A Paddle Challenge, a Failed Test Result — Now, a Possible Rule Change for Pro Pickleball
A round of 64 mixed-doubles matchup at the Carvana PPA Mesa Cup saw the year's first official paddle challenge.
It took a couple weeks, but the results are officially in.
According to the UPA-A, the paddle in question failed.
Erik Tice
Setting the Stage
The round of 64 matchup pitted Liz Truluck and Eric Roddy against Travis Rettenmaier and Allyce Jones, who ended up falling 11-4, 11-6.
During the match, Rettenmaier and Jones were adamant that Truluck’s JOOLA paddle was delaminated, meaning it was hitting outside of the permitted power standards.
Rettenmaier challenged Truluck's paddle, the first call of its kind under the UPA-A's new challenge rules at the pro level.
Truluck opted to retire that paddle and use a different one.
Rettenmaier challenged that paddle as well.
"At this point, Ms. Truluck opted to continue playing with the paddle and it was handed over to officials at the conclusion on the match," said the UPA-A. "The paddle was subsequently sent to Pickle Pro Labs in Florida for further testing."
Currently, paddles are not tested for pro events until the round of 32.
Alex E. Weaver
The Results Are In
It's been a week since the Mesa Cup concluded, and the results are here.
According to UPA-A, "The results of the lab analysis have now been returned, confirming that Ms. Truluck’s paddle exceeded the legal limits established by the UPA-A."
Consequently, she faces the following penalties:
- $2,500 fine
- The match points forfeited
Had the results gone the other way, Rettenmaier would have been fined $1,000 for his unsuccessful challenge.
After hearing the results of the challenge, we reached out to Rettenmaier, Truluck, and Roddy. Only Rettenmaier chose to provide comment at this time:
Clearly the rule needs to change to ensure fair play for everyone. The players have a responsibility to play within the rules, but in this case chose to play with an obvious and unfair advantage. Players that choose to cheat in this manner should be fined and lose their points/forfeit the match. It’s an unfortunate incident, but I am sure the UPA will make the necessary adjustments to protect the integrity of every match played.
A Possible Rule Change?
Rettenmaier said in his podcast, Tennis Sucks, that he felt both players' paddles were too "hot" – but the official challenge was for Truluck's paddle only.
While the ruling ultimately went his way, it doesn't change the fact that he and Jones lost the match and were ousted from the tournament under highly contested circumstances.
Current PPA rules stipulate that paddles are tested ahead of all matches beginning at the round of 32. Since this was a round of 62 match, no testing was required.
That's a rule that could change.
While not yet confirmed, The Dink has learned that the UPA-A is looking into implementing paddle testing for the entirety of professional matches, not just beginning at the round of 32.
This is a developing story; we'll continue to add updates as we learn more.
