WHAT DOES ‘ USA PICKLEBALL CERTIFIED ’ ACTUALLY MEAN ?
The mechanics of the process are driven by USA Pickleball ’ s Equipment Evaluation Committee , which was formed in 2016 , with the support of National Testing Systems — USA Pickleball ’ s independent third-party lab and testing facility in Baltimore , Maryland .
By Carl Schmits
If you ’ ve been involved in the sport of pickleball over the past six years , you have witnessed both growth and evolution rarely seen in any industry . Besides the visibility of new and converted venues , the increase in the number of tournaments — including two organized Pro-Am tours , the recently announced Major League Pickleball team format , and USA Pickleball ’ s new National Championship series leading to the world-class Margaritaville USA Pickleball Nationals Championship event — is simply amazing .
Subsequently , this growth has been greatly reflected within the equipment industry as well . We ’ ve seen more new paddle introductions and manufacturers in the last 18 months than the previous five years , including some of the largest brands in sporting goods delivering newly designed paddles and competition balls .
A question often heard is , “ What does it mean to be USA Pickleball Certified ?” In a nutshell , the certification process ensures that paddles and balls are manufactured to specifications that support one of the USA Pickleball board ’ s objectives of maintaining the integrity of the sport . The mechanics of this process are driven by USA Pickleball ’ s Equipment Evaluation Committee ( EEC ), formed in 2016 , with the support of National Testing Systems ( NTS )— USA Pickleball ’ s independent third-party lab and testing facility in Baltimore , Maryland .
The EEC is a data-driven group that works closely with the rules committee and the manufacturing community with an objective of ensuring a level playing field for both manufacturers and athletes . Primary areas of concern on paddle performance are spin-inducing friction and power-enhancing attributes with a focus on preventing unfair competitive advantages in a sport that has an extremely wide range of playing types and skill levels . For balls , dimensional consistency and rebound characteristics drive most of the tests .
Over time , our rules , specifications , standards and means of testing have evolved in response to , or in anticipation of , innovations in technology , manufacturing / testing processes , and / or policy interpretation . We ’ ve learned much in observing the