Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington.
The racket sport was created by businessman Bill Bell and Congressman Joel Pritchard to entertain their children. A week later, the duo introduced their idea to their buddy Barney McCallum and the pals created rules for the game to make proceedings more official.
Keep reading to learn the details on when was pickleball invented to know the origins of the world’s fastest growing sport.
Table of Contents For When Was Pickleball Invented
Where Did Pickleball Originally Come From
Pickleball originated on Bainbridge island, just outside of Seattle, Washington State in 1965. It was first played by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell.
When Was The First Pickleball Court Constructed
The first official pickleball court was built in 1967 the backyard of Bob O’Brian, a friend and neighbor of Joel Pritchard.
Which Sport Did Pickleball Originally Base Its Rules Off
U.SA Pickleball explains that Pickleball originally relied on the rules of badminton to guide and police the game.
When Was The First Pickleball Tournament Held
The first publicized pickleball tournament was held in 1976, in Tukwila, Washington. There were no serious picklers in the field, and most participants were college tennis players.
Watch Here: The origins of Pickleball – How it all began
When Was U.S.A.P.A Formed
U.S.A.P.A. was formed in 1984 to help grow the sport of pickleball. The association released their first rule book shortly after in March.
FAQ
Why Is The Sport Called Pickleball
Pickleball is derived from the term pickle boat which refers to a mix of random available rowers who are there to make up the numbers for a race. This references the badminton and ping pong equipment that pickleball founders scrambled together when they first played the game.
Where Is Pickleball Most Popular
Pickleball is most popular in the South Atlantic states with over 1 million pickleball players taking to the courts annually. The highest concentration of players in this area reside in Florida.
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