UPA-A, the United Pickleball Association of America that governs PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball play, now has a rule aimed squarely at pros who fire at an opponent's head. It treats a deliberate or reckless shot at the head or neck area as extreme unsportsmanlike conduct, and it comes with five-figure fines.[1][2] The rule has also changed once already, and the version most people quote is not the version currently described.
Timeline: How the Rule Evolved
- Feb 18, 2025: provisional "targeting" rule. UPA-A announces that intentional or reckless targeting above the shoulders is extreme unsportsmanlike conduct, applied in matches with officials.[1][2] It was reported to start with that week's Carvana PPA Mesa Cup.[2]
- Mar 4, 2025: renamed "Head Hunting." The Dink reports officials will no longer call it live. UPA-A reviews it after the match, judging intent from video, and doubles the fines.[3]
- Oct 2025: still described as provisional. 11 Pickles describes the policy as provisional and frames it around a Ben Johns "warning shot" debate.[4]
- 2026: sources disagree. See the status section below.[6][7]
What the Penalties Are
The first version applied on court, with escalating consequences:[1][2]
| Step | Feb 18, 2025 original | Mar 4, 2025 rewrite |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | Match officials, assessing intent, ball trajectory and context | UPA-A after the match, judging video[3] |
| First offense | Technical foul, point to opponent, minimum $2,500 fine, both teams warned about retaliation | Minimum $5,000 fine (within a three-month window) |
| Repeat | Same team again: minimum $5,000 and match forfeit | Second offense: minimum $10,000, possible suspension |
| Retaliation | Technical foul and point; player fined at least $5,000; another warning | Not described in the Dink's summary of the rewrite |
| Egregious cases | Extra fines or suspension at the discretion of tournament officials and the UPA-A disciplinary committee[2][3] | |
The post-match video review is the key change. Live calls on fast exchanges are hard, and The Dink's December review noted the original rule forced officials to judge intent in real time, which it called "not easy."[5] UPA-A says officials weigh intent, ball trajectory and overall gameplay context.[1]
"While the modern game has become faster and more aggressive, respect for opponents remains paramount."— UPA-A, as quoted by Pickleball.com[1]
Body Shots Are Still Legal
The rule is not a ban on aggression. Aiming at an opponent's body to force an error, known as "pegging" or bodybagging, remains part of the pro game. Collin Johns said on PicklePod that the etiquette is to keep shots "shoulders and below."[2] The line UPA-A drew is the shoulder, and its stated targets are the head and neck.[1] The rule applies to UPA-A sanctioned pro play, not to USA Pickleball recreational rules.[6]
Reactions From the Pro Circuit
Why Safety Is Part of the Argument
No source we found measures headshot injuries in pro matches, so the rule is a precaution rather than a response to a published injury count. The closest data is recreational. A JAMA Ophthalmology analysis of national emergency-room surveillance data estimated about 1,262 pickleball eye injuries in 2024 and about 3,100 from 2014 to 2024, with direct ball hits behind 43% of cases and about 70% of injured players aged 50 or older. The registry covers only about 2% of U.S. emergency departments, so treat the totals as estimates.[8] UPA-A's own wording ties the rule to faster, more aggressive play, and The Dink links the trend to more powerful paddles.[1][2]
Where the Rule Stands in 2026
Two recent secondary sources point in different directions, and neither is the rulebook itself. My Pickleball Connect (May 2026) cites the UPA-A 2026-2027 Rulebook and says the $5,000 first and $10,000 second fines still apply, with post-match review and possible suspension.[6] PickleTip (August 2026) says the 2026 rulebook has no standalone "Targeting" or "Head Hunting" rule and that conduct is handled through the Rule 12 behavioral sanctions, where a foul awards the opponent a point.[7] A separate 2026 rulebook summary describes Marks and Fouls, where a Foul awards one point, and does not mention targeting at all.[9]
Until UPA-A clarifies, the safe reading is this: shots at the head are punishable in pro play, the exact fine schedule is unsettled in public sources, and the official rulebook is the authority.
What We Verified, and What We Couldn't
- Confirmed: the Feb 18, 2025 provisional rule and its $2,500 / $5,000-plus-forfeit penalties; the Mar 4, 2025 rewrite with post-match review and $5,000 / $10,000 fines.
- Corrected: UPA-A is the United Pickleball Association of America, not a "Rules Committee." The "Head Hunting" name and video review belong to the March 2025 version, not the original fine schedule.
- Not found in sources: any fine actually issued, an exact effective date for the original rule, and the claim that thermoformed paddles alone push exit speeds to record highs. Sources only say paddles are more powerful and play is faster.
Sources
- UPA-A implements rule on "intentional or reckless" targeting above the shoulders — Pickleball.com, Feb 18, 2025
- Reckless targeting just became a pro-level penalty — The Dink, Feb 18, 2025
- UPA-A quickly updates "head hunting" rule and doubles player fines — The Dink, Mar 4, 2025
- UPA introduces controversial targeting rule to crack down on headshots — 11 Pickles, Oct 23, 2025
- The 25 biggest stories in pro pickleball from 2025 — The Dink, Dec 23, 2025
- UPA-A targeting rule in the 2026 rulebook — My Pickleball Connect, May 2026
- Pickleball targeting rule: what applies in 2026 — PickleTip, Aug 2026
- Pickleball eye injuries are growing at an alarming rate, with a few caveats — The Dink, Oct 21, 2025 (reporting a JAMA Ophthalmology study)
- UPA-A releases new rulebook for PPA Tour and MLP — The Kitchen Pickle, Apr 27, 2026
Fine amounts are minimums as reported by the cited outlets, not quoted from the UPA-A rulebook. Pickleball.BZ has no affiliation with UPA-A. Check the current UPA-A rulebook before relying on any penalty figure.