Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the nation so it is understandable why so many people are asking the question “Is pickleball in the Olympics?”

Pickleball has been played for over half a century. However, in the last decades, it has gained immense popularity and more and more people are interested in playing pickleball during global tournaments like the Olympics.

Currently, pickleball is not part of the Olympics. When it comes to selecting games, the International Olympic Committee has a cap on how many categories of sports are held. Every sport also has to pass a strict set of criteria, including being very popular on three continents.

For people who are interested in pickleball, this guide will answer the question of what the criteria is for a sport to become a part of the Olympics, whether pickleball fulfills that criteria, and when pickleball is expected to be added to the Olympics.

In this guide, I have referenced the rules and regulations of the IOC which details what is needed for a game to be featured in the Olympics.

So, What Kind of Game is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a sport invented in 1965 by politician Joel Pritchard as a way to get rid of boredom during a weekend. This game can be described as a kind of hybrid of tennis, table tennis, and badminton.

Since its inception, the game has become quite popular and is now played by casual players and athletes all over the world. The game’s popularity is due to its very easy rules as well as  simple and light equipment like a paddle and ball.

This sport is similar to other netball games and is played on the court. However, unlike tennis, table tennis, and badminton, which are all played during the Olympics, pickleball is not.

Is Pickleball an Olympic Sport?

Pickleball is currently not played in the Olympics. Usually, only highly mainstream and popular games are added to the Olympics which have the potential of getting the most viewership and can bag the most prominent prime time hours. This is the reason why not many newer sports are able to get attention initially.

According to the SFIA’s 2021 report on pickleball, there are 4.2 million pickleball players in the United States, 2.8 million of which are casual players (those who play pickleball up to 7 times a year) and 1.4 million of which are core players (those who play pickleball eight or more times a year).

Aside from the United States, the sport is also very popular in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Finland, Spain, India, and more. However, this is still not good enough to fulfill the IOC criteria.

Is There a Chance for Pickleball To Be Added to the Olympics

A lot of people know that the Olympic games are generally ruled by a few top games and sports. High on the list are swimming, gymnastics, ice skating, table tennis, taekwondo and judo, and water polo.

However, not many people realize that the Olympics games actually feature dozens of different games and sports that even diehard Olympic fans do not realize are part of the event.

Depending on whether they have the potential to grab the attention of the masses, games can be added as well as eliminated. For example, in 2016, golf was reintroduced in the Olympics for the first time since 1904. In the same year, rugby was also once again added after it was removed in 1957.

On the other hand, motorboating, croquet, pelota, tug-of-war, polo, rackets, water skiing, lacrosse, and cricket were all once part of the Olympics and which have been ejected from the programme over the years.

Although pickleball with its unusual name and its hodgepodge of different games might not seem like a sport that would naturally fit into the theme of Olympics sports, in reality, it can make a perfect place for itself right alongside tennis, table tennis, and badminton.

Net sports are one of the most popular categories in the Olympic games and pickleball as a simple and fast-paced game can fit right in and has the potential of becoming an instant hit.

What are the Criteria for a Game to Join the Olympics?

In the early 2000s, because of the sheer number of sports and participating athletes, it became necessary for the event committee to put a cap on the number of games that would be considered for the Olympics. Hence, lesser-played sports do not have a chance of getting into the Olympics.

In the 2020 Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, the IOC included 33 sports in the Summer Olympics and seven sports in the Winter Olympics. In addition, five new sports were added to the programme including baseball/softball, skateboarding, surfing, karate, and sport climbing.

In order for a game to join the Olympics, it needs to fulfill the various criteria of the Olympic Charter. Let’s take a look at some of the major rules for the selection of Olympic games:

Recognition by the IOC

Of course, the first criterion is that the game needs to be recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee. No matter how popular the game is, if the IOC does not recognize it to be a legitimate sport, it cannot participate in the Olympics.

IF Status

The game needs to be administered by an international non-governmental agency which supervises at least one sport. After this, the sport will get its International Sports Federation status.

Anti-Doping Rules

The international administrative organization that is in charge of overseeing the sports will then implement the anti-doping code, which mandates that players are not allowed to use any substance that will help them perform better in the games. These include performing out-of-competition checks on the athletes participating in the competition.

Popularity

For a game to be selected by the IOC, it needs to be very popular in at least three continents of the world and be played there extensively as well. If a game is played by men, then it needs to be played in at least 75 countries on three continents. If it is played by females, then it needs to be played in at least 40 countries on the three continents.

Petition Submission

To become a part of the Olympics, the administrative body of the sports needs to submit a petition that shows its eligibility criteria to the sports committee. The committee can then admit that sports in one of the three Olympic programmes: as a triathlon, as a discipline, or as an event.

Appeal of Olympics

No matter how popular the sport is, it will also need to enhance the appeal and value of the Olympic event as well as maintain and reflect its modern traditions. This means that the game must be highly engaging and needs to capture the interest of the masses.

Other Criteria

The Olympic games also do not allow any “pure mind” games. That is the reason why chess does not make the list of eligible games for the Olympics. The event also does not allow games that rely on mechanical propulsion, so automobile racing is out as well.

There are several other criteria as well that a sport needs to fulfill if it wants to be added to the games. Plus, it is not just the IOC that decides which games get to be a part of the event. The country that is hosting the event that year can also push for a certain sport and influence the decision. For example, in the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris, breakdancing will make its debut as an Olympic sport.

If a game has lost its popularity and the media and public interest, the IOC will take it out of the game and make room for another game in its stead.

Does Pickleball Fulfill the Olympic Charter Criteria?

Currently, pickleball fulfills some criteria, but not all. The game does fulfill the condition of being overseen by an international non-governmental organization since it is played on an international level by the US and other countries. In addition, the sports also follow the anti-doping code.

However, it also needs to be played in a certain number of countries in at least three continents. Unfortunately, pickleball is not yet popular enough to fulfill this criteria since it is still an emerging game rather than an established one.

Hence, pickleball is not eligible for the Olympic games at this point in time.

When Can You Expect Pickleball to be Added to the Olympics?

It depends on how quickly pickleball grows and becomes popular all over the world in the near future.

Once the game has an IOC-approved international federation, the sport will get its chance to play in the international tournament.

For pickleball to fulfill the criteria, it needs to gain more popularity in the coming years. As such, do not expect to see its debut in the 2024 Olympic Games. However, the 2028 Games may be a more realistic goal if pickleball manages to increase its popularity in the intervening years.

Since the games will be held in Los Angeles that year, I personally am very excited to see whether pickleball makes it.

In addition, pickleball may also be added as a demonstration or exhibition sport in the Olympic Games. There have been many instances of those included in the Games. For example, in 2016, bossaball was included as an exhibition game.

Fingers crossed that this time around it is pickleball’s turn.