USA PICKLEBALL’S STATEMENT REGARDING CRBN PADDLES

On Friday, April 29th, USA Pickleball removed all CRBN paddles from the “approved paddle” list.  These paddles were originally tested and approved by USA Pickleball’s official lab in 2021. After receiving several recent reports about the play characteristics of the CRBN paddles, follow up testing was required. USA Pickleball was able to secure two commercially available paddles this week and with a CRBN official present, conducted an in-field test which produced a non-compliant result. To verify these results, the two paddles were sent to our test lab for an official retest.   The lab results confirmed the commercially available CRBN paddles did not meet the standards and specifications necessary to remain “approved” for sanctioned-tournament play. CRBN supports this decision and is now taking steps to remedy these issues.

The timing of our decision to immediately remove the paddles from our list of “approved” paddles may seem unfortunate.  No different than any other sport governing body, USA Pickleball has an obligation to ensure a level playing field exists for every manufacturer, as well as every player. This is accomplished with a certification and compliance program. We take this obligation very seriously and we will continue to work diligently to grow our sport in a fair and just manner.