UPA Rules and Regulations – Infraction Update 5.28.24

Competition and fair play are among the highest priorities for the UPA. Both Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour have a clear code of conduct and rules to protect the integrity of the game and ensure a level and fair playing field for all competitors.

There is no place in pickleball for those who cannot or will not play by the rules. For pickleball to continue to establish itself as a legitimate sport, there must be world class standards and organizations to enforce them. UPA continues to work hard to ensure pickleball rules and regulations are in place and adhered to by players, manufacturers, and all participants who impact the game.

On May 11, 2024 during MLP Atlanta, the testing process conducted by our independent lab partners Pickle Pro Labs (PPL) detected a foreign substance on a paddle submitted to be used for play by Andrei Daescu of the AZ Drive. The paddle was sent in for further testing, and the results have come back confirming an illegal substance. At no point was the paddle in question used during competition in Atlanta.

Daescu has acknowledged the paddle’s surface had been manipulated. UPA has zero tolerance for such action, regardless of the circumstances, and has taken swift action.

As a result, Daescu has been suspended from all UPA-sanctioned competition, including PPA Tour and MLP events for 60 days (from the completion of the PPA Tour Vizzy Atlanta Open), fined $50,000, and placed on probation for one year.