What is pickleball? Rules of the sport and its history.

If you’ve seen people with square racquets at your local recreation center, or if your tennis club has suddenly converted part of its space into smaller courts with lower nets, you may be wondering about the fast-growing sport of pickleball.

With over 9,000 courts, Pickleball is available in every US state and Canadian province. USA Pickleball reports that 4.8 million people played the sport in 2021, with approximately 1.4 million “core” players playing eight or more times a year.

Whether you’re a seasoned pickleballer or just discovered the sport, here’s the information you need.

What is pickleball?

Pickleball is an easy-to-learn, accessible racquet sport that relies on reaction time, precision, and strategy to win. According to Sports Imports, the game combines elements of table tennis, tennis and badminton.

When was Pickleball invented?

Pickleball was invented in 1965 by three fathers — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum — to provide a fun pastime for their families, according to USA Pickleball. Back then it was played with a wiffle ball, today there are perforated plastic balls specially made for this sport.

Since its invention, the development of the sport has focused on being accessible to players of all ages and abilities as a source of family entertainment. The game, which can be played indoors or outdoors, has steadily grown in popularity since its inception.