Introduction

If you have never played pickleball, chances are you have heard of or seen the game played. Over the last five years, pickleball has experienced explosive growth across the United States. Today, millions of people across the United States play pickleball with new courts being constructed every year. The sport has been televised nationally, with matches broadcasted on CBS Sports Network and ESPN. The rapid expansion of pickleball can be attributed to its accessibility for players of all skill levels and ages. This book will provide information on the history, rules, and strategies for both singles and doubles matches and the impact pickleball has on one’s fitness and health.

History

Pickleball was created in 1965 by Bill Bell and Joel Pritchard at the latter’s home in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Pritchard, a US congressman, and Bell, a successful businessman, aimed to find an activity that the entire family could participate in (1). Utilizing equipment around Pritchard’s home, ping pong paddles, and a wiffle ball, they began improvising rules while playing on the outdoor badminton court in the family’s backyard. Following the inception of the game, Pritchard and Bell introduced Samuel McCallum to their improvised rules of pickleball (1). Together the three refined and established the basic rules of pickleball.

There is debate over how a game that can be described as a mixture of tennis, badminton, and ping pong received the name pickleball. One of the most popular and widely accepted explanations stems from the Pritchard’s family dog, Pickles. It is said that while the family played in the backyard, Pickles would chase around the ball (1). Although this may be the most popular explanation for the name, according to Pritchard’s wife it is not the most accurate. In an interview, Joan Pritchard proclaimed the name derived from pickle boat crews in rowing (1). A pickle boat crew is thrown together from randomly available rowers. Similarly, the game of pickleball is a combination of sports merged from equipment the family had lying around the house.

Organization Timeline

Since its humble beginnings in Pritchard’s backyard, pickleball has experienced tremendous growth over the past 50 years. In 1984, the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A) was established to support the advancement of pickleball across the United States (1). While the U.S.A.P.A. was one of the first national organizations dedicated to the sport, it was not the only one. In 2005, the USA Pickleball Association was founded. Under the USA Pickleball Association, official tournament rulebooks were developed, national tournaments were organized, and the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) was established to promote the sport globally (1). As of 2023, 77 countries and territories are members of the IFP (3). The interactive Google Map below displays all current members of the IFP.

In 2020, the USA Pickleball Association continued its mission to grow the game of pickleball but under a new name — USA Pickleball. Through the efforts of USA Pickleball, pickleball was recognized as the fastest-growing sport in the United States for three consecutive years, from 2020 to 2023. As of 2023, there are 8.9 million pickleball players in the United States (4).