Paddle certification
The two bodies that approve paddles for sanctioned play. A paddle can be legal in one system and not the other.
USA Pickleball (USAP) approval covers most amateur sanctioned events. UPA-A certification governs the pro tours. Each tests dimensions, face roughness, and trampoline effect. Different methods, different limits — so a paddle legal in one system is not guaranteed legal in the other.
Before a tournament, check the current approved list for the body running that event. Approvals get revoked sometimes, which is one reason every ranking we publish carries a date. We note both approval flags wherever reviewers or manufacturers publish them.
See also:Grit ·Delamination