Pickleball??
The game with the funny name!
Once upon a time, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, two friends, Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, returned home after playing golf to find their families bored and restless. They searched for some badminton equipment to entertain themselves but found only ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball with holes. They started playing with what they had, improvising the game as they went along.Initially, they set the net at a height of 60 inches, similar to badminton. However, as they played, they found that the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface, so they lowered the net to 36 inches. The game became more fun and exciting as they continued to play.The following weekend, a new player, Barney McCallum, joined the game, and together they created rules for their new invention. They took inspiration from badminton but kept in mind that the game should be suitable for the whole family to play together.Thus, pickleball was born - a game that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and ping-pong. It has become a popular sport played by people of all ages and abilities.Who knew that a simple game of improvisation could turn into such a phenomenon? Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell certainly didn't, but their ingenuity has left a lasting legacy. So, the next time you find yourself with nothing to do on a lazy afternoon, grab some ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball and see what kind of game you can come up with. Who knows, you might just invent the next big thing!
Pickleball was created in 1965.
The USAPA, which was formed in 2005, is the governing body of Pickleball in the United States. Its primary objective is to promote the sport and provide a platform for players to compete at a national level. The organization is led by an Executive Director and a volunteer board of directors, with the support of thousands of dues-paying members. In March 1984, the first rulebook was published, which has since been updated to reflect the evolution of the sport. In 2020, the USAPA rebranded as "USA Pickleball" to align more consistently with other US sports governing bodies and the USA Pickleball National Championships. The organization maintains the official rules, sanctions tournaments, provides player rankings, and produces the annual National Pickleball Tournament.
popularity!
According to the SFIA report of 2021, the total number of participants playing pickleball has exceeded 4,004,113, which is a significant increase from the 2017 report of 2,815,000 participants. It is noteworthy that there has been a 21.3% increase in the number of pickleball participants from 2019 to 2020. The average age of all players is reported to be 41 years old, as per the SFIA report of 2019. Furthermore, the SFIA report of 2021 states that there were 2,578,000 male pickleball participants and 1,193,000 college graduate pickleball participants in 2020. These statistics highlight the growing popularity of pickleball as a sport among people of different age groups and educational backgrounds.
Where to play?
We would like to inform you that there are currently over 9,707 places to play Pickleball in North America alone. If you are interested in finding these locations, you may click "Where/When to play?" on our website or download our "Pickleball Locator" app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
Pickleball, The Name
We would like to bring to your attention the interesting history behind the name of the sport called Pickleball. Despite its name, no pickles are used in the game. There are two accounts of how the name originated, and both are quite intriguing. The first account comes from Joan Pritchard, wife of Joel Pritchard, who started calling the game Pickleball because it reminded her of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats. The second account, according to Barney McCallum, is that the game was officially named after the Prichards’ dog Pickles who would chase the ball and run off with it. As per McCallum, “The Pritchards had a dog named Pickles, and you’re having fun at a party, right? So anyways, what the hell, let’s just call it pickleball.” It is believed that both accounts may actually be true. During the early years, no official name was assigned to the game. However, a year or two after the game was invented, the Pritchards purchased a cocker spaniel and named it Pickles. As the game progressed, an official name was needed and “pickleball” was it.