FROM THE USAPA
The Future of
Ball
CONDITIONING
BY CHRISTINE BARKSDALE
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Over the past few months , the USAPA has been working to address player concerns and industry confusion regarding the issue of ball conditioning . Conditioning is the practice of compressing the ball using a predefined method so that the ball will meet the bounce specification in IFP Rule 2 . D . 4 : “ The ball shall have a bounce of 30 to 34 inches when dropped from a height of 78 inches …” Conditioning enables some balls that exceed the bounce height limit to meet the 34-inch maximum allowable bounce height .
While conditioning appeared to be a viable option for manufacturers to meet the bounce requirement , we quickly learned that it creates inconsistent results and places an undue burden on tournament directors who must prepare balls for sanctioned play .
As part of our transition to a professional laboratory for product testing , ball conditioning has been removed from the testing protocol . Effective December 31 , 2017 , conditioning will no longer be an acceptable method for meeting the bounce height criterion .
As a result of these changes , the USAPA has worked with representatives from both Onix and Jugs to
develop a temporary solution to allow the Jugs Bulldog Indoor , Jugs 40 , the Onix Pure 2 Outdoor and the Onix Pure 2 Indoor to be used in sanctioned play . Beginning January 31 , 2017 , and extending to December 31 , 2017 , the manufacturers or their agents will deliver balls to sanctioned tournaments that are compliant and ready for play , unless they have been purchased on the open market by the tournament director . If the balls were purchased by the tournament director , they must be conditioned per the instructions from the manufacturer .
The USAPA appreciates the cooperation of both manufacturers in reaching a resolution to the problems presented by ball conditioning . This is the first step in a series of actions being taken to create a consistent playing environment for the sport of pickleball , competitive play and USAPA members .
Please visit http :// ipickleball . org / rules / List % 20 of % 20Approved % 20Balls . pdf to see a list of USAPA / IFP approved balls for sanctioned play . •
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017 | MAGAZINE 45