The History of Pickleball

The Birth of Pickleball (1965)

Three fathers—Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum —invented pickleball in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA. Returning from a round of golf on a summer afternoon, they found their families bored with no activities.

Pritchard had an old badminton court on his property, but the families could not find a full set of rackets. Improvised from necessity, they grabbed spare ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic wiffle ball. Initially, they set the net at badminton height (152.4 cm), but after noticing how well the ball bounced on the hard asphalt surface, they lowered it to roughly waist height (91.5 cm).

The origin of the name “pickleball” has two competing stories. The most historically accurate account attributes it to Joan Pritchard (Joel’s wife), who noted the mismatch of equipment reminded her of a “pickle boat”—a rowing crew thrown together from the leftover rowers of other boats. The second, more legendary tale is that it was named after the family dog, Pickles, who would chase the ball and run away with it. However, records indicate the dog was actually acquired a few years after the game was already named.

Development in the United States

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, pickleball transitioned from a quirky backyard game into a formalised sport:

• In 1967, the first permanent, dedicated court was constructed in Seattle
• In 1972, Pickle-Ball Inc was formed to protect the sport
• In 1976, the first known tournament was held in Tukwila, Washington
• In 1984, the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) was founded to standardise rules

The 1980s also brought massive equipment breakthroughs. In 1984, Boeing industrial engineer Arlen Paranto manufactured the first composite pickleball paddle using fibreglass and Nomex honeycomb panels salvaged from commercial aircraft flooring. This shifted the game away from heavy, clunky plywood toward lightweight, precise equipment. By 1990, the game was actively being played in all 50 states.

In the 21st century, pickleball transitioned from a regional pastime primarily popular in retirement communities into America’s fastest-growing sport. The pandemic provided a massive catalyst for growth; because it was a low-cost, socially distanced outdoor activity, millions picked up a paddle for the first time.

The infrastructure matured rapidly. The amateur organisation reorganised into the modern USA Pickleball Association. Corporate sponsors flooded the market, and dedicated professional organisations like the Carvana PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP) emerged. Today, American pickleball features multi-million-dollar player contracts, national television broadcasts, and celebrity team owners from the NFL, NBA, and Hollywood.

Development in Australia

While the United States spent decades incubating the sport, pickleball’s arrival and subsequent expansion down under has been an absolute whirlwind.

Milestone Era	Development in Australia
The Grassroots Arrival	In the mid-to-late 2010s, travellers and tennis coaches returning from North America introduced the sport to Australia. It started on converted tennis courts and driveways.
Institutional Governance	The original Pickleball Association of Australia was established, later restructuring in 2020 into individual state bodies (like the Pickleball Association of Queensland) overseen by the newly unified national governing body, Pickleball Australia.
Mass Market Growth	Local councils began transforming unused urban spaces and under-utilised tennis courts into dedicated pickleball hubs. Australians embraced its social, multi-generational, and low-impact nature.

Establishing a Global Foothold

Australia has quickly transformed into one of the premier hubs for the sport outside of North America.

• The Australian Open Expansion: In January 2025, the iconic Australian Open (AO) tennis Grand Slam officially integrated the sport by hosting its inaugural AO Pickleball Slam at Melbourne Park, boasting a $100,000 prize pool.

• The Largest International Major: The Trilogy Funds Australian Pickleball Championships (APC) grew exponentially, hosting a record-breaking 1,235 players. This officially cemented the APC as the largest pickleball tournament in the world outside of the United States.

• The International Stage: Demonstrating its elite developmental pipeline, Pickleball Australia organised and deployed Team Australia to compete in the 2025 Pickleball World Cup, signalling the nation’s arrival as a powerhouse on the global stage.

Today

The sport continues to thrive across both countries, transitioning seamlessly from a desperate attempt to cure family boredom into a global athletic phenomenon.