For most tournament players the answer is USA Pickleball: a USA Pickleball–sanctioned event needs a paddle listed as “Pass” on its Approved Paddle List, and the amateur divisions at PPA and MLP events accept that list too. UPA-A certification is what the pro divisions of those tours require. Here’s how the two programs differ, what changed when USA Pickleball’s spin limit took effect on 1 October 2026, and how to check a paddle before you buy it.
The short version
- USA Pickleball–sanctioned events: the paddle must be listed as Pass on USA Pickleball’s Approved Paddle List.
- PPA and MLP pro divisions: the paddle must be UPA-A certified, carry the UPA-A stamp and model number, and appear on the UPA-A list.
- Amateur divisions at PPA and MLP events: UPA-A says either works, as long as a USA Pickleball paddle is currently on that list.
- Since 1 October 2026, any paddle newly submitted to USA Pickleball must measure 2,100 RPM or less on its spin test. Paddles already approved stay approved.
- Local leagues and club events set their own rule. Ask the organizer.
Which list does your event use?
| Where you play | What the paddle needs |
|---|---|
| USA Pickleball–sanctioned tournament | Listed as Pass on the USA Pickleball Approved Paddle List |
| PPA or MLP pro division, including Challenger, Pro Qualifiers, PPA Asia, PPA Europe and Australia | UPA-A certified, with the stamp and model number on the paddle |
| Amateur division at a PPA or MLP event | UPA-A certified, or currently on the USA Pickleball list |
| Local league, ladder, club event or open play | Whatever the organizer has adopted, which may be neither |
USA Pickleball’s equipment manual puts the responsibility on the player: you are the one expected to confirm that your paddle is listed as Pass before you play a match (rule 2.F.3).
What changed on 1 October 2026
USA Pickleball stopped judging spin by how rough a paddle’s surface is and started measuring the spin it actually puts on the ball. From 1 October 2026, every paddle submitted for certification has to measure 2,100 RPM or less on the new Spin Rate Test, which was built with the motion-analysis company Image Systems around a dual-camera system and software that calculates the spin rate automatically.
The old surface-roughness and coefficient-of-friction limits are no longer pass/fail thresholds. USA Pickleball now records those two numbers as a “measurement of record” instead.
Is your current paddle still legal?
Yes, if it was approved before. USA Pickleball’s guidance is that certified paddles must comply with the standards in force when they were certified. The spin limit applies to new submissions; it doesn’t remove anything from the list or ask you to do anything with a paddle you already own.
The change binds manufacturers, not players. Its effect on buyers is gradual: paddles that reach the USA Pickleball list from now on have passed the same 2,100 RPM ceiling the pro tours already use.
How the two programs differ
The spin ceiling is now the same number in both programs. Most of the rest is not.
| USA Pickleball | UPA-A | |
|---|---|---|
| Spin limit | 2,100 RPM for paddles submitted from 1 Oct 2026 | 2,100 RPM |
| Weight limit | None | 10 oz, including grip |
| Thickness limit | None | Between 6 mm and 24 mm |
| Size | Length plus width up to 24 in; length up to 17 in | The same |
| Power test | Rebound test (PBCoR), 0.43 maximum | Paddle Efficiency Factor, 0.385 new and 0.405 after lab break-in |
| How long approval lasts | Held to the standard in force when certified | 24 months from first certification |
| On the paddle | Brand, model, and the USA Pickleball Approved seal or text | UPA-A stamp with the model number under it |
Two of those rows explain most of the friction between the programs.
Break-in. Paddles can get livelier as they wear. UPA-A runs every submitted paddle through an accelerated break-in at its lab, Pickle Pro Labs, and a paddle is only eligible if its power and spin stay under the limits for its whole useful life. USA Pickleball’s manual states the same principle, break-in included, and tests production paddles for ongoing compliance, but it doesn’t publish a lab break-in procedure like UPA-A’s.
Expiry. A UPA-A certification lapses 24 months after the model was first certified, so the pro list is periodically retested against current rules. USA Pickleball holds each paddle to the rules in force when it was approved, so its list mixes paddles certified under different standards.
Neither program caps weight in any way that matters for buying. UPA-A’s 10-ounce limit sits well above the 7 to 8.5 ounces most paddles weigh, and USA Pickleball has no weight limit at all. Our paddle weight guide covers how to choose one.
A worked example: the JOOLA POWER FX
JOOLA’s first foam paddle shows how a new release lands on both lists. JOOLA announced the POWER FX on 21 September 2026 as a 16 mm paddle in its Perseus shape, at $179.95, available from 30 September.
- UPA-A lists it as the Perseus Power FX, 16 mm, model number P16G3FD, certified 22 September 2026.
- USA Pickleball lists the Perseus POWER FX 16mm as Pass, added 1 October 2026, with a foam core and a textured carbon fiber surface.
The USA Pickleball entry doesn’t say whether the paddle went through the new spin test or the old roughness test, and nothing about its approval depends on that. What matters to a buyer is the exact match: the lists name paddles by model and thickness. JOOLA’s Perseus IV, for example, appears on the UPA-A list as two separate entries, 14 mm and 16 mm. Check the version you’re actually buying.
How to check a paddle before you buy
- Find the exact model and thickness. They’re printed on the paddle and on the retailer’s listing.
- Search the USA Pickleball Approved Paddle List by brand or model. The status should read Pass.
- Glance at the USA Pickleball compliance report, which names paddles under investigation or removed from the list.
- For pro-tour play, search the UPA-A approved paddle list and look for the UPA-A stamp, with the model number under it, on the paddle itself.
- For anything local, ask the organizer which standard the event follows before you spend money on a new paddle for it.
What happens if your paddle isn’t on the list
At a USA Pickleball–sanctioned event, the penalty depends on when it’s caught (rule 2.F.3.a):
- Before the match starts: switch to an approved paddle, no penalty.
- During the match: you or your team forfeit that match only.
- After the match: the result stands.
Pro events also check paddles on site. UPA-A measures paddles at its events and may confiscate any paddle submitted for that testing.
What to watch next
UPA-A has already published its 2027 certification terms. They add a spin test after accelerated break-in to the services brands can buy, and paddles with new surface technology whose grit measures higher after use must take a surface-roughness test after break-in. USA Pickleball, for its part, says it will monitor how the spin test works in practice over the next 12 months.
None of it changes the practical advice. Before you buy a paddle for a tournament, check it against the list that event uses. Your dog, meanwhile, will accept any paddle that comes with a ball.
Sources
- USA Pickleball, Update Regarding the Spin Rate Test and Implementation Timeline (updated 16 September 2026)
- USA Pickleball, Equipment Standards Manual (rules 2.E.3, 2.E.4, 2.F.3)
- USA Pickleball, Approved Paddle List and Paddle Compliance Report (checked 4 October 2026)
- UPA-A, 2026 UPA-A Certification and 2027 UPA-A Certification
- UPA-A, Paddle Specifications and Testing Requirements (version 26.6)
- UPA-A, Approved Paddles (checked 4 October 2026) and 2027 UPA-A Certification Checklist
- JOOLA, JOOLA Introduces POWER FX (21 September 2026)
