History of Pickleball in Timeline

Pickleball is a paddle sport played with a perforated plastic ball and smooth-faced paddles on a badminton-sized court with a lowered net. It can be played indoors or outdoors with two or four players. The objective is to hit the ball over the net until one side fails to return it or commits a fault. Invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, as a children's game, it has grown in popularity and was named the official state sport of Washington in 2022.

1965: Pickleball Invented

After its introduction in 1965, pickleball became a popular sport in the Pacific Northwest and gradually grew in popularity elsewhere.

1965: Game Creation on Bainbridge Island

In 1965, the game of pickleball was created on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at the summer home of Joel Pritchard, Barney McCallum and Bill Bell.

1967: First Dedicated Outdoor Pickleball Court Constructed

In 1967, the first dedicated outdoor pickleball court was constructed at the residence of Pritchard's friend, Bob O'Brian.

February 1968: Pickle Ball, Inc. Formed

In February 1968, Pritchard, along with McCallum's son David and two other friends, formed Pickle Ball, Inc. to promote and sell the sport.

1972: Pickle-ball Trademarked and Company Report Filed

In 1972, Pickle Ball, Inc. filed its first annual report and trademarked the name "Pickle-ball".

July 1976: First Formal Pickleball Tournament

In July 1976, a tournament held at the Southcenter Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington, was credited as the first formal pickleball tournament, billed as "The World's First Pickleball Championship" by Joel Pritchard.

1984: Original Rulebook Published

In 1984, USA Pickleball published the original rulebook while it was still operating as the United States Amateur Pickleball Association.

1984: U.S.A.P.A. Formed and First Rulebook Published

In 1984, the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (U.S.A.P.A.), now known as USA Pickleball or USAP, was formed. In the same year they published the first official rulebook for the sport, and held their first organized tournament, the National Doubles Championships, in Tacoma, Washington.

1984: USA Pickleball Founded and Rule Book Published

In 1984, the United States Amateur Pickleball Association, later known as USA Pickleball, was founded and became the de facto governing body for pickleball. It also published the first official rule book that same year.

2001: Pickleball Included in Arizona Senior Olympics

In 2001, pickleball was included as a demonstration sport in the Arizona Senior Olympics (ASO).

2003: Pickleball at the World Senior Games

Since 2003, pickleball has been played at the World Senior Games, held annually in St. George, Utah.

2008: Pickleball Included in United States Senior Olympics

In 2008, pickleball was included in the United States Senior Olympics.

November 2009: First USA Pickleball National Championships

In November 2009, USA Pickleball held its first regular USA Pickleball National Championships in Buckeye, Arizona.

2010: USA Pickleball Helps Establish the IFP

In 2010, USA Pickleball helped establish the International Federation of Pickleball (IFP), now the International Pickleball Federation (IPF), to serve as a worldwide governing body, while USA Pickleball continued as the national governing body for pickleball in the United States.

2013: Pickleball at the National Senior Games

Pickleball was first played at the National Senior Games, in the United States, in 2013.

2016: Pickle Ball, Inc. Acquired

In 2016, Pickle Ball, Inc. was purchased by PickleballCentral.com, which operates under the corporate name Olla, LLC.

2016: First U.S. Open Pickleball Championships

In 2016, the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships was first held at the East Naples Community Park in Naples, Florida.

2016: Wheelchair Pickleball Officially Recognized

In 2016, wheelchair pickleball, also called adaptive pickleball or para pickleball, was officially recognized as a competitive form of pickleball by USA Pickleball, and its modified rules are incorporated throughout the Official Rulebook.

2017: Pickleball Hall of Fame Established

In 2017, the Pickleball Hall of Fame was established by Seymore Rifkind.

2018: World Pickleball Federation (WPF) Established

In 2018, a second international governing body, the World Pickleball Federation (WPF), was established, challenging the IPF.

2019: Pro Pickleball Tours Formed

In 2019, two pro pickleball tours were independently formed, the Association of Pickleball Players (APP), originally the Association of Pickleball Professionals, and the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA).

2019: Professional Pickleball Tours Established

In 2019, two professional pickleball tours were established in the United States.

September 2020: Park Bans Pickleball Due to Noise

In September 2020, a park in the Portland metropolitan area instituted a ban on pickleball, despite having just installed new pickleball courts five months earlier, due to noise complaints from nearby residents.

2020: National Championships Cancelled Due to COVID-19

In 2020, the USA Pickleball National Championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 2021: Resident Complains About Noise

In June 2021, at a West Linn City Council meeting, one resident said the noise from pickleball courts resulted in family gatherings being "... wrought with discord and physically debilitating stress."

September 2021: USA Pickleball Hall of Fame Established

In September 2021, USA Pickleball established its own hall of fame named the USA Pickleball Hall of Fame and Museum.

