Pickleball Magazine 2-2 Courtesy of PickleballTournaments.com

FROM THE USAPA P Is that paddle approved ? BY CHRISTINE BARKSDALE / USAPA MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMPETITION 12 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM ickleball is one of the fastest growing sports, with an estimated 2.5 million+ players today (Sports & Fitness Industry Association [SFIA] 2015 Participant Report) and an estimated 8 mil- lion players by the end of 2018. Each of those 2.5 million players has a unique playing style, which may include strategy, technique, ball placement, shot selection and shot speed. Add the many vari- ables to personal preference or stylistic sense and it is no surprise that there are numerous manu- facturers providing an array of paddles to suit the rapid growth. Currently, USAPA has 65 pickleball manufacturers with just over 400 paddles that have been tested and approved for sanctioned play, with more paddles being submitted every week. Given the wide variety of paddles on the market, it is a challenge for players, referees and sanctioned tournament directors to identify paddles that have been approved for sanctioned tournament play and those that have not. Today’s practice of reviewing a list is inefficient and pro- vides opportunity for non-approved paddles to be allowed during an event. The rationale behind paddle specification testing is primarily to main- tain the integrity of the sport as designed by the founders. In addition, maintaining equipment standards also helps to ensure a level playing field for all participants. In an effort to simplify the process of identi- fying approved paddles, USAPA is making two significant changes. The first is developing a searchable website (and application) for ap- proved equipment that contains photos of every approved paddle and ball. The second: USAPA is working with pickleball manufacturers to imple- ment the use of a USAPA-approved seal (or US- APA-approved text) on each paddle approved for sanctioned play. The seal or text will be located on the lower 1/3 of the paddle face above the paddle handle. Manufacturers have the choice of using a full-color seal, two-color seal or block text that allows them the opportunity to use the label that best fits the paddle design. The goal is that by the end of 2018, all ap- proved paddles will bear the label of USAPA ap- proval, which will simplify the process for players, tournament directors and referees to identify paddles eligible for sanctioned play. •

Pickleball Magazine 2-2 Courtesy of PickleballTournaments.com | Page 14