2025 USAP banned pickleball rackets list released

As the popularity of pickleball continues to grow, USA Pickleball is committed to maintaining fairness and inclusivity in the sport.

In order to ensure the fairness of the game and protect the technical and skillful nature of the sport, USA Pickleball introduced a new racket testing standard, PBCoR (Paddle/Ball Coefficient of Restitution), in the fourth quarter of 2024. The implementation of this standard aims to limit the so-called "trampoline effect" and improve the consistency of equipment.

The trampoline effect occurs when the surface of a racket deforms slightly upon contact with a ball and quickly returns to its original shape, launching the ball at a higher speed. This effect can cause the ball to be played at speeds and forces beyond what is reasonable in the game, undermining the need for skill and control and giving some players an unfair advantage.

The PBCoR standard limits the trampoline effect by setting an upper limit on the performance of the racket, ensuring that every player in the competition needs to rely on real skills and control to compete. The establishment of this standard not only improves the testing level of equipment, but also promotes technological innovation in the industry.

The following pickleball rackets have been tested and found to exceed the new PBCoR standards and will be removed from certification and no longer suitable for official competition on July 1, 2025:
Joola: Perseus 14mm Mod TA-15
Joola: Perseus 16mm Mod TA-15
Gearbox: Pro Power Elongated
ProKennex: Black Ace Ovation
ProKennex: Black Ace Pro
ProKennex: Black Ace LG
ProKennex: Black Ace XF