2021: Major League Pickleball Attracts Investors

In 2021, Major League Pickleball attracted investors such as LeBron James, Drew Brees, and Gary Vaynerchuk, increasing the sport's visibility.

2021: Bill Proposed to Make Pickleball Official State Sport

In 2021, State Senator John Lovick proposed a bill making pickleball the official sport of Washington state.

2021: Major League Pickleball Formed

In 2021, a professional pickleball league, Major League Pickleball (MLP), was formed.

2021: Fastest Growing Sport

Starting in 2021, the sport was named the fastest-growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association for four years in a row.

March 28, 2022: Pickleball Named Official State Sport of Washington

On March 28, 2022, pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington and signed by Governor Jay Inslee on the original Pritchard family court.

July 2022: Pickleball as Demonstration Sport at Maccabiah Games

In July 2022, pickleball was accepted as a demonstration sport at the Maccabiah Games, marking the first time pickleball appeared at an event sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.

October 10, 2022: Longest Pickleball Volley Rally Record

On October 10, 2022, Angelo and Ettore Rossetti set the Guinness World Record for the longest pickleball volley rally, consisting of 10,532 consecutive shots, lasting 2 hours and 44 seconds.

2022: Sports Illustrated Article on Pickleball in the Olympics

A 2022 article by Sports Illustrated concluded that pickleball would not likely be seen at the Olympics before 2032.

2022: Increase in Pickleball Fracture Injuries

According to recent analyses by the insurance industry, fracture injuries associated with pickleball reportedly experienced a 90-fold increase from 2002 to 2022, with a majority of injuries among players aged 60 to 69.

2022: Competitive College Pickleball Begins

Competitive college pickleball began in the United States in 2022 when DUPR held their first DUPR Collegiate National Championship.

2022: USA Pickleball Withdraws from IPF

In 2022, USA Pickleball, and several other member nations, withdrew from the International Pickleball Federation (IPF).

2022: National Pickleball League of Champions Pros Formed

In 2022, a senior professional league, the National Pickleball League of Champions Pros (NPL), was formed.

2022: Pickleball Becomes Official State Sport of Washington

In 2022, pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington.

2022: Court Infrastructure Investment Needed

The 2022 SFIA report, released in 2023, estimated that approximately 900 million dollars of court infrastructure investment is needed to keep up with the fast growth of the sport.

April 2023: Hall of Fame Unification

In April 2023, USA Pickleball reached an agreement to unify the Seymore Rifkind's and USA Pickleball's Hall of Fame organizations.

July 2023: Pickleball Surpasses Tennis Among Apple Watch Users

The Apple Heart and Movement Study found that among Apple Watch users the number of pickleball players surpassed tennis for the first time in July 2023.

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September 2023: MLP Expansion to Australia

In September 2023, Major League Pickleball (MLP) partnered with the Pacific Pickleball League (PPL) of Australia to expand into Australia. The PPL was rebranded as MLP Australia, and its inaugural event was held in September 2023.

November 2023: Pickleballtv Launched

In November 2023, Pickleballtv (PBTV), an ad-supported pickleball streaming channel, was launched, co-owned by the Tennis Channel and the United Pickleball Association.

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2023: Pickleball grew in popularity

According to the 2023 report by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), released in February 2024, states that pickleball grew 223.5% over three years in the United States, and that 13.6 million people played pickleball.

2023: Pickleball as Demonstration Sport at African Games

In 2023, Pickleball was included as a demonstration sport at the African Games, held March 11-15th at the University of Ghana campus in Accra.

2023: Equipment Standards Document Published

In 2023, USA Pickleball (USAP) began publishing a separate document that describes specifications related to equipment, such as nets, balls, and paddles.

2023: Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) and Pickleball International Committee (PIC) Established

In 2023, USA Pickleball established the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF), and the Pickleball International Committee (PIC) was also established, claiming to be the global governing body for pickleball.

2023: USA Pickleball Statement on Quieter Options

In 2023, USA Pickleball stated that “working together with manufacturers and the entire industry, we can develop quieter options that benefit everyone."

2023: Noise Issues Raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia

In 2023, residents of an apartment building adjacent to a pickleball court in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, raised similar noise issues as those raised in Portland.

2023: Formation of National Collegiate Pickleball Association

In 2023, the National Collegiate Pickleball Association was formed by Noah Suemnick, and the APP announced it would begin holding the APP U.S. Collegiate Championships.

2023: PPA and MLP Merged

In 2023, the PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) and MLP (Major League Pickleball) merged to form the United Pickleball Association (UPA).

2023: Court Infrastructure Investment Needed

The 2022 SFIA report, released in 2023, estimated that approximately 900 million dollars of court infrastructure investment is needed to keep up with the fast growth of the sport.

February 2024: Pickleball grew 223.5% over three years

The 2023 report by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), released in February 2024, states that pickleball grew 223.5% over three years in the United States.

