We’ve known for a while that the United Pickleball Association of America — the governing body for the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball — was working on a new rulebook that will be separate from the existing USA Pickleball rulebook.

That rulebook is finally here, and late last week the UPA-A made the 71-page document public. It features a few important changes that will go into effect on May 22 — ahead of the first MLP event of the season in Dallas. There are also different sections that apply to amateur play and pro play at PPA Tour events.

The UPA-A also announced two key leadership appointments last week: Referee Onisha Smith is now the Director of Competitive Governance and Compliance, and Howard Hepworth is now the Director of Referee Training and Development. Hepworth will oversee the new UPA-A Referee Program, an initiative launched to “educate, train, and evaluate referees at the highest levels of competitive pickleball, including PPA and MLP.”

“This rulebook is about more than rules, it’s about trust, consistency and the integrity of competition,” Smith said. “Our goal was to create a standard that can be applied uniformly while still respecting the realities of match play.”

Added UPA-A President Jason Aspes: “These are foundational steps for the future of competitive pickleball. Rules and officiating shape the integrity of the sport. With a unified rulebook, a formal referee development program and experienced leadership in place, UPA-A is building the infrastructure needed to support the game at the highest levels.”

Below are a few of the most important areas outlined in the new rulebook. You can find the full rulebook here.

1. Punishments for making incorrect line calls — or making bad challenges

At the pro level, each team will get one free video challenge per game. After that, there are consequences for getting it wrong.

If a player/team loses a video challenge, the following penalties apply:

– Free Challenge Available: The Free Challenge is lost.

– No Free Challenge and no prior Mark or Foul: A Mark is issued.

– No Free Challenge and prior Mark or Foul has been issued: A Mark is assessed, and one point is awarded to the opponent.

On a related note: Major League Pickleball has partnered with Owl AI for automatic line calling and the league’s in-match challenge system during the 2026 MLP season. Learn more about that partnership here.

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2. More clarity governing player behavior

A “Mark” (also called a Blue Card) is a formal corrective sanction assessed when behavior exceeds a Warning or disrupts play, fairness or match administration. Marks are cumulative and remain with a player/team for the duration of the match.

There are several actions that can result in a Mark, including:

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

– Objectionable behavior that is offensive or disruptive, including repeated profanity.

– Striking another person’s property or an inanimate object with a paddle, without causing damage.

– Striking or throwing the ball between rallies or games such that the ball
contacts an inanimate object (e.g. the net or video board), without creating
risk to any person.

– Persistently arguing with the referee crew, other players, or spectators.

– Committing a distraction during a rally in which the offending player/team
loses the rally.

– Destroying or otherwise damaging a ball (e.g., stepping on, crushing, or
deforming the ball) before the Lead Referee has had an opportunity to
inspect it.

GAME FLOW AND TIME VIOLATIONS

– Delaying play between rallies for an extended duration or on a repeated
basis, resulting in a material disruption of the normal flow of play.

– Not being ready to play at the expiration of the 15-second period following
the Lead Referee’s announcement.

– When a timeout is not available, a player-caused equipment issue that
requires a stoppage of play to address it, regardless of duration.

– Using the time granted for an equipment timeout for purposes other than
addressing the equipment issue.

FAIR PLAY AND INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS

– Coaching when not permitted, including commentary or signals regarding
line calls, or repeated coaching violations within the same match.

– Unauthorized use of electronics during a match.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROCEDURAL VIOLATIONS

– Not properly indicating a timeout to a referee on-court.

– Failure to notify the Lead Referee of a change in starting server.

– Failure to properly follow required abstention declaration or re-declaration
procedures.

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A “Foul” (also called an Orange Card) is a stricter penalty that automatically results in one point awarded to the opponent. Fouls are cumulative and stay with a player/team for the duration of the match.

A Foul is assessed when behavior is extreme, reckless, threatening, repeated
after prior Warnings or Marks, or creates risk to persons, property, or competitive
integrity. Essentially, if any of the above violations are more serious in nature, the violating player or team will receive a Foul instead of a Mark.

Marks and Fouls accumulate and escalate regardless of violation category. After a player/team has received one Mark, any subsequent Mark or Foul will result
in one point awarded to the opponent.

If a Foul is assessed as the first sanction, one point is awarded immediately to the
opponent, and each subsequent Mark or Foul results in another point awarded.

3. Blowing the ball over the net is now officially illegal (starting May 22)

This topic has generated a lot of discussion in recent weeks after Eric Oncins received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct for blowing a ball over the net at the Sacramento Open earlier this month.

Blowing a ball over the net is legal under USA Pickleball rules, but the UPA-A is taking a different stance in its rulebook.

“A player may not attempt to influence, propel, or alter the ball’s flight by any means
other than a legal paddle strike (e.g., blowing on or fanning the ball, directing airflow, or
using any object, apparel, or body movement to affect its path). A violation of this rule is
a fault.”

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The UPA-A also issued a statement specifically addressing the Sacramento ruling involving Oncins, which was handed down by head referee Don Stanley.

“Actions such as blowing the ball over the net, while not currently prohibited, do not align with the level of professionalism and credibility the sport is striving to establish. As Pickleball continues to evolve, players will inevitably test the boundaries of the rules, and no rulebook can anticipate every possible scenario.

“Until May 22, 2026, blowing on the ball before or after it has been struck by a paddle remains legal under the current rules. In the instance where this action was penalized, the ruling was made in real time based on the referee’s judgment, experience, and interpretation of the rules. In all cases, participants are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with accepted standards of conduct and the spirit of fair play as the sport continues to grow.”