RULES
GURU
We
1
Do other countries use the same set of rules that exist Recently in the United States ?
Yes . The USA Pickleball Official Rulebook has been adopted by the International Federation of Pickleball ( IFP ). IFP is the governing body of organized play worldwide . The USA Pickleball rules were first published in 1984 and the IFP rules were adapted from the USA Pickleball rulebook in 2010 . The IFP Rules Committee was formed in 2020 and is actively involved in the 2022 Rulebook approval process for the first time this year .
By Bob Unetich
USA PICKLEBALL-CERTIFIED REFEREE
2
I saw a referee call a fault on a player whose foot broke the plane of the net just past the net post , even though the ball he was waiting to strike never came over the net . How can this player commit a fault after an opponent hits a poor shot ?
The rule to reference in this case is 11 . I . When the ball is live and in play , players cannot cross the plane of the net before striking the ball . That appears to be exactly what happened here , so the referee was correct in calling the fault .
USA PICKLEBALL SANCTIONED TOURNAMENTS
What is a USA Pickleball-sanctioned pickleball tournament and why might it be important to some tournament players ?
A sanctioned tournament tells you that there is a relatively even playing field for players . The tournament director ( TD ) requires the balls and paddles used to be on the approved list ; the brackets have been vetted for consistency among skill levels ; players , volunteers and tournament staff are covered by liability and secondary accident insurance ; the Official Rulebook will be used in its entirety ; and players can expect referees for some , if not all , matches .
There are two types of USA Pickleball-sanctioned tournaments . One is known as “ Standard ,” which requires a referee for every match ; the other is called Medal Match Plus ( MMP ), and it requires a referee for medal matches and the finals matches leading up to the medal matches .
Results from tournaments that are sanctioned by USA Pickleball are used to adjust a player ’ s Universal Tournament Pickleball Rating ( UTPR ). The results of both types of sanctioned tournaments have the same impact on a player ’ s UTPR . Results from non-sanctioned tournaments do not impact a player ’ s UTPR . For more information regarding the UTPR and how it works , please refer to the webpage on the USA Pickleball website under Tournaments then Resources or go to this website for assistance ,
https :// usapickleball . org / tournaments / tournament-player-ratings .
ratingsadmin @ usapickleball . org for assistance . It is recommended that you preset your UTPR so your initial rating is not the overall average of the bracket and therefore giving you a higher-thananticipated rating .
The Official Rulebook lists the bracket formats that may be used ( See Rule 12 . C .) in sanctioned tournaments . The number of referees per bracket will vary depending on the formats selected by a TD . Round robin brackets have no medal matches and therefore have no matches that require a referee . Regular double-elimination brackets have four matches that must have referees , and the format known as “ single elimination with consolation ” requires that six matches have referees . Pool play adds a playoff with medal matches and referee requirements to round robin brackets .
Many MMP tournaments , including some Regional Championships , have referees assigned to many more matches than required if additional referees are available .
Sanctioned tournaments require the use of standard online tournament software ( which is where the UTPRs get adjusted after tournament results get reported ) and there is a need to provide referee training prior to and during an event . The application process is not difficult and USA Pickleball is available to assist a TD who wishes to apply for sanctioning .