2026 Pickleball Single Sport Report, and the PPA Tour's official history and merger announcements.