History of Pickleball in Timeline

Pickleball is a racket sport played with paddles and a perforated plastic ball over a net, either indoors or outdoors. Invented in 1965 as a backyard game on Bainbridge Island, Washington, it has gained popularity and was named the official state sport of Washington in 2022. The game involves two or four players hitting the ball with smooth-faced paddles over a 34-inch net.

1965: Pickleball invented

In 1965, Pickleball was invented as a children's backyard game in the United States, specifically on Bainbridge Island in Washington State.

1965: Pickleball Invented on Bainbridge Island

In 1965, the game of pickleball was created on Bainbridge Island, Washington, at the summer home of Joel Pritchard. Pritchard, along with Barney McCallum and Bill Bell, are credited with devising the game and establishing its rules.

1967: First dedicated pickleball court constructed

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

February 1968: Formation of Pickle Ball, Inc.

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

1972: Trademark of Pickle-ball name

Around 1972, Pickle Ball, Inc. trademarked the name "Pickle-ball" and filed its first annual report, coinciding with the manufacturing of wooden paddles and pickleball kits to meet growing demand.

July 1976: First Formal Pickleball Tournament

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

1984: USA Pickleball becomes de facto governing body

In 1984, USA Pickleball became the de facto governing body for pickleball as the first organization to step into the role when it was founded as the United States Amateur Pickleball Association. It also published the first official rule book that same year.

1984: Publication of the Original Pickleball Rulebook

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

1984: Formation of U.S.A.P.A. and National Doubles Championships

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

2001: Pickleball included in Arizona Senior Olympics

In 2001, pickleball was included as a demonstration sport in the Arizona Senior Olympics (ASO) with 100 participants, contributing to the growth of tournaments in the United States.

2002: Fracture injuries associated with pickleball experience a 90-fold increase from 2002 to 2022

Recent analyses by the insurance industry found treatment costs for pickleball injuries have increased as participation has grown. Fracture injuries associated with the sport reportedly experienced a 90-fold increase from 2002 to 2022, with a majority of injuries among players aged 60 to 69.

2003: Pickleball played at the World Senior Games

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

2008: Inclusion in United States Senior Olympics

In 2008, pickleball was included in the United States Senior Olympics, further boosting its popularity.

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 International Federation of Pickleball (IFP)

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

2013: Pickleball played 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 by PickleballCentral.com

In 2016, Pickle Ball, Inc. was purchased by PickleballCentral.com, operating under 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 by USA Pickleball

Wheelchair pickleball, sometimes called adaptive pickleball or para pickleball, was officially recognized as a competitive form of pickleball by USA Pickleball in 2016. The modified rules that pertain to wheelchair pickleball are incorporated throughout the Official Rulebook. Sanctioned tournaments may have separate divisions for wheelchair players, or they may allow standing players and wheelchair players to compete against each other.

2017: Establishment of the Pickleball Hall of Fame

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

2018: Establishment of the World Pickleball Federation (WPF)

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

2019: Professional pickleball tournaments begin

In 2019 professional pickleball tournaments began when two professional tours were formed independently, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (now the Association of Pickleball Players) which was established and sanctioned by USA Pickleball, and the Pickleball Professionals Association, which did not seek sanctioning by the USAP.

2019: Formation of Professional Pickleball Tours

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

September 2020: Pickleball banned in Portland metropolitan area park due to noise

In September 2020, one park in the Portland metropolitan area had to institute a ban on pickleball, despite having just installed new pickleball courts five months earlier. Residents nearest to the pickleball courts said they could not hold conversations inside their homes due to the noise from the pickleball courts. Despite the ban, people still used the pickleball courts the following year.

2020: Cancellation of National Championships

In 2020, the USA Pickleball National Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic ironically drove more people to the sport.

June 2021: West Linn resident complains of noise from pickleball courts

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." Some described the noise as "trauma-inducing".

September 2021: USA Pickleball Establishes Hall of Fame

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

2021: Celebrity Investment in Major League Pickleball

In 2021, Major League Pickleball was established, attracting investors such as NBA player LeBron James, retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees, and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, increasing the sport's visibility and popularity.

2021: Bill proposed to make pickleball the official sport of Washington state

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

2021: Formation of Major League Pickleball (MLP)

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

2021: Fastest-growing sport in the U.S.

In 2021, pickleball was named the fastest-growing sport in the United States by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, marking the beginning of a four-year streak.

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

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

July 2022: Pickleball accepted as a demonstration sport at the Maccabiah Games

Pickleball was accepted as a demonstration sport at the July 2022 Maccabiah Games, considered the third largest sporting event in the world. This marked the first time pickleball appeared at an event sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.

October 10, 2022: Angelo and Ettore Rossetti set a Guinness World Record

There are several published Guinness World Records for the sport of pickleball, one of which is the longest pickleball volley rally, consisting of 10,532 consecutive shots, lasting 2 hours and 44 seconds set by Angelo and Ettore Rossetti on October 10, 2022.

2022: Pickleball named official state sport of Washington

In 2022, Pickleball was officially named the state sport of Washington.

2022: USA Pickleball withdraws from the IPF

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

2022: Formation of National Pickleball League of Champions Pros (NPL)

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

2022: Sports Illustrated article concludes pickleball unlikely at Olympics before 2032

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

2022: Competitive college pickleball begins

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

2022: Fracture injuries associated with pickleball experience a 90-fold increase from 2002 to 2022

2022: SFIA Report on Court Infrastructure Needs

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 pickleball.

April 2023: Unification of Pickleball Hall of Fame Organizations

In April 2023, after significant pushback from the pickleball community, USA Pickleball reached an agreement to unify the two Hall of Fame organizations.

