Pickleball Magazine 1-5 | Page 12

FROM THE USAPA That’s the Way the Ball Bounces SUBMITTED BY CHRISTINE BARKSDALE M any people see there are four seasons marking the passing of a year: winter, spring, summer, and fall. While yes, that is true, if you ask me how many seasons there are, I often reply with “wet or dry” since my residence is in the Pacific Northwest, commonly known for its rainy climate. If, however, I am thinking about pickleball, my reply would be “indoor and outdoor.” And with “indoor season” fast approaching in many sections of the United States, I thought now would be a great time to provide an update on the October 1, 2016, deadline for the new ball specifications to go into effect. If you are wondering why this change is needed, one of the many objectives of the USAPA is to interpret the rules in a manner that will preserve the tradition al nature and character of the sport including the skills traditionally required to play the sport as it was originally laid out by the founders. This objective is constantly challenged by everchanging manufacturing technologies and highly motivated manufacturers to find a competitive edge. In order for the USAPA/IFP to maintain the traditional nature of the sport, it has modified the rules and specifications for paddles and balls over time. In this case, forgive me for being technical, we are discussing rule 2.D.4 which states “The ball shall have a bounce of 30”- 34” when dropped from a height of 78” to the top of the ball onto a granite surface plate.” After reading that, your eyes may have glazed over or you have asked yourself, “Where did 30-34 come from?” or “What is significant about 78?” or even “Why a granite surface plate?” While these testing environments may seem a bit strange, I am here to help you better understand. It was determined that the ball should not bounce higher than the net for the average pickleball shot, which means it could not go over 34 inches. We all know that how the ball is struck can impact how high it bounces, so a range was identified that would take into account an average variety of shots. That 10 is where 30-34 inches came from. It is the best option for providing consistent playability and for giving the manufacturer something they can re-create. Making sense so far? I thought so too until I read “granite surface plate.” Why wouldn’t you drop it on the surface that we actually play on? That was a head scratcher for me until someone answered with, “Have you stopped to consider all the variations in playing surfaces?” Concrete, asphalt, hardwood floors, hardwood over concrete, hardwood with cushioning... and the list goes on, with variations even in how the floor is installed and what is used to coat it. Between you and I, I don’t know the answer to how each surface impacts the bounce of the ball. I would need to do some testing on every surface. Regardless of those results, I realized it would be impossible to test every ball on every surface and come up with anything that would be consistent for both players and manufacturers. Hence the granite surface plate that provides a consistent bounce pattern, and thus became the surface for testing. Have we perfected the rule? Likely not. There are many factors involved, but we are committed to working with players and manufacturers to identify improvements and changes to the rule so that we can keep pickleball as the fastest growing sport in America. For information on balls that will be approved after October 1, please visit the USAPA website – Rules and Ball Specifications.  • TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM