Pickleball was invented in the 1960s on Bainbridge Island, Washington, by three fathers - Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum - as a children's backyard pastime. It was named after Pritchard's dog, "Pickles," who enjoyed chasing the balls during the game. Despite the common belief, the sport was not named after the pickle boat in crew racing. Initially, it was played with improvised equipment but has since evolved to use specialized paddles and balls.