USAP vs UPA-A Paddle Certification: What's the Difference

USA Pickleball (USAP) approval and UPA-A certification are two separate paddle programs run by two separate bodies. USAP approval is what the USA Pickleball rulebook requires for its sanctioned tournaments: players "must confirm that their paddle is approved and listed on the USA Pickleball Approved Paddle List" (2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, Rule 18.A). UPA-A certification "is required for all professional events at PPA and MLP" (UPA-A 2026 Certification).

If you're an amateur, the USAP list is the one to check. UPA-A says its amateur competition "will accept the UPA-A certification standards, but it is not mandatory for play as long as the paddle has USAP certification and is currently on the USAP Approved Paddle List" (UPA-A 2026 Certification). The rest of this guide covers what each program is, what each one tests according to its own documents, and how the lists work.

What you'll learn

• Who runs each program, and which events require which.
• What USAP and UPA-A each test, with the limits exactly as published.
• How markings, expiry and delisting differ.
• What an amateur player actually needs.

What each program is

USA Pickleball approval. USA Pickleball describes itself as "the National Governing Body of American pickleball" (2026 Official Rulebook). Its Equipment Standards Manual says approval for sanctioned tournament play "shall be made by the USA Pickleball Board of Directors acting on a recommendation of the Equipment Evaluation Committee (EEC)," and that testing labs are hosted at Element U.S. Space and Defense (Equipment Standards Manual, Rev. 3.0, January 2025). Approved paddles appear on the USA Pickleball Approved Paddle List.

UPA-A certification. UPA-A is the United Pickleball Association of America (UPA-A Paddle Specifications and Testing Requirements, v26.6). It says it built its certification process "Along with Pickle Pro Labs, our independent testing lab, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell" (UPA-A Paddles). Certified paddles appear on the UPA-A Certified Paddles List.

Which events require which

USAP. The approved-list requirement in Rule 18.A sits in Part III of the rulebook, which covers rules "that apply to tournament play only" (2026 Official Rulebook). The manual adds that products "must be listed on the USAP public Database in order to be legal for use in sanctioned events" (Equipment Standards Manual). USA Pickleball's FAQ says decertification "only applies to sanctioned tournament play. Players can still use the paddles for recreational play" (USA Pickleball Equipment FAQ).

UPA-A. UPA-A's paddles page says that "As of September 1 2025, UPA-A Certification will be required for all professional events under UPA" (UPA-A Paddles). Its 2026 certification page lists those events as "all pro divisions at PPA and MLP tournaments, including PPA Challenger Series, PPA Pro Qualifiers, PPA Tour Asia, PPA Europe, and all PPA and MLP events in Australia" (UPA-A 2026 Certification).

Each row is sourced in the sections below.

What USA Pickleball tests

All figures below come from the Equipment Standards Manual, Rev. 3.0 (January 2025), the current version linked from USA Pickleball's rules page.

• Size (2.E.3). Combined length and width, including edge guard and butt cap, "shall not exceed 24 inches (60.96 cm)," and length "cannot exceed 17 inches (43.18 cm)." "There is no restriction on paddle thickness."
• Weight (2.E.4). "There is no restriction on paddle weight."
• Surface roughness (2.E.2.a.1). An average of no more than 30 micrometers on Rz readings and no more than 40 micrometers on Rt readings, taken in six directions per face, with no single reading above 33 (Rz) or 44 (Rt).
• Friction (2.E.2.a.2). A test based on ASTM D1894-14, passed with "a maximum kinetic coefficient of friction value of ≤ 0.1875."
• Reflection (2.E.2.b). Paddles and edge guards "shall not have any Measurement exceeding 80 GU," measured at 60 degrees.
• PBCoR (2.E.6.f). The Paddle/Ball Coefficient of Restitution limit is "0.44 effective Nov. 1, 2024, and will be reduced to 0.43 effective Nov. 1, 2025."

For the full walkthrough of each USAP test, see how USA Pickleball tests paddles.

What UPA-A tests

These figures come from UPA-A's Paddle Specifications and Testing Requirements, v26.6, the PDF linked from its Paddle Rules page.

