Pickleball paddles and approval.

Who sets the paddle rules

USA Pickleball describes itself as the National Governing Body of American pickleball, which writes and interprets the rules, and says its decisions are final and not appealable. Two documents carry the paddle rules: the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, where court and equipment rules moved to Section 3 (they were Section 2 in 2025), and the Equipment Standards Manual (ESM), Revision 3.0, dated January 2025, which holds the detailed specifications and test methods. The 2026 Change Document lists no change to paddle or ball specifications among the entries found.

Testing is done in labs hosted at Element U.S. Space and Defense, and USA Pickleball's Equipment Evaluation Committee, in place since 2016, reviews every item submitted. The USA Pickleball Board approves equipment for sanctioned play on the committee's recommendation, and may revoke approval on 18 months' notice if a maker materially changes the paddle or it materially degrades in ordinary use. Makers face ongoing compliance testing, and a paddle must stay within the limits over its whole useful life, including any break-in that would improve performance.

The approved list and the seal

• Equipment used in a tournament played under the rules must be on the "USA Pickleball Approved" list. USA Pickleball strongly recommends that recreational equipment meet the specifications too (ESM Rev. 3.0).
• The paddle must be clearly marked with its brand and model name or number and carry the "USA Pickleball Approved" seal or text. Paddles made before the seal requirement must still be on the list for sanctioned play (Rule 3.D.1).
• A paddle with a different core, a different surface material or another significant difference needs its own name or number (ESM 2.E.7).
• Products may not be marketed as USA Pickleball Approved before testing is complete, and must be in the public database to be used in sanctioned events (ESM Rev. 3.0).

Size, materials and alterations (2026 Rulebook, Rule 3.D)

The test limits (ESM Rev. 3.0, section 2.E, and 2026 updates)

Why the power test changed

In NPRM 24-002 (1 October 2024), USA Pickleball's committee said its earlier rules relied on a static three-point beam deflection test of face stiffness as a stand-in for power, and that this could not capture the power gains of newer designs. The dynamic PBCoR (paddle/ball coefficient of restitution) test was added: an air cannon fires a test ball at the paddle, typically at 60 mph, and the inbound and outbound speeds give the PBCoR value and a ball exit speed ratio. The method is modelled on the bat test ASTM F2219-14 and applied to all paddles submitted after 1 November 2024. ESM Revision 3.0 lists no deflection threshold among its paddle specifications. On 27 December 2024 USA Pickleball announced that seven models over the new limit would be sunset for sanctioned tournament play on 1 July 2025: the JOOLA Perseus 14mm Mod TA-15 and 16mm Mod TA-15, the Gearbox Pro Power Elongated, and the ProKennex Black Ace Ovation, Black Ace Pro, Black Ace LG and Black Ace XF.

The spin rate test

Paddles passing the spin test were not to appear on the list before 1 October 2026. Under the spin test, the upper limits for roughness and friction become a "measurement of record" instead of pass-fail thresholds; until 1 October 2026 paddles meeting the old roughness and friction limits could still be certified. A certified paddle must comply with the standards in force when it was certified. The test uses a dual-camera high-speed video system developed with Image Systems and an instrumented ball developed with Franklin.

Paddles at a tournament (2026 Rulebook)

• Players must use a paddle that complies with Rule 3.D and must confirm it is on the approved list (18.A). Referees inspect paddles at the pre-match briefing (17.C.1).
• A non-compliant paddle found before a match must be switched, without penalty; found during a match, the player forfeits the match; found after the match, the result stands (18.A.1 to 18.A.3; ESM 2.F.3.a).
• A player may not use or carry more than one paddle during a rally, must have possession of the paddle when hitting, and may hold it in one or both hands and switch hands at any time (12.A and 12.B).

A removal reported in 2026

The Dink, a trade publication, reported (10 June 2026) a USA Pickleball statement of 28 May 2026 that the Facolos Pro Series Elite X exceeded the roughness limit, that the maker acknowledged the production version differed from the one submitted, and that it was removed from the list. The statement itself was not read for this site, so this is unconfirmed.

Professional play: the separate UPA-A list

The UPA-A (expanded as United Pickleball Association of Americas by Pickleball.com, a UPA-affiliated outlet, and as United Pickleball Association of America by The Dink) released its 2025 Equipment Rules and Regulations on 16 January 2025, according to Pickleball.com. They apply to professional play at UPA events: PPA Tour main draws and qualifiers, the PPA Challenger Series and Major League Pickleball. Amateur events at PPA tournaments keep using the USA Pickleball list. The standards were developed with Pickle Pro Labs and engineers from the UMass Lowell Baseball Research Lab, and UPA-A certification became required for all professional play on 1 September 2025. Pickleball.com reported on 24 February 2026 that junior and senior pro divisions must use paddles from the UPA-A list from 30 August 2026. The UPA-A's numeric limits were not found in any readable source.

The two lists are not the same. Professional PPA and MLP play runs on the UPA-A list, and USA Pickleball sanctioned and amateur play on the USA Pickleball list. The Dink reports that the UPA-A enforces different grit standards, so a paddle can be removed from one list and stay on the other. Which list applies depends on the event.