Why Is It Called Pickleball? The Real Story

It’s the first thing almost every new player asks: why is it called pickleball? There’s no pickle involved, so where did the name come from? Here’s the real story.

Where pickleball came from

Pickleball was invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Washington. Three dads — Joel Pritchard (a future US congressman), Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — were trying to entertain their bored kids. They cobbled together a game using a badminton court, ping-pong paddles, and a perforated plastic ball, and lowered the net over the weekend. That improvised backyard game became pickleball.

Story #1: the “pickle boat”

According to Joan Pritchard, Joel’s wife, she started calling the game “pickleball” because the mismatched, thrown-together nature of it reminded her of a “pickle boat” — a rowing term for a boat crewed by the leftover oarsmen who didn’t make the main crews. The game was a mix of borrowed equipment from other sports, just like a pickle boat is a mix of leftover rowers. It’s a fitting origin for a sport stitched together from badminton, ping-pong, and tennis.

Story #2: the dog named Pickles

The more charming story is that the sport was named after the Pritchard family dog, Pickles, who would supposedly chase the ball and run off with it. It’s the version many people repeat — but there’s a problem with the timeline.

Which story is true?

Historians and the Pritchard family generally favor the pickle-boat story, for one simple reason: the dog Pickles reportedly didn’t join the family until a couple of years after the game was named. By that account, the dog was actually named after the game, not the other way around. The two stories have blurred together over the decades, but the pickle-boat origin is the one best supported by the timeline.

The name that stuck

Whatever the exact truth, the odd, memorable name did the sport a favor. “Pickleball” is impossible to forget — and as the game grew from a Bainbridge Island backyard into the fastest-growing sport in America, that quirky name became part of its charm.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called pickleball?

There are two stories. Joan Pritchard said she named it after the “pickle boat” — a rowing term for a boat crewed by leftover rowers — because the game was thrown together from other sports. The other story credits the family dog, Pickles. Historians favor the pickle-boat origin.

Was pickleball named after a dog?

That’s the popular story — a dog named Pickles who chased the ball. But the timeline suggests the dog came along a couple of years after the game was named, meaning the dog was likely named after the sport, not the reverse.

Who invented pickleball?

Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, who improvised the game to entertain their kids using a badminton court, ping-pong paddles, and a plastic ball.

When was pickleball invented?

In the summer of 1965. The sport grew slowly for decades before exploding in popularity in the 2010s and 2020s to become the fastest-growing sport in the United States.

What is a pickle boat?

A pickle boat is a rowing term for a boat crewed by the leftover oarsmen who weren’t selected for the main crews. Joan Pritchard used it to describe pickleball because the game was a mix of borrowed elements from other sports.

Now go play

Ready to try the sport with the funny name? Start with our complete beginner’s guide and find a court near you in the directory.