Pickleball: One Word or Two?
Pickleball is a popular sport that has been growing for many years. It’s played with two to four players using paddles and a plastic ball, similar to tennis and badminton but on a smaller court. But when it comes to the name of this game, is it one word or two? The answer might be surprising!
Before delving into this pickle (pun intended), let’s take a look at what makes up the word ‘pickleball’. As you may have guessed, ‘pickle’ is derived from an old English term meaning “to play around” or “mess about”. The suffix -ball indicates that it is a type of ballgame. So putting them together gives us pickle-ball – one word.
The History Behind Pickleball
As mentioned earlier, pickleball originated in the United States as early as 1965 thanks to Joel Pritchard and his friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum who wanted something new and exciting for their families to do during summer vacations on Bainbridge Island near Seattle. From there its popularity spread throughout the country until eventually being recognized by USA Pickle Ball Association (USAPA) in 1984 as an official sport with tournaments popping up all over America ever since then!
One Word or Two?
So, let’s return to our original question: is it “pickleball” or “pickle ball”? While some may use both interchangeably, the technical answer is that “pickles” + “balls” combine to form “pickleball,” which is one word. So, whether you prefer to separate the two words or combine them into a single word, the correct term is “PickleBall.”
In summary, regardless of pronunciation or spelling preference, the game we all love is correctly called PickleBall – a fun and engaging sport enjoyed by players of all ages and skill levels.