Racquet sports glossary, A to Z.

Definitions here say what a term means and who uses it; they are not instructions. How to hit, serve or move, warming up, training, stringing, choosing or fitting a grip, and anything to do with an injured player are matters for a qualified coach, a physiotherapist or a doctor. Injuries are named here only, never treated: any injury, a suspected concussion, any eye injury, heat illness or a heart problem needs medical care.

Tennis, pickleball, padel, squash and badminton are five separate sports with five separate rule books, so their terms are never merged, and every rule names its body, its document and its edition: the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook and its Equipment Standards Manual, the FIP Rules of Padel applying from 1 January 2026, the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 and the BWF Laws of Badminton (quoted from the 2023 version 2.1 copy, because the 2025 text could not be opened). Standards entries say what a standard covers; whether a product meets it, or is allowed in play, is for the standard, the body's list or rule and the officials who apply it. Where sources disagree, each version is given with who says it, and items resting on a single report or a search summary are labelled unconfirmed. Events are as the research recorded them on 26 October 2026, and no result is given for an event that had not finished by then.

Jump to: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W

0-9

10 and under competition (tennis)

The ITF's competition format for young tennis players, set out in Appendix VIII of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis). It allows a Red court (36 to 42 feet long, 14 to 20 feet wide, net 31.5 to 33 inches high at the centre) and an Orange court (58 to 60 feet long, 20 to 27 feet wide, net 31.5 to 36 inches), and only Stage 3 (Red), Stage 2 (Orange) and Stage 1 (Green) balls, recommended respectively for players up to 8 on red courts, 8 to 10 on orange courts and advanced 9 to 10 year olds on full courts, each with a stated racket length band. (Tennis)

3 x 15 scoring (badminton)

The badminton scoring that BWF members voted to adopt at the 87th Annual General Meeting, taking effect on Monday 4 January 2027, so 3 x 21 is still the law until then (USA Badminton, 28 April 2026); a search summary of the BWF's news page places the meeting in Horsens, Denmark, on 25 April 2026 and says the format replaces the 3 x 21 scoring used since 2006. As the Badminton Association of India's circular of 20 May 2026 summarises the change: best of three games to 15 with a point on every rally, a two-point lead needed at 14-all, a cap so that at 20-all the next point wins, a 60-second interval when the leader reaches 8, and in the third game a change of ends when a side first reaches 8. The reported vote of 198 to 43 rests on search summaries because the BWF page could not be opened, so it is unconfirmed. India applied the format to its domestic under-13, under-15 and under-17 events from July 2026. (Badminton)

3 x 21 scoring (badminton)

The badminton scoring in force on 26 October 2026, under Law 7 of the BWF Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), read from the version 2.1 copy in force from 29 May 2023, because the 2025 text could not be opened: a match is best of three games unless otherwise arranged, a game goes to the first side to 21, the winner of every rally scores a point, at 20-all a side must lead by two, and at 29-all the side scoring the 30th point wins; the game winner serves first in the next game. Under Law 8 the players change ends after the first game, after the second if a third is needed, and in the third game when a side first reaches 11. It gives way to 3 x 15 scoring on 4 January 2027. (Badminton)

A

Achilles tendon rupture

A tendon injury the research records mainly in badminton. In a Danish study of 100 badminton players treated over one year at a hospital casualty ward (Hoy and colleagues, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 1994), 13% of diagnoses were Achilles tendon ruptures. In Oulu, Finland, Leppilahti, Puranen and Orava (1996) counted 111 ruptures from 1979 to 1994, 81% of them sports-related, with badminton among the ball games most often involved and one third of the 1993 ruptures in badminton. These Nordic studies are old, and no recent study of badminton's share was found. In padel, a 2023 systematic review (Dahmen and colleagues) found Achilles tendinitis reported in only one study, at about 2%. Any injury needs medical care. (Injuries named)

Adaptive standing and hybrid doubles (pickleball)

Two of the pickleball tournament event categories in Rule 15.A of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, alongside wheelchair singles and doubles. Section 25 of the rulebook covers wheelchair, adaptive standing and hybrid doubles play, and USA Pickleball's 2026 Change Document says the wheelchair rules were gathered into that one section for 2026. Under it any person who plays in a wheelchair, with or without a disability, is an eligible wheelchair player, and power chairs are allowed for players unable to propel a manual chair, capped at 10 mph. (Wheelchair and para play)

