If you've been keeping up with pickleball news lately, you might be asking yourself, "What's going on with equipment manufacturing and testing, and why does it matter?"
The explosive growth of pickleball has spurred brands and manufacturers to innovate in paddle technology, such as the introduction of foam-injected paddles, to gain a competitive edge.
From its origins with wooden paddles, the sport has evolved into a race to develop paddles that are faster, rougher, and capable of more spin—all while staying within the legal limits set by USA Pickleball (USAP). Or so we thought.
On May 16, 2024, JOOLA issued a statement addressing the removal of the Gen3 paddle from USA Pickleball's approved list:
JOOLA was notified by USA Pickleball (USAP) on May 15, 2024, about the decision to remove Gen3 paddles from the Approved Paddle list. After reviewing USAP's preliminary findings from last week, we believe the removal stemmed from an administrative error JOOLA made in November 2023 during USAP's similarity testing protocols. We identified the issue recently and took immediate action to rectify it.
On the same day, USAP responded regarding the Gen3 paddle:
As the governing body of pickleball in the United States, USA Pickleball prioritizes certifications, rules, and regulations to uphold fairness and integrity for all players.
On May 14 and 15, JOOLA informed USA Pickleball that incorrect paddles were submitted for certification in November 2023. Consequently, USA Pickleball promptly delisted the affected paddles from its Approved Paddle list. Only paddles on this list are certified for use in USAP-sanctioned tournaments.
JOOLA has since notified USA Pickleball of its intention to submit additional paddles for certification. USAP employs a third-party testing facility that rigorously evaluates equipment to ensure it meets USAP's standards.
In a statement dated June 4, 2024, USAP reported on its testing of the newly submitted Gen3 paddles by JOOLA, noting that they did not meet the approved equipment standards and were therefore not added to the list.
Following this development, JOOLA has filed a lawsuit against USAP in the United States District Court for Maryland, citing various issues related to the Gen3 paddle's removal from the approved list. One argument includes reference to USAP Rule 2.F.1, which pertains to an "18-month warning" protocol.
However, a detailed examination of Rule 2.F.1 reveals its inapplicability to this case, as it addresses scenarios like equipment undergoing significant material changes or degradation during ordinary use, which was not the situation with the Gen3 paddle submission.
Moving forward, the focus shifts to the possibility of approving the genuine Gen3 paddles.
USAP Rule 2.6.E.f. explicitly prohibits materials akin to springs, adding further complexity to the matter.
Through all the confusion one thing remains clear: as paddle technology advances, governing bodies in pickleball must adapt swiftly to maintain integrity and safety standards. Implementing tests such as the coefficient of restitution is a crucial step in this direction.
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