Articles · 31 August 2026
The history of pickleball: it is not named after a dog
Pickleball was born in 1965 on a backyard badminton court on Bainbridge Island, with ping-pong paddles and a toy ball. And the name does not come from the family dog: it comes from rowing.
Know why pickleball is called that? If someone told you the dog story, you got the pretty version. The real one is better, and it explains the whole sport.
It was born in the summer of 1965, on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle. Three dads, a Saturday, and some bored kids.
A backyard fix that worked
Joel Pritchard had a badminton court in his backyard. That day they could not find the shuttlecocks, so they improvised: they lowered the net, grabbed ping-pong paddles and a plastic ball with holes.
Out of that fix came a sport with the three traits that still define it: low net, rigid paddle, and a ball that barely bounces. Nothing was designed; they used what was lying around.
A pickleball court still measures exactly what a badminton court measures: 13.41 × 6.10 metres. Sixty years on, that backyard is still in charge.
The dog came later
The legend says the name comes from Pickles, the family dog. It is a lovely story and it is everywhere. The problem is the chronology: the dog arrived later, when the game already had its name. The Pritchard family has confirmed it.
The real name comes from rowing. A "pickle boat" is the crew put together from the rowers left over from other boats. And it fits, because that is exactly what pickleball is: a sport built from three other sports' leftovers. Badminton supplied the court, ping-pong supplied the paddles, and a toy supplied the ball.
From a backyard to a rulebook
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1965 | The game is invented in Joel Pritchard's backyard, on Bainbridge Island (Washington) |
| 1967 | The first court built just for pickleball goes up |
| 1984 | The first official rulebook arrives, and with it the tournaments |
| Today | One of the fastest-growing sports in the world, already established in Europe |
Why the history matters to your club
Because it explains two things that make the numbers work for a club. First: the court is small. At badminton dimensions, four pickleball courts fit where one tennis court sits, and one fits inside a padel court too.
Second: it was designed from day one so that anyone can play. Low net, slow ball, and a paddle that asks for no technique on your first afternoon. It was invented so a few bored kids would have a good Saturday, and it still works the same way.
So no: pickleball is not named after a dog. It is named after a rowing boat crewed by whoever was left over.
Next time someone tells you the dog story, you know what to say.
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