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List of pickleball organizations

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This list of pickleball organizations identifies key organizations around the world that promote or support the sport of pickleball.

USA Pickleball

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Main article: USA Pickleball

USA Pickleball, established in 1984, was the first organization to provide oversight of the sport. It was the de facto world governing body for pickleball until the International Federation of Pickleball was established in 2010. Initially named the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (USAPA), it reorganized as the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) in 2005. The organization adopted the name USA Pickleball (USAP) in 2020. USAPA published the first official rule book in 1984, and published the USA Pickleball Association Official Tournament Rulebook in 2008.[1] USAP's annually updated rulebook continues to be referenced as the official rule book for most recreational games and amateur tournaments around the world.[2]

Worldwide governing bodies

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International Pickleball Federation

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Main article: International Pickleball Federation

The International Federation of Pickleball (IFP) was established in 2010. Inaugural members were the United States, Canada, Spain, and India.[3]

The IFP had 70 member nations at the end of March 2022, but a conflict in the organization resulted in 7 of 8 full member nations, and 2 associate member nations, withdrawing, including United States, Canada, and Spain.[4] In 2023 the IFP reorganized and changed its name to the International Pickleball Federation (IPF).[5]

The annual Bainbridge Cup, named for the island where pickleball was invented, was established by the IPF in 2017. It became the sport's first intercontinental team event. The inaugural event was held in Madrid, Spain and pitted North America against Europe. The winning team earns the Bainbridge Cup trophy.[6] Both the 2020 and 2021 Bainbridge Cup team competitions were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Pickleball Federation

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The WPF was established in 2018 and had 37 member nations as of November 2022. Part of the WPF's stated mission is to "govern the infrastructure of pickleball". The WPF declared October 10 of each year World Pickleball Day and set the goal of introducing 10,000 new players to the game of pickleball every October 10.[7]

The World Pickleball Games were first announced by the WPF in 2021 and are intended to serve as a format for possible future Olympic games.[8] The inaugural World Pickleball Games had been scheduled for May 2022 in Austin, Texas,[9] but due to on-going impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic the games were postponed indefinitely.[10]

Global Pickleball Federation

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The GPF was initially conceived by a task force formed by Pickleball Australia and Pickleball Canada.[11] In 2022 USA Pickleball, and several other IPF member nations, withdrew from the International Pickleball Federation due to internal disagreements. In November 2023 USAP joined 28 other countries to formally launch a new world-wide governing body for pickleball, the Global Pickleball Federation.[12] By November 2024 the organization had 52 member nations.[13]

The GPF is organized into four continental federations which include the Confederation of African Pickleball (CAP), the Pickleball Federation of the Americas (PFA), the Asian Pickleball Association (APA), and Oceana Pickleball Association (OPA). In addition, seven European countries are represented independently, outside of a continental federation.[14]

Pickleball International Committee

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The Pickleball International Committee (PIC) was established in 2023 endeavoring to be "the global governing body for pickleball".[15] One of the PIC's major initiatives, dubbed plastic free pickleball, is to make the sport of pickleball more sustainable, particularly by replacing the plastic currently used in pickleballs with an alternative environmentally sustainable material. Terry Cecil, the PIC's Chief Executive Officer, believes pickleball is on a trajectory to become one of the biggest sports in the world, but he believes the sport will never be accepted by the International Olympic Committee, if the sustainability issue isn't addressed.[16]

United Pickleball Association of America

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The United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A) was formed in May 2024 by the United Pickleball Association, the parent company of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP). Initially it was formed to act as the governing body for the PPA and MLP in the United States, but with the expansion of the UPA to Australia, India, and Canada, the UPA has become a transnational organization, resulting in the UPA-A also becoming an international governing body.[17]

Continental regional bodies

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European Pickleball Federation

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Created in May 2023, the European Pickleball Federation (EPF), was created as a not-for-profit organization that would bring together all the national organizations that promote pickleball in Europe.[18] As of November 2024 the EPF had members representing 34 European countries.[19]

In October 2023, the EPF, along with the Asian Federation of Pickleball (AFP), the Confederation of African Pickleball (CAP), the Oceana Pickleball Federation (OPF), and the Pickleball Federation of the Americas (PFA), announced a single alliance of continental federations to "... provide the base for the recognition of a single international governing body by all pickleball playing countries ...".[20] Since then, the CAP, OPF, and PFA have all joined the Global Pickleball Federation.

