Pickleball Magazine 5-5 | Page 26

RULES

GURU

We
’ d Like to Hear From You ! Send your questions to rules @ thepickleballmag . com .
By Bob Unetich
USA PICKLEBALL-CERTIFIED REFEREE
Q : Dear Guru ,
Is it OK for a team to request a referee in a tournament that has non-officiated matches ?
A : Yes . The rules clearly permit any player to request a referee or the tournament director if the player believes a rule is being consistently or deliberately violated , or if the players have not been able to resolve a dispute , as explained in Rule 13 . K .
Q : Dear Guru ,
If a player calls a ball “ out ” and the partner disagrees , is the call automatically “ in ” or can the team appeal to the referee ?
A : Any player can appeal a call to the referee , but if the referee did not see the ball clearly , and the partners disagree on the call , the ball is considered to have been “ in ,” as explained in Rule 6 . D . 9 .
Q : Dear Guru ,
If a team decides it cannot continue to play in a tournament , what are the differences between a forfeit and a withdrawal ?
A : Once a match has started , the only option a team has is to forfeit . A team that forfeits a match is still eligible to play their next match , while a team that withdraws cannot play in any later match . One consideration is that the reporting of scores for the event is done differently for forfeits than for withdrawals ( see Rules 12 . F . 3 . a and 12 . F . 4 . a ). The reported scores from a tournament may impact player ratings differently depending on the choice .
The USA Pickleball Equipment Approval Process
Approval of paddles and balls is the responsibility of the USA Pickleball Equipment Evaluation Committee or EEC . The objective of the committee is to provide a level playing field for both manufacturers and players while ensuring the integrity of the sport . The EEC does this by arranging for valid product testing and by managing long-term compliance .
The Rule Book establishes the requirements for both paddles and balls , and the EEC works closely with the rules committee and the manufacturing community during the approval process . It has a director of equipment standards , Carl Schmidt , and a director of equipment compliance , Donn Paben . Carl is responsible for the definition , design , and implementation of specifications , standards and testing protocols . Donn takes care of in-market equipment compliance and prototyping .
Although the Rule Book has been published since 2008 , the EEC was only formed in 2016 . This new committee has added engineering competence and sports industry experience , and streamlined the processes and documentation . Actual testing is done at accredited product testing firms . To date , over 630 paddles have been evaluated .
To obtain an approval of a paddle or ball , a manufacturer first applies for certification on USA Pickleball ’ s equipment approvals website . It then sends samples to the outside lab for testing . This step usually has a three-week turnaround . Samples also go to the EEC for general review of product characteristics , a check of truth in declarations made , and an inspection for appliques , etc . The USA Pickleball office also receives an archival sample .
Following approval or rejection by the lab and EEC , the manufacturer is notified , and the USA Pickleball website is updated with approvals ( equipment . usapickleball . org ). Pickleball Magazine lists new approvals in each issue . 24 TO SUBSCRIBE , CALL 888.308.3720 OR GO TO PICKLEBALLMAGAZINE . COM