DALLAS, TX - In the latest installment of the JOOLA Gen 3 paddle saga, USA Pickleball has announced that the recently submitted paddles did not meet approved equipment standards.

This means that the paddles will remain absent from the Approved Paddles List.

They were removed from the list on May 15 when JOOLA informed USAP that it had submitted the wrong paddles for certification back in November.

With this news, it looks like the paddles won’t be returning to this list any time soon.

This decision also has important ramifications for upcoming PPA and Major League Pickleball events.

Ahead of the last week’s CIBC Texas Open powered by TIXR, the PPA banned the paddles for the event and released the following statement:

“Please note that a decision was made late last night that the Gen 3 JOOLA paddles are not approved for play at the CIBC Texas Open due to a discrepancy with USAP. We’re excited about the new processes with UPA to help mitigate these changes in the future. Paddles need to be listed on USAP and pass PPA testing protocols tested by the independent laboratory PPL (Pickle Pro Labs). Thank you for your understanding.”

According to this statement, being on the Approved Paddle List is—for the time being—a prerequisite for use at a United Pickleball Association event. If this remains true while the UPA continues to develop its own set of paddle testing regulations, then the JOOLA Gen 3s will not be available for use at PPA and MLP events.

With the newest paddles no longer at their disposal in Texas, JOOLA’s signed players used either the Gen 2 models of their preferred paddles or versions of the paddles that were approved in September and are similar to the Gen 3s.

It looks like they will continue to use those paddles in place of the Gen 3s at this week’s Veolia Sacramento Open presented by Best Day Brewing and next week’s MLP D.C.