Advantage set and tie-break set (tennis)

The two main set formats in Rule 6 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis). An Advantage Set goes to the first player or team to win six games with a two-game margin and has no tie-break; a Tie-break Set is the same but is decided by a tie-break at six games all. The format, including whether a final set is an advantage or a tie-break set, must be announced before the event, and a match is best of three or best of five sets (Rule 7). (Tennis)

All England Championships (badminton)

Badminton's championships first held by the Badminton Association in 1899 at the London Scottish Drill Hall, Westminster, with only the three doubles events; the two singles events were added in 1900 (National Badminton Museum). The museum records the first open badminton tournament a year earlier, held by the Guildford Badminton Club in 1898. (Badminton origins)

All England Club (tennis)

The Wimbledon club, founded for croquet in 1868 (at a meeting on 23 July 1868 at the offices of The Field, according to Wikipedia). Wimbledon's own history page, seen only as a search summary, says the club gave one lawn to lawn tennis in 1875 (February 1875 in Wikipedia), while a local history page gives 1876. Wikipedia says it renamed itself the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club in April 1877 and marked the change with the first Lawn Tennis Championship, which began on 9 July 1877 and was won by Spencer Gore. (Wimbledon and the early championships)

Alternative Laws of Badminton

A BWF document, Section 4.1.4 of the BWF Statutes, of which a version 2.0 is dated to take effect on 4 January 2027, the day 3 x 15 scoring starts in badminton. Only its title was read, from a copy hosted by the Ghana Badminton Association, so its contents are not described here. (Badminton rackets and shuttles)

Altitude ball (padel)

A padel ball type allowed for play at altitude, with a bounce over 121.92 cm and under 135 cm, against 135 to 145 cm for a standard ball (the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026), The Ball, item 4). The FIP's own documents disagree on the height at which it applies: the Rules of Padel 2026 say above 1,000 m, the FIP ball certification document's extract of the rules says above 800 m, and that document's technical notes say the pressureless and High Altitude balls are for play above 1,219 m. The certification document names two types, Standard (pressurised or pressureless) and High Altitude (pressurised), and says every ball on its approved list is the Standard type. (Padel rackets and balls)

Ankle sprain

An injury named in the tennis research: a 2025 systematic review of high-performance tennis players (Amor-Salamanca and colleagues, 37 studies, from searches covering 2011 to 2024) names the ankle sprain the most frequent acute injury, at 18% to 25% in juniors and 15% to 22% in adults. In padel, a 2023 review (Dahmen and colleagues) found lateral ankle sprains in several of its studies; in badminton, a Danish hospital study (Hoy and colleagues, 1994) recorded torn ankle ligaments in 10% of cases. Any injury needs medical care. (Injuries named)

ANSI Z97.1

A US safety-glazing standard that the World Squash court specifications accept, in its 1984 edition, alongside BS EN 12600:2000, for transparent squash court walls where no national standard exists. The WSF Specifications for Squash Courts (a copy with diagrams dated January 2017) require transparent walls to be built of safety materials tested to the appropriate national standard at a defined player-impact energy and to meet requirements for safe breakage. (Court and facility safety)

APP Tour (pickleball)

The Association of Pickleball Players' professional pickleball tour, described by KCTV5 (26 August 2025) as the first professional tour sanctioned by USA Pickleball, with singles, doubles and mixed play and 12 national stops. When the UPA set up its own governing body in May 2024, the APP backed USA Pickleball as an independent body and criticised a single commercial entity trying to own the sport (The Dink). The APP's 2026 season was in progress on 26 October 2026; the season-ending 2026 APP Tour Championships are set for 3 to 6 December 2026 at The Fort, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which the APP calls its global headquarters. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

AS/NZS 4066

The Australia and New Zealand standard for squash eye protectors, as a Wales Squash and Racketball document seen only in a search extract lists it, so its current status is unconfirmed. World Squash's 2014 eyewear guidance accepted Australia's AS 4066 and New Zealand's NZS 4066, and Scottish Squash's 2023 policy lists AS-NZS4066 among its compliant standards. (Eye protection standards)

