According to reports from the US Pickleball Association, it is not clear where the term “pickleball” came from. However, within a few days of playing, Joan Pritchard had coined the term “pickleball” as a play on the term “pickle boat,” which refers to crew races in which non-starters are put together in a last-minute effort. Barney McCallum, however, claims that the game was called after Pritchard’s dog, Pickles. As per the source, the game’s name might be either one of the following: Pickleball didn’t have a name until it began gaining pace, which necessitated the creation of an official one. In light of Pickleball’s laid-back attitude, it only seems sensible that it was given the name “pickleball.”