Pickleball’s meteoric rise has brought more than just new players to the court—it’s ushered in a tangle of governance, standards, and certifications that can leave even seasoned enthusiasts scratching their heads. Among the most debated topics is paddle certification: what does it mean to have a “USAP approved” paddle versus one that’s “UPA-A certified”? With two major organizations—the USA Pickleball Association (USAP) and the United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A)—each staking claim to their own standards, players face a choice that could impact everything from recreational games to pro tournaments. This in-depth guide unravels the similarities and differences between these certifications, exploring their origins, testing methods, and implications for the sport’s future.
The Players in the Game: USAP and UPA-A
To understand the certifications, we first need to know the organizations behind them. USAP, founded in 1984 as the United States Amateur Pickleball Association, has long positioned itself as the sport’s national governing body. Rebranded as USA Pickleball in 2020, it’s a nonprofit focused on growing pickleball through grassroots initiatives, standardized rules, and equipment certification. It boasts decades of experience, working with over 1,800 manufacturers to certify paddles for both amateur and professional play. USAP’s rulebook is the bedrock of most sanctioned tournaments worldwide, and its approval process has been the gold standard for years.
Enter UPA-A, a newcomer born in May 2024 under the United Pickleball Association (UPA), the parent entity of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour and Major League Pickleball (MLP). UPA-A, a for-profit organization, emerged from the merger of these pro circuits to challenge USAP’s dominance, focusing squarely on professional-level play. While USAP aims to serve the entire pickleball spectrum—recreational to elite—UPA-A’s mission is narrower, targeting the pro game with an eye toward innovation and performance regulation. This distinction sets the stage for their differing approaches to paddle certification.
What Does Certification Actually Mean?
At its core, paddle certification ensures equipment meets specific standards for fairness, safety, and consistency in competitive play. Both USAP and UPA-A aim to level the playing field by capping attributes like power, spin, and acoustics, preventing any single paddle from giving an unfair edge. For players, certification matters most in sanctioned events—tournaments often require paddles to carry an approval stamp from one of these bodies. In casual play, it’s less critical, but understanding the standards can still guide purchasing decisions.
USAP’s certification, dubbed “USAP approved,” has historically been the benchmark for all levels of play. It’s designed to ensure paddles comply with the sport’s rules on size, surface texture, and performance, making them suitable for everything from local park games to national championships. UPA-A’s “UPA-A certified” label, by contrast, is tailored for pro-level events, with plans to launch a formal program in 2025 focusing on advanced performance metrics. While both certifications aim to regulate paddles, their scope, testing rigor, and intended audience differ significantly.
Testing Standards: Where the Rubber Meets the Road
The heart of any certification lies in its testing process, and this is where USAP and UPA-A diverge most sharply—at least in intent, if not always in execution.
USAP Approved: The Established Standard
USAP has spent nearly a decade refining its certification process, partnering with Element U.S. Space & Defense, an independent testing facility with a track record in sports engineering. Their approach traditionally focused on material-based standards such as size, weight, surface grit, and deflection (how much a paddle bends under pressure, tested up to 7 pounds of force). Over time, USAP has expanded its scope to include performance metrics like power, spin, and acoustics, especially as paddle technology evolved.
In 2023, USAP introduced the Pickleball Coefficient of Restitution (PBCoR), a measure of “exit velocity”—essentially, how fast a ball leaves the paddle. This was a response to the rise of “power paddles” that hit harder than traditional designs, potentially skewing gameplay. They’ve also developed acoustic testing for their Quiet Category, aiming to reduce noise in sound-sensitive communities, and are working on direct spin tests to complement their grit assessments. USAP’s process is transparent to manufacturers, who receive detailed testing protocols upon registration, and it’s designed to balance innovation with accessibility, minimizing burdens on smaller brands.
UPA-A Certified: A Pro-Focused Pivot
UPA-A, still in its infancy, is crafting a certification program that emphasizes performance over materials, specifically for professional play. Set to fully launch in 2025 with collaboration from Pickle Pro Labs and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, UPA-A’s interim program focuses on paddle face deflection and RPM (spin) measurements, but its long-term vision is more ambitious. According to Jason Aspes, UPA president, the program will test three key areas: exit velocity, spin capability (RPMs), and audio tone.
Exit Velocity:
UPA-A plans to set a threshold for how fast a ball can leave a paddle, using “destructive testing” to mimic wear and tear over a paddle’s lifecycle. This ensures power doesn’t spike unpredictably as a paddle ages—a concern USAP also addresses but with different methods.
Spin (RPMs):
Rather than focusing on surface grit, UPA-A will measure overall spin potential, again using destructive testing to gauge consistency. They aim to cap excessive spin, which can give players an unfair edge in pro matches.
Audio Tone:
A novel addition, UPA-A wants to prevent “silent” paddles that strip away auditory cues, arguing that sound helps opponents gauge pace and placement—crucial in high-stakes games where prize money is on the line.