• Size (3.1.1, 3.1.2). Combined length and width "shall not exceed a combined 24.0 inches (61.0 cm)," and length "shall not exceed 17.0 inches (43.2 cm)," both including edge guard and butt cap.
• Thickness (3.1.3). The hitting area must be "greater than 0.236 inches (6 mm) and less than 0.945 inches (24 mm)."
• Weight (3.1.4). Total weight including grip "shall not exceed 10 ounces (283.5 grams)."
• Paddle Efficiency Factor (1.1). New paddles must have "a PEF equal to or less than 0.385," with a break-in allowance up to 0.405. UPA-A defines PEF as a measure of the energy a paddle returns to the ball, "expressed as the coefficient of restitution."
• Spin (1.1). "Maximum Spin Rate ≤ 2100 RPM," and a paddle must never "generate spin over 2100 RPM through its entire useful life."
• Gloss (3.3.3). No surface above the grip "shall have a gloss measurement above 60 GU."
• Deflection, on site. On-site testing "consists of measuring a paddle's ADF and various physical characteristics," and the PDF says "ADF ≥ 42 remains the onsite eligibility threshold" for paddles certified at or above that value.

One caution. UPA-A's Paddle Testing page still says "Spin rate cannot exceed 2200 RPM at any angle," while the v26.6 PDF sets 2100 RPM. We've used the PDF figures above; if the difference matters to you, ask UPA-A which one applies.

USAP's PBCoR and UPA-A's PEF are both described as coefficient-of-restitution measures, but they come from different protocols and different labs. Neither body's documents say how the two numbers relate, so we don't compare them directly.

Markings, expiry and delisting

• USAP markings. Rule 3.D.1 requires "a clearly marked brand and model name or model number on the paddle" and the "'USA Pickleball Approved' seal or text treatment" (2026 Official Rulebook).
• UPA-A markings. The model number "must be positioned under the UPA-A Certification Stamp," and brands without a PPA/MLP Broadcast and Marketing License "must produce a 'blackout' version" of certified paddles (UPA-A Rules v26.6, 3.2). The UPA-A list flags these as "Blackout Only: Must use Blackout Paddle at Pro PPA and MLP events."
• UPA-A expiry. Certifications "expire 24 months after the Approved Model's initial certification date" (UPA-A Rules v26.6, 1.2).
• USAP revocation. The manual says approval "may be revoked by the Board of Directors upon 18 months' notice" if equipment is materially changed or degrades in ordinary use (Equipment Standards Manual, 2.F.1). The FAQ says USA Pickleball "implemented a shorter timeline" to address non-compliance with rule 2.E.6.f, the trampoline-effect rule that PBCoR measures (FAQ).
• UPA-A delisting. UPA-A "reserves the right to immediately prohibit delisted paddles" or to "'sunset' the prohibition by setting a future date" (UPA-A Rules v26.6, 3.7.2).

How submission works (for the curious)

Players don't submit paddles; manufacturers do. Here's what each body publishes:

• USAP: "Nine(9) paddles shipped to six(6) separate locations." "Normal testing time is 4 to 6 weeks," with expedited testing of "3 to 8 business days." Submitted paddles "are not returned" (USA Pickleball Equipment FAQ).
• UPA-A: Submissions "require 5 paddles," sent to Pickle Pro Labs, and paddles "must be submitted without production artwork" (the checklist notes an expedited-service exemption). Certification "takes up to 8 weeks," with expedited options (UPA-A 2026 Certification Checklist).

Both bodies publish submission fees for manufacturers: USA Pickleball links a fee schedule from its equipment FAQ, and UPA-A lists its 2026 fees on its certification page.

What an amateur actually needs

• Rec play: USA Pickleball's FAQ says decertification only applies to sanctioned tournament play and that decertified paddles can still be used recreationally (see above).
• USAP-sanctioned tournaments, and amateur divisions at PPA or MLP events: the paddle should be on the USAP Approved Paddle List. Step-by-step instructions are in is my pickleball paddle approved?
• Pro divisions at PPA or MLP events: the paddle needs UPA-A certification, the stamp and model number, and a spot on the UPA-A list.

For a quick scan across the paddles in our catalog, see our USAP status tracker and UPA-A status tracker. They cover only our catalog and can lag behind the official lists, so check the official record before a tournament.

Last updated: September 30, 2026