Petition to USA Pickleball and UPA-A
Pickleball players should not need two different rulebooks to determine whether the paddle in their hand is legal.

Today, amateur players face a confusing and increasingly frustrating situation: USA Pickleball (USAP) and the United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A) maintain separate paddle certification systems. A paddle may be approved for professional competition under one organization's standards yet not be permitted at a tournament sanctioned by the other.

For the average player buying a $150–$300 paddle, that makes little sense.

A consumer can watch a professional player legally compete with a paddle, purchase that same paddle from a reputable manufacturer, and then discover that it may not be legal at a local USAP-sanctioned amateur tournament.

Same sport. Same paddle. Different governing body. Different answer.

And the problem extends beyond any single paddle or manufacturer.

As testing standards for spin, power and other performance characteristics continue to change, manufacturers must decide which certifications to pursue, retailers must explain increasingly complicated approval rules, tournament directors must enforce them, and players are left trying to determine whether an expensive paddle they purchase today will be legal at the events they want to enter tomorrow.

We are not asking for unregulated paddles.
Reasonable limits on paddle performance are important to the integrity and safety of pickleball.

We are asking USA Pickleball and UPA-A to work together so that players aren't caught in the middle of competing certification systems.

We ask USA Pickleball and UPA-A to:
Work toward one unified set of measurable paddle-performance standards for spin, power and other characteristics that determine tournament eligibility.
Establish reciprocal recognition of paddle certifications whenever a paddle meets mutually acceptable performance and safety standards.
Create clear grandfathering protections and reasonable transition periods when equipment standards change so players aren't unexpectedly left with expensive paddles they can no longer use in competition.
Provide consumers with clear, accessible information before purchase explaining exactly where a certified paddle can and cannot be used.
Include amateur players, manufacturers, retailers and tournament organizers in future equipment-policy decisions that directly affect them.
Work toward a single, easily searchable source of paddle eligibility information so a player can quickly determine whether a paddle is legal for an event.
Amateur players deserve a voice.
Professional pickleball may drive sponsorships and paddle innovation, but recreational and amateur players make up the overwhelming majority of the pickleball community.

We buy the paddles.

We pay tournament entry fees.

We support local clubs and facilities.

We volunteer at events.

And we should be able to purchase tournament equipment without having to understand the politics and technical differences between competing governing organizations.

This petition isn't about one company, one paddle or whether players prefer more or less spin.

It is about creating a fair, predictable and understandable equipment system for everyone who plays pickleball.

Competition between organizations should not result in confusion for the people who actually play the sport.

We respectfully ask the leadership of USA Pickleball and UPA-A to come together and develop reciprocal or unified equipment standards that put players first.

One sport should not require two definitions of a legal paddle.
If you believe pickleball players deserve clear, consistent and fair equipment standards, please sign and share this petition.