dinksWhat’ s News Pickleball
Here Comes the AI Judge
Major League Pickleball( MLP) partners with Owl AI to introduce automated line calling, putting pickleball in the same league as the X Games and the SuperMotocross League, both of which have tapped the platform to handle complex judging and officiating.
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By JULIE TALERICO
Line-calling drama has been a huge thorn in the side of professional pickleball— especially when players are essentially officiating their own high-stakes matches.
MLP’ s partnership with Owl AI( not to be confused with OWL Sport, the paddle brand) is a significant shift from the“ honor system” to a high-tech, professional standard.
Unlike the Hawk-Eye system used in tennis, which requires an expensive array of high-speed cameras and specialized hardware, Owl AI is a completely softwarebased solution.
Here is a breakdown of how its rollout is shaping up for the 2026 season:
• Plug-and-Play— Works with existing 360 ° cameras, ideal for MLP’ s pop-up venues and temporary stadiums.
• Computer Vision— The AI model tracks the ball, the players, the net, and the lines in real time. It was reportedly able to build a full tracking model within just seven days of receiving the pilot footage from the 2025 finals.
• Accuracy— It aims for humanlevel( or better) accuracy to settle in / out debates instantly, reducing the dead time usually spent on manual video reviews.
Implementation Timeline:
• March 2026: The tech will get a high-profile“ preseason” workout at the PPA Tour’ s Greater Zion Cup.
• May 2026: Full integration begins with the start of the MLP regular season.
• Role of Referees: The system will work with on-court referees to provide faster, more accurate, and objective in / out calls. •
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