UPA-A claims its testing, which applies up to 42 pounds of force in deflection tests, is more rigorous than USAP’s, though USAP counters that it has been testing power, spin, and acoustics for years. UPA-A’s focus on pro play means it’s less concerned with the broader market—Aspes has explicitly stated they’re not monitoring the thousands of recreational brands, at least not yet.
Similarities: Shared Goals in a Fractured Landscape
Despite their differences, USAP and UPA-A certifications share a common purpose: ensuring fairness and consistency in competitive pickleball. Both aim to regulate paddle performance to prevent runaway advantages—whether it’s excessive power, spin, or stealthy acoustics. They require paddles to meet size and surface standards, and both involve independent testing to maintain credibility. For now, many tournaments accept paddles certified by either body, reflecting a pragmatic overlap in their standards. Both also face the challenge of balancing innovation with regulation, striving to let manufacturers push boundaries without breaking the game.
Differences: Scope, Rigor, and Vision
The divide between USAP and UPA-A certifications boils down to scope, testing philosophy, and intended audience.
Scope and Audience:
USAP’s approval is the broader standard, accepted across recreational, amateur, and most pro events globally, reflecting its decades-long role as the sport’s steward. UPA-A’s certification, by contrast, is laser-focused on professional play, specifically PPA and MLP tournaments, with plans to require UPA-A-certified paddles in these events starting in 2025. Recreational players can largely ignore UPA-A for now, while USAP’s stamp remains the safe bet for universal acceptance.
Testing Rigor:
UPA-A positions its process as more stringent, emphasizing performance metrics like exit velocity, spin, and sound through intense destructive testing. They argue this is necessary for the pro game, where small advantages can swing matches with big money on the line. USAP, while also testing these factors, prioritizes accessibility and consistency across all levels, using less aggressive deflection tests (7 pounds versus UPA-A’s 42 pounds) and focusing on material compliance alongside performance. Critics of UPA-A question whether its metrics truly differ—or if it’s more about branding—while USAP’s slower rollout of new tests has drawn flak for lagging behind paddle tech advances.
Philosophy and Transparency:
USAP leans on tradition and transparency, sharing its testing roadmap with manufacturers and collaborating widely to keep standards inclusive. UPA-A, as a for-profit entity, takes a more exclusive tack—Aspes admits certification won’t be “easy” for brands, aiming for a “gold standard” that might favor larger, innovative manufacturers. Some in the industry, including prominent voices, have criticized UPA-A’s advisory boards (stacked with major brands and pro players) for potential conflicts of interest, while others see USAP’s slower pace as a bottleneck stifling progress.
Confusion Factor:
With two certifications in play, players face potential confusion. A paddle might pass USAP’s standards but fail UPA-A’s stricter pro-level metrics—or vice versa, especially as UPA-A’s full program rolls out. Tournaments may pick sides, forcing players to double-check paddle eligibility before competing. For now, most events accept both, but as UPA-A carves out its niche, this could change.
Implications for Players and the Sport
For recreational players, the choice is simple: a USAP-approved paddle will work almost anywhere, from local courts to regional tournaments. If you’re dipping into sanctioned amateur events—like those run by the Dink Minor League or DUPR—either certification often suffices, but checking local rules is wise. Pro players, especially those eyeing PPA or MLP events, will need to watch UPA-A’s 2025 rollout closely—only UPA-A-certified paddles will likely be allowed, and the testing could reshape which paddles dominate the pro scene.
The bigger question is what this dual-certification landscape means for pickleball’s future. On one hand, competition could drive innovation—USAP’s PBCoR testing, for instance, might not have rolled out so fast without UPA-A’s pressure. On the other, fragmentation risks confusion, cost hikes for manufacturers (potentially passed to consumers), and even legal battles, as seen in past disputes over paddle approvals. Some see UPA-A as a necessary shake-up, pushing the sport toward Olympic-level legitimacy with science-backed standards. Others worry its narrow focus and for-profit model could alienate smaller brands or prioritize spectacle over fairness.
Coexistence or Conflict?
Is this pickleball’s “next war,” as some have dubbed it? Not quite—more like a tug-of-war with high stakes. USAP and UPA-A can coexist, especially since their scopes differ: one serves the masses, the other the elite. But tensions linger—USAP’s partnerships with entities like the APP signal a defensive stance, while UPA-A’s bold moves hint at ambitions beyond just pro play. Both are jostling for legitimacy, eyeing Olympic recognition as the ultimate prize, where a single governing body typically reigns supreme.
For now, the pickleball community watches history unfold. The path forward hinges on transparency, collaboration, and a shared goal: keeping the sport fair, fun, and growing. Whether you’re swinging a USAP-approved classic or waiting for UPA-A’s pro-grade seal, one thing’s clear—certifications aren’t just stamps; they’re shaping the game, one paddle at a time.