Why Is It Called Pickleball? - Cortaire

The Weird Origin Story Spoiler: It's weirder than you think.

You're standing on the court, paddle in hand, about to serve. And someone inevitably asks: "Why the hell is it called pickleball?" Good question.

The name makes absolutely no sense. There are no pickles involved. Nobody's eating anything. So what gives?

Let's play a game. 🎮 Two Lies, One Truth:

Guess the Real Story

Below are three origin stories for how pickleball got its name. Two are complete lies. One is (mostly) true. Read all three, make your guess, then scroll down for the answer. Ready? Here we go...

 

📖 STORY A: The Pickle Boat Theory

In 1965, Congressman Joel Pritchard and his buddies invented the game on Bainbridge Island, Washington. They named it after the term "pickle boat" - a rowing term for a crew made up of leftover rowers who weren't selected for other boats.

Since pickleball was invented using leftover equipment from other sports (badminton net, ping pong paddles, wiffle ball), they thought "pickle boat" was the perfect metaphor. Mismatch crew, mismatch sport. Makes sense, right?

The name eventually got shortened to just "pickleball."

playing pickleball on a boat in the 1960's
 
Believability: 7/10
Why it could be true: Sports terminology, congressman's background in rowing, uses leftover equipment
Why it might be BS: Seems too clever to be true
📖 STORY B: The Dog Named Pickles

Joel Pritchard's family had a cocker spaniel named Pickles who loved chasing the ball during the game's early days. The dog would run onto the court, grab the ball, and refuse to give it back - basically becoming the unofficial mascot of the new sport.

The family started joking about "playing Pickles' ball," which eventually became "pickleball." The dog got so associated with the game that when they finally needed an official name, "Pickleball" was the obvious choice.
The sport was named after the Pritchards' family dog, Pickles, who apparently had a habit of chasing the ball and running off with it. Imagine being a dog so annoying that an entire sport gets named after you – that's either the ultimate honor or the ultimate embarrassment.

Believability: 9/10
Why it could be true: Super wholesome, very on-brand for a backyard sport invented by families
Why it might be BS: Too cute, sounds like a story invented for marketing
📖 STORY C: The Pickle Barrel Brand Conspiracy

This one's wild. In the 1960s, there was a popular brand of pickled vegetables called "Pickle Barrel" that sponsored community sports leagues across the Pacific Northwest.

When Joel Pritchard and friends were trying to get their new sport off the ground, they approached Pickle Barrel for sponsorship money. The company agreed on ONE condition: the sport had to include their brand name.

So they called it "Pickleball" as a compromise - close enough to satisfy the sponsor, different enough to avoid legal issues. The company went bankrupt in 1972, but the name stuck.
This one's wild. In the 1960s, there was a popular brand of pickled vegetables called "Pickle Barrel" that sponsored community sports leagues across the Pacific Northwest. When Joel Pritchard and friends were trying to get their new sport off the ground, they approached Pickle Barrel for sponsorship money. The company agreed on ONE condition: the sport had to include their brand name.
Believability: 4/10
Why it could be true: Corporate sponsorship was huge in the 60s, explains the random name
Why it might be BS: No record of "Pickle Barrel" sponsoring anything, sounds made up
WHAT DO YOU THINK? COMMENTS BELOW PICKLERS!
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