Fastest Growing Sport in America: Why Is It Called Pickleball?

The name "pickleball" has an interesting and somewhat whimsical origin. It is often attributed to the sport's co-founder, Joel Pritchard, who, along with his friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, invented the game in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

According to one popular version of the story, the game was initially played using improvised equipment and a perforated plastic ball. As the story goes, Joel Pritchard's family had a dog named Pickles, and the dog would often chase after the ball during their matches and run off with it. The Pritchard family supposedly began calling the game "pickleball" in honor of their mischievous dog's involvement in their matches.

While this origin story is charming, it's worth noting that there are some variations to the tale, and the exact details may be somewhat obscured by time. Nevertheless, the name "pickleball" has endured and become synonymous with the sport, capturing the fun and quirky spirit of the game's early days.

• Court Dimensions
  • The pickleball court is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long for doubles and 20 feet wide and 22 feet long for singles. The court is divided into two service areas on each side by a non-volley zone (also known as the "kitchen").
• Serving
  • Service is underhand, and the server must stand behind the baseline and serve diagonally to the opponent's service court. The serve must clear the net and land within the opponent's service court.
• Non-Volley Zone (Kitchen)
  • Players cannot volley the ball (hit it in the air) while standing in the non-volley zone (the area within 7 feet on each side of the net). They must wait for the ball to bounce outside this zone before attempting a volley.
• Scoring
  • Pickleball typically uses a rally scoring system, which means a point can be scored by either the serving or receiving team. Games are usually played to 11 points, but in some cases, they may be played to 15 or 21 points.
• Serve Rotation
  • In doubles play, both players on the serving team have the opportunity to serve, and points can only be scored by the serving team. If the serving team loses a point, the serve goes to the opposing team. The serving order follows a "one-and-one" pattern (each player serves once before switching sides).