July 22, 2026 – Effective immediately at PPA Challenger events for PROFESSIONAL PLAY:
- All paddles used in the PPA Challenger Series must have full UPA-A Certification.
This requires the “UPA Pro Certified” or “UPA-A Pro Certified” stamp and the paddle model and model number must be active on the UPA-A Approved Paddle List. - Blackout paddles are NOT necessary on the PPA Challenger Tour, players may play with full graphics on any UPA-A Certified paddle.