Assimilation (ITF ball approval)

A route to ITF Approval for tennis balls in the ITF's 2026 ball approval procedures (E97-010 rev. 25, section 6): a ball identical in construction (core, cover and adhesive) to an approved ball, but sold by the same company under another brand name or packaging, can be approved without testing; a ball from a separate company cannot. If the ITF removes approval from a ball, the balls assimilated to it lose approval too. (Tennis balls)

ASTM D1894 (pickleball paddle friction)

An ASTM coefficient-of-friction test method. The USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025) bases its pickleball paddle friction test on ASTM D1894-14 and sets a pass at a maximum kinetic coefficient of friction of 0.1875 (section 2.E.2.a.2). USA Pickleball says that for paddles submitted from 1 October 2026, under its Spin Rate Test, the upper surface roughness and friction thresholds become a measurement of record. (Pickleball paddles)

ASTM F1888 (pickleball ball compression)

An ASTM test method that the USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025) uses for pickleball balls (section 2.D.6): compression tested under ASTM F1888-09 must average under 43 lbf, with two tests per ball. (Pickleball balls)

ASTM F2219 (model for the pickleball PBCoR test)

An ASTM bat test, F2219-14, on which USA Pickleball's Equipment Evaluation Committee says its PBCoR pickleball paddle test is modelled (NPRM 24-002, 1 October 2024). In the PBCoR test a ball is fired by air cannon at the paddle, typically at 60 mph, and the inbound and outbound speeds give the PBCoR value and a ball exit speed ratio. (Pickleball paddles)

ASTM F3164

ASTM's standard specification for eye protectors for racket sports. The current edition, F3164-24 (ASTM store listing updated 27 November 2024), covers protectors for racquetball, squash, tennis and pickleball against impact and penetration by rackets, paddles and balls, protects the eyes and adnexa only, divides protectors into three types, applies to wearers with and without corrective lenses and recommends polycarbonate lenses; it comes from ASTM Committee F08, Subcommittee F08.57, and the earlier edition was F3164-19. The Vision Council announced in about August 2019 that F3164-19 replaced the racket-sport requirements previously inside ASTM F803, and a search extract of ASTM news says the December 2024 revision added tests for pickleball eye protectors. The standard sets what a protector is tested for; whether a product meets it is for the standard. (Eye protection standards)

ASTM F803

ASTM's standard for eye protectors for selected sports, from which racket-sport eyewear was split into ASTM F3164 in 2019. The Vision Council said in 2019 that F803 protectors are no longer appropriate for racket sports and that the F803 name had been used for misleading and overbroad compliance claims, and the F803-19 scope (dated 1 October 2019) names basketball, baseball and soccer. Sources disagree on where it stands now: a Finnish Standards Association listing of F803-25 (published 1 September 2025) gives an abstract that names racket sports again, though its text was not read; and several squash bodies still name F803, among them Squash Canada (policy amended 13 November 2018), Scottish Squash (version 5.0, January 2023) and Squash Ontario (March 2017), as does USA Racquetball's eyewear rule. (Eye protection standards)

ATP Finals (tennis)

The men's tennis season-ending event, the Nitto ATP Finals, set for 15 to 22 November 2026 at the Inalpi Arena, Turin, the sixth Turin edition; the ATP and the Italian federation have confirmed Turin through 2027 and the event in Italy through 2030 (ATP, 16 July 2026). It was upcoming on 26 October 2026, when the ATP listed Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton as qualified in singles and said Jannik Sinner had ended his season. (Finals and team cups 2026)

ATP (tennis)

The men's professional tennis tour, founded in 1972 as the men's players' association; it issued its first computer ranking on 23 August 1973, with Ilie Nastase the first No. 1 (ATP, 23 August 2023). Wikipedia and ATP heritage articles, seen as search summaries, say the men's circuit was run until 1989 by the Men's International Professional Tennis Council and that the ATP Tour, with players and tournaments sharing control, began in 1990. The ATP describes its ranking as a 52-week rolling system that since 2000 has counted 18 events for most players: all the majors and ATP Masters 1000s plus a player's best other results. The 2026 ATP season was in progress on 26 October 2026, and no year-end No. 1 is recorded here. (Tennis bodies and tours)

