USA Pickleball, European Pickleball Federation Announce Strategic Officiating Partnership to Establish Common Referee Standards

USA Pickleball (USAP), the National Governing Body for the sport in the United States, and the European Pickleball Federation (EPF), the  Continental Governing Body for the sport in Europe, have announced an exciting partnership aimed at standardising pickleball officiating practices and referee development in Europe and the USA.

The agreement marks a major milestone in global officiating alignment, as both organizations will now operate under a shared set of best practices for training, certifying, and credentialing referees. The partnership reflects a joint commitment to creating a single recognised referee standard for the sport, paving the way for expanded international play and future Olympic inclusion.

“This collaboration represents a significant step toward building a unified, international officiating standard that brings the sport closer to global recognition and Olympic qualification. We’re proud to work with the EPF to ensure referees across continents are held to the same high standards of professionalism and accuracy.”

– Justin Maloof, Chief Competition Officer at USA Pickleball

Provisions of the Strategic Agreement Between USA Pickleball and EPF

Under the new agreement:

• EPF exclusively aligns with USA Pickleball’s Officiating policies and best practices to establish one common pickleball referee standard for the sport of pickleball in Europe and the USA.
• USAP exclusively aligns with EPF as the sole organisation issuing referee credentials in Europe.
• USAP will support EPF with translations of all referee and officiating documents.
• Both certifying bodies have agreed on standard and reciprocate referee credential levels and testing requirements.
• Both entities will collaborate on materials, resources, and coordination of websites.

“We started this initiative because we see USAP as the gold standard in officiating and our aim is to align European referee training with its quality and professionalism. EPF referees are credentialed to match USAP levels, enabling officials from both organizations to officiate interchangeably across the U.S. and Europe. EPF is offering USAP-based courses and is encouraging and supporting its country members to adopt similar standards for their own referee programs.”

– Maria Munz, Leader of Officiating in EPF

This affiliation reflects the sport’s accelerating international growth and reinforces the commitment of both organisations to strengthening the global officiating infrastructure. It is the latest in a series of steps toward ensuring that pickleball’s rules, referee qualifications, and player experience remain consistent across borders.