Pickleball is a sport that has been around for over 50 years, but it has only recently started to gain popularity. It was first played in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s by two players, who were members of the United States Military stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The two players, a Captain and an Infantry Lieutenant, played the game against each other using rubber balls with pickle shaped handles. They called the game “Paddle Ball”. The name pickleball was coined by one of the players, who was from New Jersey, and who had been playing a game similar to tennis called “Sally Ball”. He had been playing this game with his wife and he thought that the name would be more appropriate for the game than “Paddle Ball”. The two players met at a bar in North Carolina and decided to start a league. This was in the early 1970’s and they named their league “The Pickleball Association”.

In the 1970’s, the game gained popularity in the military and was soon being played on a regular basis in the Army. In 1979, the first official tournament was held in Washington D.C. The tournament was sponsored by the Army and the game was called “Army Ball” or “Army Ping Pong”. In 1983, the International Federation of Sports for the Handicapped (IFSH) was formed and in 1986, the first international competition was held. Since then, the game has been played at many tournaments around the world. The first World Championship was held in 1989 in the United States. In 1990, the International Federation of Sports For the Handicapped changed its name to the International Handicap Tennis and Squash Association (IHTA).

In 1994, the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) was formed and in 1997, the first World Open was held. In 1998, the International Pickleball Association (IPA) was formed. In 1999, the first World Cup was held. In 2000, the first World Championships was held. In 2002, the first Asian Games was held in Japan. In 2003, the first World Games was held in China. In 2004, the first Olympic games were held in Athens, Greece. In 2005, the first World Junior Championships was held. In 2006, the first World University Games was held in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2007, the first World University Championships was held in Taipei, Taiwan. In 2008, the first World Masters was held in Malaysia. In 2009, the first World Youth Championships was held in India. In 2010, the first World Senior Championships was held in Brazil. In 2011, the first World Veterans Championships was held in South Africa. In 2012, the first World University Championships will be held in China.

So what is the difference between ping pong and pickleball? Well, in ping pong, the paddles are much smaller and there are no pickle handles. In pickleball, the paddles are larger and have a pickle handle. Also, in ping pong, you can play singles, doubles, or mixed doubles. In pickleball, you can play singles, pairs, triples, or mixed doubles. There are also different rules for each type of game. In ping pong, the ball is dropped from above the net and the object is to hit the ball into the opponents’ court. In pickleball, it is dropped from below the net and the object is hit back across the net to your opponents’ court. In ping pong, you can use a racquet, a paddle, or even a broomstick. In pickleball, a paddle is mandatory. You can use a broomstick, a racquet, or a paddle. Also, in ping pongs, there are no handrails on the sides of the net. In pickleball, there are handrails on both sides of the net.