JOOLA Lawsuit Claims Pricey Pickleball Paddles Not Approved by USA Pickleball As Advertised

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action lawsuit alleges a major pickleball paddle manufacturer continues to advertise and sell the pricey products as approved by USA Pickleball, the national governing body for the sport, even though the designation was revoked earlier this year.

Want to stay in the loop on class actions that matter to you? Sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.

The 28-page lawsuit against JOOLA says that although the paddle maker obtained USA Pickleball approval in November 2023 for its “Gen3” line of pickleball paddles, which retail for around $280 each, the company on May 14 and 15 of this year informed the governing body that it had submitted the wrong paddles for certification last year. Shortly thereafter, JOOLA stated that the paddles had been removed due to an “administrative error” made by the company during product testing in 2023, the suit shares.

Because USA Pickleball removed the JOOLA paddles at issue from its approval list on May 16, 2024, the products are not permitted to be used in sanctioned or non-sanctioned professional or amateur USA Pickleball tournaments in the United States, the complaint emphasizes.

The lawsuit accuses JOOLA of unfairly attempting to monopolize the pickleball market with “a quintessential bait and switch scheme,” as the company submitted paddles to USA Pickleball that it knew would be approved.

According to the proposed class action, JOOLA falsely and misleadingly continues to sell and deliver pickleball paddles with the “USA Pickleball Approved” designation imprinted on each product. 

“Defendant’s systematic business practice of advertising and selling ‘USA Approved’ paddles has resulted in Plaintiff and Class Memberslacking information and receiving misleading information about the true condition, permitted use, approvals, and value of the paddles, which was likely to mislead and did mislead reasonable consumers, including Plaintiff and Class Members,” the complaint charges [emphasis ours].

The lawsuit seeks to have JOOLA refund all consumers who paid money in connection with the purchase of any of the following pickleball paddle models:

• Tyson McGuffin Magnus 3 14mm; 
• Tyson McGuffin Magnus 3 16mm; 
• Collin Johns Scorpeus 3 16mm; 
• Anna Bright Scorpeus 3 14mm;
• Simone Jardim Hyperion 3 16mm; 
• Ben Johns Hyperion 3 16mm; 
• Ben Johns Hyperion 3 14mm; 
• Ben Johns Perseus 3 14mm; 
• Ben Johns Perseus 3 16mm; 
• Perseus Alpha 2024 16mm; 
• Perseus Alpha 2024 14mm;
• Magnus Alpha 2024 16mm; 
• Magnus Alpha 2024 14mm;
• Hyperion Alpha 2024, 16mm; 
• Hyperion Alpha 2024 14mm; 
• Scorpeus Alpha 2024 16mm; and
• Scorpeus Alpha 2024 14mm.

According to the lawsuit, pickleball has exploded in popularity nationwide, with a reported 52 percent increase in participants from 2022 to 2023. As part of its mission to promote the development and growth of the sport in the U.S., USA Pickleball established the Equipment Evaluation Committee to develop equipment testing standards, working directly with NTS Technical Systems, the “undisputed leader in equipment testing, inspection and certification,” to ensure all USA Pickleball-approved gear satisfies rigorous standards to “ensure a level playing field for players and manufacturers,” the case shares.

As is customary in the industry, the suit says, JOOLA submitted each of the above-listed paddles to USA Pickleball for approval late last year, resulting in the products being approved by the body for use in sanctioned events. Six months later, however, USA Pickleball released a statement in which it said JOOLA had submitted “the wrong paddles” for certification and that paddles that do not appear on the body’s approved paddle list are not certified for use in officially sanctioned events, the lawsuit shares.

“News of the de-certification of the Subject Paddles sent shockwaves through the pickleball community, causing panic for players registered to compete as both amateurs and professionals in USAP sanctioned events,” the case provides, noting that USA Pickleball, in the aftermath, began informing pro and amateur players that they would not be permitted to compete in sanctioned tournaments using the affected JOOLA paddles.

As time passes, the complaint continues, tournaments continue to ban the use of JOOLA pickleball paddles while the company continues to sell the products with the USA Pickleball-approved branding. The filing claims JOOLA has “[perpetuated] this problem indefinitely” as USA Pickleball told the company on May 24 that it was unable to expedite testing of the paddles or provide a timeline as to when testing would be complete.

Lastly, the complaint notes that, in addition to the paddles being banned from official tournament play, it is widely known that recreational play “also adheres to allowing only approved paddles,” which essentially renders the JOOLA pickleball paddles “completely worthless for any purpose,” the suit contends.

The JOOLA class action lawsuit looks to cover all persons in the United States who bought any of the JOOLA pickleball paddles listed on this page between November 2023 and the present.

Are you owed unclaimed settlement money? Check out our class action rebates page full of open class action settlements.