Australian Open Heat Stress Scale (tennis)

The Australian Open's heat scale, announced on 29 December 2018 for the 2019 tennis tournament in place of the WBGT reading used before; it runs from 1 to 5 and combines air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed (Al Jazeera). As AP reported in January 2026, at level 4 organisers can add a 10-minute break between the second and third sets of women's singles and between the third and fourth sets of men's singles, and at level 5 singles play on outside courts is suspended and the three arena roofs at Melbourne Park are closed. The 2026 tournament invoked its heat measures on 24 January 2026, when the scale reached 5, and again on 27 January 2026. The tournament's own policy page was not found. Heat illness needs medical care. (Heat rules)

Authorised out-of-court play (padel)

Play outside a padel court, which the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) allow in set cases when the ball leaves over the walls after a correct bounce (Rule 16). The rules require two access points on each side and an obstacle-free area outside the court at least 3 m wide (4 m recommended), 4 m long and 3 m high on each side, with access openings and net posts padded with cushioning at least 2 cm thick, and they do not allow out-of-court play if light poles stand within that safety area. (Padel)

B

Badminton Association

The badminton body formed at a meeting on 13 September 1893 at Southsea, near Portsmouth, called by Major S. S. C. Dolby of the Southsea Badminton Club; it framed rules for the Association and for the game. Accounts of the founding differ: the National Badminton Museum says nine clubs were present and 14 joined in the first year, while the historian Bernard Adams says representatives of 14 clubs founded it. The museum says that in 1934 it handed international responsibility to the new International Badminton Federation and was renamed the Badminton Association of England, which became Badminton England in 2005. (Badminton origins)

Badminton House

The Duke of Beaufort's home in England, which gave badminton its name; how it did is told more than one way. The National Badminton Museum says shuttle badminton evolved there from battledore and shuttlecock in the early 1860s and was probably taken to India by officers of the British Indian Army. Bernard Adams says a new version of battledore had emerged there by the end of the 1850s. The popular account, repeated by Olympics.com in a search summary, has officers bring a game called Poona from India to a lawn party at Badminton House in Gloucestershire in 1873; that story was not found in any museum or governing-body source read for this site. (Badminton origins)

Badminton (the sport)

A racquet sport played over a net with a shuttle and governed worldwide by the Badminton World Federation. The BWF Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), read from the version 2.1 copy in force from 29 May 2023, because the 2025 text could not be opened, define singles as one player on each side and doubles as two, with a rally running from the service until the shuttle stops being in play, and print clauses that apply only to Para badminton in italics, so one rule book covers both. The same court serves singles and doubles, with lines 40 mm wide and a full diagonal of 14.723 m (Law 1). There are five events, men's and women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles (BWF World Ranking System), and badminton has been an Olympic medal sport since Barcelona 1992, with mixed doubles added at Atlanta 1996 (NBC Olympics). (Badminton)

Ball badminton

A separate Indian game played with a woollen ball, not the shuttle game called badminton. The National Badminton Museum records it as originating in Tanjore (Tamil Nadu), played as early as 1856 and also called Poona in its early days, and says the Ball Badminton Federation of India was founded in 1954. It is not covered on this site. (Badminton origins)

Battle of the Sexes (tennis)

The 1973 tennis match in which Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in straight sets at the Houston Astrodome on 20 September 1973, after Riggs had beaten Margaret Court on 13 May 1973; these details rest on search summaries of Britannica and Tennis Majors, so they are unconfirmed, and Britannica treats the match as a significant moment in the women's movement. A 2013 ESPN Outside the Lines report alleged that Riggs threw the match; that is an allegation from one investigation, reported by ABC News, not an established fact. (Women in tennis)

Battledore and shuttlecock

The old game from which badminton grew. The badminton historian Bernard Adams, in an undated extract of The Badminton Story, says it was played for at least 2,000 years in places including ancient Greece, China, Japan, India and Siam; the National Badminton Museum says shuttle badminton evolved from it at Badminton House in the early 1860s. (Badminton origins)

