24 Pickleball Facts You Didn't Know

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published August 1, 2024

On March 8, 2022, Washington became the first U.S. state to declare pickleball as its official sport._[14]
American politician Joel Pritchard and his friends Barney McCallum and Bill Bell invented pickleball in Bainbridge Island, Washington, in 1965._[14]
Pickleball is a combination of ping-pong, tennis, and badminton._[14]
The first known pickleball tournament in the world was held in 1976 at South Center Athletic Club in Tukwila, Washington._[6]
The first pickleball organization was formed in 1984. Called the Amateur Pickleball Association (USAPA), it was created to help organize and advance the game._[14]
People who play pickleball are called "picklers."_[9]

Don't get "pickled"

In pickleball, if you lose a match with zero points, you "pickled" a match._[9]
In pickleball, a "dink" is a soft hit that is meant to barely go over the net, similar to a drop shot in tennis._[3]
Pickleballs are made of plastic and have holes in them. They travel about 1/3 the speed of a tennis ball._[7]
Tennis courts are 78 feet long and 36 feet wide. By comparison, pickleball courts are 44 feet long and 20 feet wide._[7]
In tennis, players use a point system to score, where the server gets two chances to serve and earn a point. There are six chances to score, making a set. In pickleball, players use a rally system to score, which means every point is counted regardless of who serves, and the first one to 11 wins._[7]
In 2021, there were about 4.8 million pickleball players in the United States. In 2023, there were 13.6 million._[10]
Pickleball sounds are around 70 dB, recorded at about 100 feet away. Tennis is about 40 decibels._[13]
Not all pickle board paddles are the same. Wooden paddles tend to hit shots with more force, while carbon fiber paddles offer a more precise shot._[1]
The longest pickleball rally was 16,046 shots, recorded on October 10, 2021. The players, Angelo and Ettore Rossetti, accomplished the feat on World Mental Health Day, to raise awareness of children under age 5 who die of preventable causes._[8]
The name "pickleball" does not refer to actual pickles. According to some sources, the inventor's wife named it after the "pickle boats" in crew, which is a ragtag crew made of leftover rowers._[9]
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America._[11]

Pickleball is very popular because people of all ages and abilities can play

According to AARP, the average age of a pickleball player is 35; however, adults 65 and up were tied for second as the age group with the most participants. For older players, the game helps keep them active, is easy on the joints, and promotes cognitive engagement._[12]
Of the 19,000 pickleball injuries in the United States in 2017, 90% of them were in players 50 years old and older._[12]

Pickleball and tennis players don't always get along

Tension exists between tennis and pickleball players. In 2021, tennis players poured six quarts of oil onto pickleball courts. In the oil was a note, in which the writer threatened to scratch the pickleball players' cars._[4]
Bone fractures due to pickleball have increased 200% over the last 20 years in the United States._[2]
The most common pickleball injuries are soft tissue injuries, such a sprains or knee injuries. Other injuries include fractures, ACL tears, rotator cuff tears, Achilles tendon tears, and foot fractures._[2]
Pickleball is exploding in China. It is predicted that China could have 100 million players and 10,000 courts within the next 5 years._[11]
Over 70% of causal pickleball players and over 80% of core players are white. African Americans make up only 7.3% of U.S. picklers._[5]