Pickleball is one of the world’s fastest-growing paddle sports, enjoyed by millions of players across every continent. Combining elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, it is easy to learn, inclusive for all ages and abilities, and rewarding to master through skill, strategy, teamwork, and athleticism. Pickleball is played as singles or doubles on a badminton-sized court using a perforated polymer ball and solid paddles.
Under the World Pickleball Federation guidelines, the game should be played consistently in every Member Nation, ensuring fair competition, uniform standards, and a shared sporting experience from grassroots participation to the highest levels of international competition.
What is pickleball?
The sport was invented during the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA, by three friends—Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. Looking for a game that their families could enjoy together, they improvised with table tennis paddles, a plastic ball, and a badminton court. Over time, they refined the equipment and developed a unique set of rules, creating a sport that combined fun, inclusivity, and healthy competition.
The origin of the name “pickleball” has become part of the sport’s rich history. According to a popular story, the game was named after the Pritchard family’s dog, Pickles, who delighted in chasing the ball during early games. However, another account from the Pritchard family states that the name was inspired by the term “pickle boat” in rowing—a crew assembled from a mixture of leftover rowers—reflecting how the new sport blended elements of several established racket sports. Regardless of its exact origin, the name has become synonymous with one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
Today, pickleball is played by millions of people across more than 100 countries, from community recreation and school programmes to professional tours and international championships. The World Pickleball Federation (WPF) is working to provide a single, harmonised set of Rules of the Game for adoption by its member federations, supporting consistency, fairness, and integrity across every Member Nation while supporting its continued journey towards recognition in major international multi-sport events, including the Bainbridge Cups, World Pickleball Games, SEA Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and ultimately the Olympic Games.
History of the rules
How the First Pickleball Rules Were Created?
The first rules were not written as a formal rulebook. They evolved naturally as the inventors refined the game.
1965 – The Original Rules
During the summer of 1965, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum created the game over several weekends on Bainbridge Island, Washington. After experimenting with a badminton court, table tennis paddles and a perforated plastic ball, they discussed what would make the game enjoyable for players of all ages.
Among the principles they agreed upon were:
- Underhand serving
- The double-bounce rule
- A non-volley zone (“the Kitchen”)
- A lower net than badminton
- A smaller court encouraging rallies rather than power
Barney McCallum became the principal “rule keeper”, documenting and refining the rules as more families began playing. Many of these original principles remain unchanged today.
1972 – Standardising the Sport
As pickleball spread beyond Bainbridge Island, the founders incorporated Pickle-Ball Inc. The company produced:
- paddles
- balls
- nets
- printed rule sheets
- instructional materials
This was effectively the first effort to standardise the game nationally, although it was still not an official governing-body rulebook.
1984 – The First Formal Rulebook
A major milestone came in 1984 with the formation of the USA Amateur Pickleball Association (later USA Pickleball). The association:
- formed an official Rules Committee;
- collected the founders’ original rules;
- incorporated practical improvements from tournaments across the United States; and
- published the first official USA Pickleball Rulebook.
That rulebook became the foundation for almost every rulebook used worldwide over the next four decades.
What’s next?
The World Pickleball Federation (WPF) is committed to developing, maintaining, and publishing the World Pickleball Rulebook as a proposed harmonised framework for adoption by member federations. Through a transparent, inclusive, and evidence-based rule development process, WPF collaborates with its Member Federations, athletes, referees, coaches, technical experts, and other stakeholders to establish, review, and continuously refine a single, internationally harmonised set of Rules of the Game. Guided by internationally recognised principles of good governance and aligned with the values of the Olympic Movement, WPF is dedicated to promoting consistency, fairness, integrity, athlete safety, inclusivity, innovation, and the sustainable growth and global development of pickleball.