Tournament & rating organizations

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DUPR

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Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR), originally established in 2021 as Dreamland Universal Pickleball Rating, is both a pickleball player rating system, and the name of the organization that administers the system. The rating system was developed by Steve Kuhn, owner and operator of the Dreamland family amusement center near Austin, Texas, and founder of Major league Pickleball. In January 2024, controlling interest in the DUPR organization was purchased by a consortium of investors led by David Kass. Other investors included; Andre Agassi, Raine Ventures (a subsidiary of The Raine Group), and Jay Farner.[21]

DUPR player ratings, or DUPR scores, range from 2 to 8 in .001 increments. Each person's DUPR score includes a reliability rating, ranging from 1% to 100%, that increases as more matches are played and recorded. The higher the reliability rating, the more confident you can be that the DUPR score is accurate. A reliability rating over 60% is considered reliable.[22][23] DUPR scores are adjusted real time whenever a new game is recorded in the DUPR application. Adjustments to an individual's score considers the opponent's DUPR score, who won and who lost, the point differential of the game, and the recency of the game.[24][25]

DUPR Collegiate National Championship

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DUPR held its first United States Collegiate National Championship (CNC) in November 2022 at the Dreamland facility in Dripping Springs, Texas. [26] The nationals tournament was the only event held that year. Subsequent years consisted of numerous regional events culminating in the nationals. To better align the CNC with school year schedules, DUPR has moved the 2025 CNC to April.[27]

Year Winning school Location Schools*[28] Players*[28]
2022 University of North Carolina Dreamland, Dripping Springs, Texas 17 151
2023 University of Virginia Lifetime Athletic Club, Peachtree Corners, Georgia 65 1081
2024 Utah Tech University Brookhaven Country Club, Farmers Branch, Texas 120 2690
  • Number of schools and players across all events for the year.

References

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  1. ^ "History of the Game". USA Pickleball. 27 June 2013. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  2. ^ Nair, Dax (May 22, 2024). "Inside the World of Professional Pickleball Organizations". Request Social. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  3. ^ "About the IFP". International Federation of Pickleball. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  4. ^ "International Pickleball". USA Pickleball. April 4, 2022. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "About the International Pickleball Federation". International Pickleball Federation. Archived from the original on April 9, 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  6. ^ "The Bainbridge Cup History". IFP: International Federation of Pickleball. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  7. ^ Townsend, Stacie (October 10, 2020). "What Is World Pickleball Day & Why Should It Matter to You?". The Pickler. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  8. ^ "WORLD PICKLEBALL FEDERATION (WPF) announces the venue for the first World Pickleball Games". PR Distribution. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  9. ^ "World Pickleball Games 2022". World Pickleball Federation. December 7, 2020. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  10. ^ "The First World Pickleball Games are postponed to 2023". World Pickleball Federation. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "Global Pickleball Federation: Leading the Sport's Growth Worldwide". Global Pickleball Federation. 30 July 2024. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  12. ^ "USA Pickleball Unites With Nearly 30 Countries to Launch the Global Pickleball Federation". USAPickleball.org. USA Pickleball. November 3, 2023. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  13. ^ "GPF Countries". Global Pickleball Federation. 2 November 2023. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  14. ^ "GPF Countries". Global Pickleball Federation. 2 November 2023. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Pickleball International Committee". Pickleballic.org. Pickleball International Committee. Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  16. ^ Howarth, Adam (January 2, 2024). "PIC Looking To Replace Plastic Balls With Environmentally-Friendly Alternatives". PickleballUnion.com. Pickleball Union. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  17. ^ Waston, Jeff (July 18, 2024). "United Pickleball Association (UPA) Announces Further International Expansion via Five 2025 PPA Tour Events in Australia, India, Canada, Asia and Europe". Carvana PPA Tour. Professional Pickleball Association. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  18. ^ "History". EPF European Pickleball Federation. European Pickleball Federation. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  19. ^ "Membership". EPF European Pickleball Federation. European Pickleball Federation. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Five Pickleball Continents - Single Continental Alliance" (PDF). EPF European Pickleball Federation. European Pickleball Federation. October 3, 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 14, 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  21. ^ "ANDRE AGASSI, DAVID KASS AND RAINE VENTURES ACQUIRE CONTROLLING INTEREST IN DUPR, INVEST $8 MILLION". PR Newswire. Cision US Inc. January 24, 2024. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  22. ^ Boone, Stan. "What is the DUPR [or Dreamland Universal Pickleball Rating] in Pickleball?". Racket Sports World. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  23. ^ "What Is A Pickleball Rating? A Guide to Understanding and Leveraging Pickleball Ratings". DUPR. Archived from the original on September 29, 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  24. ^ Frazier, Kelly R (January 2, 2024). "Understanding DUPR Pickleball Rating System". PickleballCentral.com. Pickleball Central. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  25. ^ Brown, Kevin (January 25, 2024). "DUPR Algo Updates 1/30: What You Need to Know". DUPR.com. DUPR. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  26. ^ Radnothy, Victoria (November 2, 2024). "Everything you need to know about the 2024 DUPR Collegiate National Championship". pickleball.com. Pickleball OpCo LLC. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  27. ^ "The 2025 Collegiate Pickleball Schedule is here!". DUPR.com. DUPR. October 15, 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Utah Tech Claims Victory in a Record-Breaking 2024 DUPR Collegiate Season". DUPR.com. DUPR. November 8, 2024. Archived from the original on December 10, 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
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