United Pickleball Association Line-Calling Technology: The United Pickleball Association has teamed up with PlayReplay, a line-calling technology company, to improve the accuracy of calls in pro pickleball matches. The system is expected to be used across the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball within the next two years.
Plans to Improve Match Fairness
Right now, players call their own lines during matches. Some courts allow video-based challenges, but only on two main courts with cameras. The goal is to expand PlayReplay’s system to all eight competition courts used at each UPA event.
UPA Chief Executive Officer Connor Pardoe explained the need for better line-calling.
“We think there’s a problem in general with pickleball line-calling,”. “A lot of the time, all four players are at the net and the ball passes you, and the question is, ‘Is that ball in or is it out?’ One team hit the ball and is biased and is watching their own ball. The other team is flipping their head around as quick as they can, trying to see if the ball is in or out. It makes line-calling even more controversial than what you would see in recreational tennis, junior tennis, maybe even college tennis.”(Connor Pardoe)
Affordable Tech with Extra Benefits
Financial details of the UPA and PlayReplay deal are still being worked out. But the UPA picked PlayReplay partly because it is less expensive and easier to set up than Hawk-Eye, a better-known system. The UPA will also become the “official pickleball distributor” for PlayReplay and help bring the technology to local clubs.
PlayReplay’s Electronic Line Calling system uses four smart cameras fixed to the net posts. These cameras track the ball’s path and other data. The system has already been tested in tennis, including at ITF Pro Circuit and college matches.
More Than Just Line Calls
The UPA wants to switch to a prize-money model for pro players instead of paying fixed salaries. This change makes each point more important, which raises concerns about fairness. Pardoe said, “One of the number one concerns we had from pro players was: ‘As soon as we move to [the prize money model], there’s so much on the line for every single point, we’re really worried about cheating.’”
He added, “As soon as we get to that prize money model — we’re hoping it’s next year, it might be the year after, but we’re hoping it’s as soon as possible — then we’ll have this line-calling technology for all pro courts at all PPA and MLP events.”
Looking to the Future
PlayReplay’s cameras also collect extra data like ball spin, which could be used later to help players and fans understand the game better. Pardoe said, “Our hope is, first, let’s get the line-calling — and then, two, what made these guys interesting is you then can go further than that, it goes into actually data and analytics.”
He added, “We just want to create the best thing for players to be able to understand their own game, understand their opponent’s game, and for fans to be able to learn more about the sport.”
News in Brief: United Pickleball Association Line-Calling Technology
The United Pickleball Association has partnered with PlayReplay to bring electronic line-calling to pro pickleball. The system will improve fairness and could expand to eight courts per event. With prize money becoming a focus, the move aims to boost match integrity and player and fan experience.
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