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