Why is it Called Pickleball? The 1965 Origin Story
Why is it called pickleball? The sport was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, who cobbled it together from spare paddles, a perforated plastic ball, and a lowered badminton net. The name has two competing stories — a family dog named Pickles, and a "pickle boat" rowing term. The 1965 game notes, preserved in the Pritchard family archive, support the pickle-boat origin.
- Founding year: 1965 (specifically July 1965)
- Founders: Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, Barney McCallum
- Founding location: Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA
- "Pickle boat"
The short answer
Bainbridge Island, July 1965
The three founders — Pritchard, Bell, McCallum
Short profile per founder. Joel Pritchard was a Washington State politician (later US Congressman and Lieutenant Governor). Bill Bell was a businessman; Barney McCallum a paper-products executive who later commercialised the equipment.
The first game — a hot Saturday and three bored families
Pickleball was invented on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Washington, in July 1965. Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum returned from a golf morning to find their children bored. They lowered the family badminton net to roughly waist height, found a perforated plastic ball and two table-tennis bats, and improvised a game on the back lawn. By that evening the basic rules had a shape.
The lowered badminton net and the wiffle ball
The original ball was a perforated plastic ball Joel Pritchard's son owned — most likely a Cosom Fun Ball. The original paddles were home-made plywood.
The name — pickle boat or Pickles the dog?
Joan Pritchard and the pickle-boat rowing term
One paragraph. Joan Pritchard rowed competitively at university; in rowing, a "pickle boat" is one crewed by oarsmen left over from the principal boats — "the leftovers". She said in interviews that she thought the new game looked like a pickle boat — assembled from leftover bits of other sports.
Pickles the cocker spaniel — the popular version
What the 1965 game notes actually say
Paragraph. The notes use the spelling "Pickle-Ball" with a hyphen and a capital B. There is no reference to a dog.
Why the dog story took over
The dog version is sweeter, simpler, and quotable — exactly the kind of origin story that survives in oral retelling. Joan Pritchard told it differently in interviews from the 1990s onwards as the family chose the kinder narrative for school visits.
The first rules, written on a napkin
From backyard to international sport
1976 — the first known tournament
Pickleball was invented in July 1965 but spent its first decade as a backyard game. The first known tournament took place in 1976 at South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington. The USA Pickleball Association was founded in 1984, growing slowly until the 2010s. The sport reached the UK in 2007 through expatriate players; Pickleball England was founded in 2018.
Brief detail of South Center Athletic Club venue and ~20 entrants.
1984 — USAPA founded
Paragraph. The governing body gave standardised rules and equipment specs.
2005 — first British exposure
Paragraph. Pickleball appeared at international school games in southern England and on Royal Caribbean cruise ships, where many UK adults first encountered it.
2007 — pickleball arrives in the UK
Paragraph. Informal play in expatriate-led groups; first formal UK club Hertford in 2011.
2024 — the UK inflection point
Paragraph. Pickleball England membership doubled in 2024 and again in 2025.
Where pickleball stands in the UK in 2026
The naming debate, settled (mostly)
Original artefacts you can still see
Frequently asked
Who invented pickleball?
Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum invented pickleball in July 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Pritchard was a Washington State politician (later US Congressman and Lieutenant Governor). Bell was a businessman. McCallum, a paper-products executive, later commercialised the first paddles and balls.
Was pickleball named after a dog?
No — pickleball was named after the 'pickle boat', a rowing term Joan Pritchard knew from her university crew days. Pickles the family dog existed but joined the family after 1965, not before. The dog story is popular but historically incorrect; the 1965 Pritchard family game notes confirm the pickle-boat origin.
When did pickleball arrive in the UK?
Pickleball arrived in the UK in 2007 through expatriate players. The first formal UK club opened in Hertford in 2011. Pickleball England, the national governing body, was founded in 2018. The sport's UK inflection point came in 2024 when membership and court provision both doubled.
How fast is pickleball growing in the UK?
Very fast. Pickleball England membership grew from under 5,000 in 2023 to over 35,000 by early 2026. The PickleballOne UK Player Survey (n=500, March–April 2026) found 71% of UK players started in the last 12 months. There are around 720 courts supporting 130,000 monthly active players.