April 2024: UPA Announces Expansion to India

In April 2024, the United Pickleball Association (UPA), in cooperation with Global Sports of India, announced an expansion of the PPL and MLP to India, with the intention of starting sales for the 2025/2026 season.

April 2024: New Pickleball Rating System Implementation

Prior to April 2024 the APP and USA Pickleball used the USA Pickleball Tournament Player Rating (UTPR) system to calculate player scores for USAP sanctioned tournaments. UTR-P scores are generally about one point higher than the retired UTPR scores.

May 2024: Increase in Outdoor Pickleball Courts

In May 2024, CNBC noted, citing a report from the Trust for Public Land, the number of outdoor pickleball courts in major cities went up 650% in the last seven years, with more than 3,000 courts across 100 of the most populated cities in the US.

July 2024: Launch of Pickleball World Rankings (PWR)

In July 2024, the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), a new international professional pickleball organization, was launched. Founded by Pranav Kohli in collaboration with the Times Group of India and Pickleball Asia, the organization will allow players to earn points and participate in PWR World Tour tournaments and PWR World Series events.

November 2024: IPF and WPF Announce Merger Agreement

In November 2024, the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and the World Pickleball Federation (WPF) announced that they had agreed to merge their two organizations.

November 2024: UPA Announces PPA Tour Asia and MLP Asia

In November 2024, the UPA announced the formation of the PPA Tour Asia and MLP Asia under the UPA Asia banner. The PPA Tour Asia is expected to launch in 2025, and the MLP Asia is expected to launch in 2026.

2024: Pickleball participants in the United States

By 2024, it was estimated there were 19.8 million pickleball participants in the United States, a 311% growth since 2021.

2024: Tennis Players' Concerns

During the 2024 Wimbledon Tennis Championships Novak Djokovic stated in a press conference that "on a club level, tennis is endangered" because clubs replace tennis and basketball courts with pickleball courts.

2024: UPA Launches UPA of America (UPA-A)

In 2024, after the PPA and MLP merged into the UPA, the UPA announced the launch of UPA of America (UPA-A), a competing governing body to USA Pickleball.

2024: USA Pickleball Changed a Serving Rule

Serving from the wrong side of the court, the wrong player serving or the wrong player returning a serve should be avoided. Though not a fault since USA Pickleball changed the rule in 2024, player positions should be corrected as soon as they are noticed.

2024: U.S. Open Pickleball Championships

The 2024 U.S. Open Pickleball Championships ran from April 13 to the 20th, had over 3,250 competitors, and over 50,000 spectators.

2024: Mini-Singles Rules Included in Official Rulebook

USA Pickleball first included rules for mini-singles in the 2024 Official Rulebook. Mini-singles, also known as "skinny singles", follow the same rules as regular singles, but only half of each player's court is considered "in play" during each rally.

February 2025: Transition Team Recommends Lausanne, Switzerland as Base for Merged Entity

In February 2025, it was announced that the transition team was recommending that the newly merged entity between the IPF and WPF be based in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the IOC.

June 2025: Member Nations Affirm IPF and WPF Merger

In June 2025, the member nations voted to affirm the merger between the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and the World Pickleball Federation (WPF). The merged organization will operate under the Unified World Pickleball Federation (UWPF) name.

June 2025: No IOC Recognition for Pickleball Governing Body

As of June 2025, no pickleball organization has received recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or any other international sports oversight body as the official worldwide governing body for the sport of pickleball.

2025: Collegiate Pickleball Tour and National Championships

In 2025 DUPR, in collaboration with the United Pickleball Association, rebranded the DUPR Collegiate National Championship as the Collegiate Pickleball Tour and National Championships. A Collegiate World Championship, where collegiate players from all countries will be invited to participate, will also be held.

2025: PPA Tour Asia Expected Launch

In 2025, the PPA Tour Asia is expected to launch under the UPA Asia banner, as announced by the UPA in November 2024.

2025: USA Pickleball 2025 Official Rulebook

Rules-related information found in the sections below; Court and equipment, Order of Play, and Manner of Play, are based on the USA Pickleball 2025 Official Rulebook or the Equipment Standards Manual.

2026: MLP Asia Expected Launch

In 2026, the MLP Asia is expected to launch under the UPA Asia banner, as announced by the UPA in November 2024.

2027: Pickleball Expected at Invictus Games

Pickleball is expected to be included in the 2027 Invictus Games that are scheduled to be held in Birmingham, England.

2027: Possible Pickleball Tournament at African Games

The Confederation of African Pickleball and the Global Pickleball Federation are exploring the possibility of holding a pickleball tournament at the 2027 African Games in Egypt.

2032: Possible Olympic Inclusion of Pickleball

A 2022 Sports Illustrated article suggested that the earliest pickleball could be seen at the Olympics would be 2032.

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