Pickleball Began in 1965—About 61 Years Ago
Pickleball began in 1965, making it about 61 years old in 2026. See the sourced timeline and why its recent growth is not its origin.
Pickleball has been around since the summer of 1965—about 61 years as of October 2026. It began on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. Both USA Pickleball’s history and Washington’s state-sport legislation identify 1965 as the founding year.
The calculation is 2026 − 1965 = 61 years. USA Pickleball’s account dates the invention to a summer weekend but does not specify an exact calendar date.
What happened in 1965?
According to USA Pickleball, Pritchard and Bell improvised a family game on an existing badminton court at Pritchard’s home. Without a complete set of badminton rackets, they used table-tennis paddles and a perforated plastic ball. They initially kept the net at badminton height, then lowered it as they discovered that the ball bounced well on asphalt.
McCallum joined the following weekend. The three developed rules with badminton as a starting point, aiming for a game the whole family could play. That backyard experiment—not the creation of a national association or professional tour—is the starting point for pickleball’s age.
Key dates: invention came before organized competition
Pickleball’s different milestones can make it seem younger than it is. These dates separate the game’s origin from its later institutions.
| Year | Milestone | What the date establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Game created on Bainbridge Island | The sport’s founding year |
| 1976 | First known tournament, in Tukwila, Washington | Organized competition existed decades before the recent boom |
| 1984 | United States Amateur Pickleball Association organized; first rulebook published in March | An early national organization and published rules |
| 2005 | A new USA Pickleball Association corporation established | A later organizational milestone, not the sport’s invention |
| 2009 | First USAPA National Tournament for players of all ages, in Buckeye, Arizona | A national championship milestone |
| 2022 | Washington designated pickleball its official state sport | Formal state recognition, 57 years after its creation |
Sources: USA Pickleball’s historical timeline and Washington law. “First known tournament” preserves the governing body’s qualification; it does not imply a complete record of every early competition.
The sport is old; the participation boom is recent
The recent growth figures describe expansion, not invention. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association reports U.S. participation rising from ~4.2 million in 2020 to ~24.3 million in 2025. Its annual research, conducted with the Physical Activity Council, uses 18,000 survey respondents ages six and older. These are survey-based participation estimates—not a census or association membership total. Source: SFIA.
Pickleball had already existed for 55 years when that 2020–2025 growth period began. For the separate question of how many people play, see our guide to pickleball participation estimates.