Pickleball Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played i ...

, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, was invented in the United States in 1965, on

Bainbridge Island Bainbridge Island is a city and island in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located in Puget Sound. The population was 24,825 at the 2020 census, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County. The island is se ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. In 2023 Pickleball Canada, the defacto national governing body for the sport, commissioned a report on pickleball participation in Canada. The report found that 1.37 million Canadians played pickleball at least once per month. Pickleball Canada's January 2025 survey found that 1.54 million Canadian's participate in the sport, a 57% increase from when the survey was first performed in 2022.Picklebal Canada's membership numbers increased from 31,312 in 2022, to 53,143 in 2023, and reached 85,223 members by the end of 2024.

Governing body

The Pickleball Canada Organization (PCO), originally the Canadian National Pickleball Association, was formed in April 2009. Although not yet recognized by

Sport Canada Sport Canada is a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage that develops federal sport policy in Canada, provides funding programs in support of sport, and administers special projects related to sport. Its mission "to enhance opportunitie ...

, it has become the de facto national governing body for the sport. In March 2021 the PCO established the Pickleball Canada National System (PCNS) as a central online resource for managing, coordinating and communicating pickleball-related activities nationwide. Among other things, the PCNS can be used for; * Managing club, provincial and national pickleball association memberships * Communicating with club members * Setting up and managing club webpages * Identifying places-to-play * Managing events * Selling pickleball-related goods and services

International affiliations

When the International Pickleball Federation (IPF) was formed, the PCO was one of the founding national members. In 2022 several member nations withdrew from the IPF, including Canada, and in 2023 they established the Global Pickleball Federation (GPF). The PCO is also a member of the

Pickleball Federation of the Americas This list of pickleball organizations identifies key organizations around the world that promote or support the sport of pickleball Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perfora ...

, a continental organization within the GPF.

Sub-national affiliations

The PCO has regional associations with the following provincial and territorial organizations: *

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

- Pickleball Alberta (PA) *

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

- Pickleball BC Association (PBCA) *

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

- Pickleball Manitoba Inc. (PMI) *

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

- Pickleball New Brunswick - Pickleball Nouveau-Brunswick (PNB) *

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

- Pickleball Newfoundland and Labrador Association Inc. (PNL) *

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

- Pickleball Nova Scotia (PNS) *

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

- Pickleball Ontario (PO) *

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

- PEI Pickleball ÎPÉ *

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

- Pickleball Quebec or Quebec Pickleball Federation (FQP - Fédération québécoise de pickleball) *

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

- Yukon Pickleball Association (YPA)

Professional tours & leagues

Canadian National Pickleball League: The CNPL was announced on February 1, 2023, and held its inaugural season in the same year. A team format, similar to the

MLP team format Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played i ...

, is used, but with six players per team. Canadian Pickleball Association: the CPA was established in 2024 and announced the CPA Pro Pickleball Tour in May 2024. The 2024 Tour held four events with a $15,000 prize pool for each event. As a partner of the

Pickleball World Rankings Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport in which two or four players use a smooth-faced paddle to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction. Pickleball is played i ...

, CPA events are part of the PWR World Tour where players can earn points to attend the PWR World Series.

References

External links

Pickleball Canada Organization homepage

Canadian provincial and territorial pickleball associations
{{Sports in Canada