Beach tennis

A separate ITF discipline whose rules form Appendix XI of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis); one of the ITF's four 2026 rule amendments requires non-reflective racket surfaces in beach tennis. It is not covered on this site. (What racquet sports are)

Billie Jean King Cup (tennis)

A national-team tennis competition run by the ITF, which now trades as World Tennis (IPC report, 26 June 2026). The 2026 Finals were played from 22 to 27 September at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, China, among eight nations (dates, venue and field from search summaries), and are finished: Czechia beat Ukraine in the final for its 12th title (World Tennis, billiejeankingcup.com). (Finals and team cups 2026)

Blended lines (tennis and pickleball)

More than one sport's lines on one court surface, usually pickleball lines on a tennis court. The USTA's statement of guidance on tennis and pickleball, as summarised by Sports Destination Management (5 March 2023), ranks blended lines last, after separate sport-specific sites and converting other hard surfaces, and suits them only to sites with one or two tennis courts. USTA Southern's policy says courts marked with both tennis and pickleball lines may not host its sanctioned events or play; it is one USTA section's policy and gives no effective date. (Shared courts and facilities)

British Open (squash)

A squash championship whose 2026 edition, the Quilter Cheviot British Open in Birmingham with finals in early June 2026, is finished. Squash Mad reported Paul Coll beating Mostafa Asal 9-11 11-3 11-6, with Asal retiring at the start of the fourth game, for Coll's third British Open, and Amina Orfi beating Nour ElSherbini 7-11 11-8 11-5 11-8; Squash Mad calls Orfi the youngest women's British Open champion. The exact finals date and the venue are unconfirmed. (Squash 2026)

BS 7930-1

The British squash eye-protector standard, which a BSI listing seen only in a search extract describes as applying to polycarbonate lenses and covering prescription lenses but not protectors worn over spectacles, so its current status is unconfirmed. World Squash's 2014 eyewear guidance accepted BS7930.1 for Great Britain, and Scottish Squash's 2023 policy lists BS7930-1. (Eye protection standards)

BS EN 12600

A safety-glazing standard that the World Squash court specifications accept, in its 2000 edition, for transparent squash court walls where no national standard exists, alongside ANSI Z97.1-1984 (the WSF Specifications for Squash Courts (a copy with diagrams dated January 2017)). (Court and facility safety)

BS EN 18527-2:2021 (squash eyewear)

The standard England Squash, in a support article updated 14 July 2025, tells buyers of squash eye protection to look for, in its own wording British Standard BS EN 18527-2:2021. A September 2026 news report (Khel Now, unconfirmed) also says BS EN 18527-2:2021 is recognised in the UK. ISO 18527-2:2021 has its own entry. (Eye protection standards)

BWF (Badminton World Federation)

The world governing body of badminton, which writes the Laws of Badminton and runs the professional circuit. Wikipedia says it was founded on 5 July 1934 as the International Badminton Federation with nine members, merged with the rival World Badminton Federation in 1981, took its present name in 2006 and moved its headquarters from Cheltenham to Kuala Lumpur in 2005; GKToday dates the move to 1 October 2005 and a BWF page summary to June 2005. Wikipedia gives 202 member associations (from a source accessed 1 September 2024) against 182 in the BWF's own 2015 post, so the count is dated, and names Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul of Thailand as president from 2025, unconfirmed on a BWF page. (Badminton bodies and tours)

BWF Equipment Approval Scheme (badminton)

The BWF scheme, dating to 1988, under which makers apply to be listed as BWF Approved Equipment against BWF minimum standards for shuttles, flooring, nets, net posts and service-height measuring devices; approved products may carry the wording Approved by the BWF for International Play, and shuttle tests cover trajectory, flight deviation, tumbling stability, hooking and base roughness. All of this rests on search extracts of BWF pages that could not be opened, and those extracts disagree on the shuttle approval period: testing twice a year in May and November, a one-year certification, or two years on an older page. No BWF approval programme for badminton rackets or strings was found. (Badminton rackets and shuttles)

BWF World Championships (badminton)