July 2023: Pickleball Surpasses Tennis Among Apple Watch Users

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

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September 2023: MLP Expansion to Australia

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

November 2023: Launch of Pickleballtv (PBTV)

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

2023: SFIA Report on Pickleball Growth

According to the 2023 report by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), 13.6 million people played pickleball in 2023.

2023: USAP Publishes Equipment Standards Manual

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

2023: Establishment of the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) and the Pickleball International Committee (PIC)

In 2023, USA Pickleball and several other member nations established a third international governing body, the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF). Also in 2023, a fourth organization, the Pickleball International Committee (PIC), was established, claiming to be the global governing body for pickleball.

2023: Noise issues raised by residents near a pickleball court in Halifax, Nova Scotia

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

2023: USA Pickleball addresses noise concerns

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

2023: Formation of National Collegiate Pickleball Association

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

2023: Merger of PPA and MLP under UPA

In 2023, the PPA and MLP merged under one umbrella organization, the United Pickleball Association (UPA).

2023: SFIA Report Release

The 2022 SFIA report was released in 2023, highlighting that the Middle Atlantic region had the lowest court coverage, with 1 dedicated court for 1000 participants. Pickleball participation grew in every region in the United States according to the report by the SFIA.

2023: Pickleball included as a demonstration sport at the African Games

The 2023 African Games, also sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee, included Pickleball as a demonstration sport. The event was held March 11-15th at the University of Ghana campus in Accra.

February 2024: SFIA report release on Pickleball Growth

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

April 2024: UPA announces expansion of PPL and MLP to India

In April 2024, the United Pickleball Association (UPA) announced an expansion of the Professional Pickleball League (PPL) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) to India, in cooperation with Global Sports of India. The intention was to start selling in time for the 2025/2026 season.

April 2024: Transition to UTR-Pickleball Scoring System

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. In April 2024, UTR-Pickleball was developed by UTR Sports in collaboration with the Association of Pickleball Players.

May 2024: Increase in Outdoor Pickleball Courts

In May 2024, CNBC cited a report from the Trust for Public Land, noting that the number of outdoor pickleball courts in major cities increased by 650% in the last seven years, with over 3,000 courts across 100 of the most populated cities in the US.

July 2024: Launch of Pickleball World Rankings (PWR)

In July 2024, a new international professional pickleball organization, the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), was launched. Founded by Pranav Kohli in collaboration with the Times Group of India and Pickleball Asia, players will earn points to improve their PWR ranking by participating in PWR World Tour tournaments. Top point earners will participate in the PWR World Series, with each event offering $500,000 to $1 million in prize money.

November 2024: UPA announces formation of PPA Tour Asia and MLP Asia

In November 2024, after a prior collaboration failed to materialize, the United Pickleball Association (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.

November 2024: IPF and WPF agree to merge

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

2024: Continued Growth of Pickleball

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

2024: USA Pickleball Rule Change

In 2024 USA Pickleball changed the rule about serving from the wrong side of the court, the wrong player serving or the wrong player returning a serve, so it is no longer a fault. Player positions should be corrected as soon as they are noticed.

2024: UPA announces it would replace USA Pickleball

In 2024, after the PPA and MLP merged, the UPA announced it would replace USA Pickleball with its own global governing body for the sport called the UPA of America (UPA-A).

2024: U.S. Open Pickleball Championships 2024

In 2024, the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships took place from April 13 to 20, with over 3,250 competitors and over 50,000 spectators.

2024: Controversy over construction of pickleball courts in public spaces

The construction of pickleball courts in public spaces has been a source of controversy, especially when the new court replaces existing tennis or basketball courts. The repurposing of basketball courts for pickleball is often decried as an example of gentrification.

2024: USA Pickleball includes rules for mini-singles in the Official Rulebook

USA Pickleball first included rules for mini-singles in the 2024 Official Rulebook. Mini-singles, sometimes called "skinny singles", follow the same rules as regular singles, except only half of each player's court is considered "in play" during each rally. The half of the court that is in play is determined by each player's score.

February 2025: Recommendation to base merged IPF/WPF entity in Lausanne, Switzerland

In February 2025, it was announced that the transition team was recommending that the newly merged entity of the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and the World Pickleball Federation (WPF) be based in Lausanne, Switzerland, home of the International Olympic Committee.

June 2025: Member nations vote to affirm IPF and WPF merger

In June 2025, the member nations voted to affirm the merger of the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) and the World Pickleball Federation (WPF). The merged organization will operate under the World Pickleball Federation name, and adopt the IPF's core mission of "No country left behind".

June 2025: No pickleball organization with International Olympic Committee recognition

As of June 2025, no pickleball organization has received recognition from the International Olympic Committee, or any other international sports oversight body, as the official world-wide governing body for the sport of pickleball. Several organizations are vying to be the global governing body for the sport.

2025: Rebranding of DUPR Collegiate National Championship

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 will also be held, inviting collegiate players from all countries.

2025: Rules based on the 2025 Official Rulebook

Rules related to Court and equipment, Order of Play, and Manner of Play, are based on the USA Pickleball 2025 Official Rulebook or the Equipment Standards Manual, unless otherwise specified.

2027: Pickleball expected to be included in the Invictus Games

Pickleball is expected to be included in the 2027 Invictus Games that are scheduled to be held in Birmingham, England. Carlisle-based Gaz Golightly, a military veteran and amputee, lobbied for inclusion of the sport after trying various wheelchair sports and deciding pickleball was by far the most inclusive for wheelchair users.