Pickleball was invented in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three fathers, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum, who were seeking to entertain their bored children. They improvised a game using ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball, playing on a badminton court with a net lowered to 36 inches. The name "pickleball" has debated origins: some attribute it to the Pritchards' dog, Pickles, while others believe it refers to a "pickle boat," a term from rowing.