History of Pickleball

Pickleball was born in 1965. After playing golf during the summer, Joel
Pritchard, a congressman from Washington, and Bill Bell, a successful
businessman, returned to Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island, not far from
Seattle, Washington. With bored children at home, they sought to play
badminton on an old badminton court but couldn’t find the proper equipment.
They improvised and played with table tennis paddles and a perforated plastic
ball. They began with the net at a badminton net height (60 inches high) and
volleyed the ball back and forth over the net. Eventually as play progressed
during the weekend, they found the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface and
they would eventually lower the net to 36 inches high. The following weekend,
Barney McCallum joined and began playing and the three men created
the rules for pickleball. The men remembered the original purpose of creating
the game was for a game the whole family could play when they were bored.

By 1967, the first permanent pickleball court was constructed in the backyard of
Pritchard’s friend and neighbor Bob O’Brian. In 1972, a corporation was
formed to protect the sport and in 1975, the National Observer wrote for the first
time about pickleball. Tennis magazine followed this with an article about
America's newest racquet sport in 1976.

By spring 1976, the first known tournament in the world was held at South
Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington. Team ONIX's Steve Paranto
placed second and David Lester won Men's Singles. Because this was such a new
sport and players knew so little about it, at the time of the tournament, they
practiced with large wood paddles and a softball-sized whiffle ball. 

In 1978 a book called The Other Raquet Sports was published and it included
information about pickleball. Four years later, Sid Williams began playing and
organizing tournaments in Washington.

The first pickleball rulebook was published in 1984 by the United States
Amateur Pickleball Association, which committed to growth and advancement of
the sport. Sid Williams served as the first executive director and president from
1984 to 1998. Frank Candelario followed him until 2004. 

Steve Paranto's father Arlen Paranto, a Boeing Industrial Engineer, created the
first composite pickleball paddle. Arlen used fiberglass and nomex honeycomb
panels that the commercial airplanes used for their flooring and structural
system. Arlen made 1,000 paddles from this fiberglass/honeycomb core and
graphite/honeycomb core until he sold the company to Frank Candelario. 

By 1990 pickleball was being played in all 50 states. Two years later, Pickle-Ball,
Inc. manufactured pickleballs in-house with a custom drilling machine. By 1999,
the first ever pickleball website launched called Pickleball Stuff.

In 2001, pickleball was introduced in the Arizona Senior Olympics drawing 100
players, which was the largest event to be played at that point. Later, events
would begin growing to nearly 300 players. By 2003, Pickleball Stuff would list
39 known places to play in North America: 10 states, 3 Canadian Provinces, and
150 individual courts.

In 2005, the USA Pickleball Association was established. Three years later, the
USAPA Rules Committee published an official rulebook. Pickleball was included
for the first time in the National Senior Games Association. Good Morning
America aired a live segment on pickleball for the first mass media exposure for
the sport. 

The first USAPA National Tournament was held in November 2009 and drew
almost 400 players from 26 states and several Canadian provinces. 

Since then, pickleball has been exploding in growth and popularity with
tournaments played by millions ranging from young to old all over the world.
The USAPA has more than 40,000 members and it's estimated pickleball is one
of the fastest growing sports in the United States as participants reach around 3.3
million.

HOW DID PICKLEBALL GET ITS NAME?

When you first learn about the sport, the name “pickleball” often produces a
laugh, especially since no pickles are involved. But there is some debate on how
the name was originated. There are two different accounts. The first account is
according to Joan Pritchard, Joel Pritchard, she started calling the game
pickleball because the combination of different sports reminded her of the pickle
boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of the other boats.
The second account from Barney McCallum says pickleball was named after
Pritchard’s dog Pickles, who would chase the ball and run with it. Some believe
Pickles was named after the game because he didn’t join the family until a couple
of years after the game was created.

Court and equipment

Court
The regulation size of the court is 20 feet (6.1 m) by 44 feet (13 m) for both doubles and singles, the same size
as a doubles badminton court. A line seven feet from the net is the non-volley line. Twenty-two feet from the
net, the baseline marks the outer boundary of the playing area. The area bounded by the non-volley line, the
sidelines, and the net, including the lines, is known as the non-volley zone or "kitchen". The area between the
non-volley line and the baseline is the service court. A center line divides the service court into left and right
sides. Regulated tournaments and games are usually played on a specialized polyurethane sport surface;
however, courts are often set up on concrete, Astroturf, and indoor basketball courts.

Net
The net is 36 inches (0.91 m) high on the ends and 34 inches (0.86 m) high at the center. The net posts should
be 22 feet (6.7 m) from the inside of one post to the inside of the other post.

Ball
A Wiffle ball was the original ball used when the game was invented. USA Pickleball (USAP) and the
International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) have since adopted specific ball standards unique to
pickleball. Balls must be made of a durable molded material with a smooth surface and must have
between 26 and 40 evenly spaced circular holes. They must weigh between .78 and .935 ounces
(22.1 and 26.5 g) and measure between 2.87 and 2.97 inches (73 and 75 mm) in diameter.
Tournaments sanctioned by the USAP and IFP must choose from a list of preapproved balls found
on the USAP and IFP websites
Balls with smaller holes are generally used for outdoor play to minimize the effects of wind, but any
sanctioned ball can be used for either indoor or outdoor play.

Paddle
For sanctioned games, USAP and IFP paddle size standards say the combined length and width of
the paddle shall not exceed 24 inches (0.61 m); the length cannot exceed 17 inches (0.43 m). There
are no requirements regarding thickness or weight. The paddle must be made of a noncompressible
material, and the surface of the paddle must be smooth with no texturing. Paddles used in
sanctioned tournaments must be on the list of preapproved paddles found on the USAP and IFP
websites.
A Wiffle ball was the original ball used when the game was invented. USA Pickleball (USAP) and the
International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) have since adopted specific ball standards unique to pickleball.
Balls must be made of a durable molded material with a smooth surface and must have between 26 and 40
evenly spaced circular holes. They must weigh between .78 and .935 ounces (22.1 and 26.5 g) and measure
between 2.87 and 2.97 inches (73 and 75 mm) in diameter. Tournaments sanctioned by the USAP and IFP
must choose from a list of preapproved balls found on the USAP and IFP websites.
Balls with smaller holes are generally used for outdoor play to minimize the effects of wind, but any
sanctioned ball can be used for either indoor or outdoor play

Paddle
For sanctioned games, USAP and IFP paddle size standards say the combined length and width of the paddle
shall not exceed 24 inches (0.61 m); the length cannot exceed 17 inches (0.43 m) There are no requirements
regarding thickness or weight. The paddle must be made of a noncompressible material, and the surface of the
paddle must be smooth with no texturing. Paddles used in sanctioned tournaments must be on the list of
preapproved paddles found on the USAP and IFP websites.