The current controversy over banned pickleball paddles in America may have ramifications for players at this summer’s highly-anticipated English Open.
USA Pickleball announced this week that JOOLA’s popular Gen 3 collection – the Perseus 3, Scorpeus 3, Magnus 3 and Hyperion 3 – have all been removed from their approved paddle list because they fail to meet equipment standards. Ronbus’s Ripple and the Paddletek TKO-CX have also been de-listed.
It is believed these models have failed the USAP’s exit velocity test, which essentially means they are too powerful to be considered safe for competition.
Official paddle testing processes and regulations are not yet in place at the World or European pickleball federations or at national level outside of the USA, so tournaments including the English Open currently follow the rules as set by USAP.
This means that the recently banned paddles will not be permitted at the English Open in Telford on 8-14 August or at any other officially sanctioned event in the UK.
JOOLA-sponsored players include Mollie Kubrick-Finney, women’s doubles gold medallist at last year’s English Nationals, and European men’s doubles champions Basti Grau and Felix Grunert.
Pickleball England Chair Karen Mitchell told Pickleball52: “There could well be players who are unaware that the USA Pickleball approved list applies globally, including Pickleball England competitions. Unfortunately, players will not be able to use paddles at the English Open that have recently been removed from the sanctioned list.”
The USAP’s de-sanctioning of these selected paddle models has caused a huge furore in the States, with thousands of the products already sold and competitions won at pro and amateur level with winners using these now-ineligible products.
On Wednesday (5 June) JOOLA issued a statement saying they are “extremely disappointed to learn of USA Pickleball’s decision” to remove the Gen3 paddles from its approved list and view the decision as “unfortunate for the sport of pickleball.” They added that the Gen3 paddles are “materially and structurally the same” as those approved by USAP in September last year.
JOOLA has, however, offered refunds to customers who bought the banned paddles between 16 April and 15 June 2024.
To clarify, Paddletek TKO-CX is NOT de-listed anymore on USAP’s approved paddle list.
How will Pickleball UK enforce this at the Telford UK Open?