Badminton's individual world championships. The 2026 edition, held from 17 to 23 August 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi (Arunachal Times, from a Badminton Association of India release), is finished. UNI reported Alex Lanier of France winning the men's singles, An Se Young of Korea the women's singles, and Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue of France the mixed doubles, France's first world mixed doubles gold. The men's and women's doubles champions rest on Wikipedia only and are unconfirmed: Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China, and Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee of Korea. (Badminton 2026)

BWF World Ranking System (badminton)

The badminton ranking in Appendix 6 of the BWF's General Competition Regulations, with one list for each of the five events and a world team ranking of member associations published quarterly. Players and pairs earn points at graded tournaments, more for higher levels and for going further; a player is ranked after at least one graded tournament in the last 52 weeks, only the best 10 results count when there are 11 or more, the same tournament scores only once in 52 weeks, and the rankings are published every Thursday. The copy read is undated. A search summary of a BWF page says the rankings are used for seeding and for Olympic Games and World Championships qualification. (Rankings explained)

BWF World Tour (badminton)

The professional badminton circuit the BWF runs itself, the HSBC BWF World Tour. Search summaries of BWF pages, which could not be opened, describe the 2023 to 2026 cycle as a World Tour Finals plus Super 1000, 750, 500 and 300 events, with Super 100 events run separately, and the top eight in each discipline of the Race to Finals ranking qualifying for the December Finals; they give 30 regular events in one place and 31 in another. A February 2026 announcement, also seen as a summary, sets six unified levels and 36 tournaments for 2027 to 2030. The 2026 season was in progress on 26 October 2026; the World Tour Finals are listed for Hangzhou, 9 to 13 December 2026, which is unconfirmed. (Badminton bodies and tours)

C

Calcutta rules (badminton)

A handbook of badminton rules by Major Henry Twiston Forbes, published in Calcutta, which the National Badminton Museum calls probably the earliest known set; The Field printed them on 11 October 1873 alongside the Nagpore rules, and the Simla rules a week later. Accounts of the first rules differ: Bernard Adams says the first rules were framed at Poona in 1873, and the museum also records rules first produced by Lieutenant H. O. Selby in 1873, later revised by J. H. E. Hart, whose rules were the basis of those the Badminton Association adopted in 1893. (Badminton origins)

Cardiac arrest

A heart emergency that the racquet-sport research records apart from injuries. A 2023 study of 4,078 sudden cardiac arrests in people aged 65 and over in two US regions (Holmstrom, Chugh and colleagues, as reported by Cedars-Sinai) found 1.9% happened during or within an hour of sport or exercise, tennis among the activities named, but gave no tennis figure. In US emergency-department data for 2010 to 2019 (Weiss, Dougherty and DiMaggio, 2021), cardiovascular events and fainting were 11.1% of senior pickleball cases and 21.5% of senior tennis cases and were left out of the injury counts. In badminton, after a 17-year-old player collapsed and died at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships on 30 June 2024, the BWF said it would review the incident (China Daily HK). A heart problem needs emergency medical care. (Concussion and medical rules)

Carlton, William Charles (badminton)

An English badminton maker whom patent records collected by worldbadminton.com credit with pioneering synthetic shuttles and modern rackets, listing his moulded-shuttle patents from 1950 to 1953. The National Badminton Museum says Carlton had been making nylon shuttles since the 1950s and that the Carlton 3.9 of 1966, made at Saffron Walden, Essex, was the first mass-produced lightweight steel badminton racket. Accounts of the firm's later ownership differ and rest on search summaries: Bill Carlton said in a 1998 interview that he had sold to the Dunlop organisation, while Wikipedia says Carlton was acquired by BTR in 1985. (Rackets from wood to graphite)

Change Document (USA Pickleball)

USA Pickleball's list of pickleball rule changes for the year. The 2026 Rulebook Change Document was published on 17 December 2025 and edited on 30 January 2026; its entries include letting the receiving side win the game point under provisional rally scoring and gathering the wheelchair rules into one section, and none of the entries found changes paddle or ball specifications. It also sets the 2027 process: member proposals from 1 April to 1 June 2026, a new rulebook on or about 15 December 2026, effective 1 January 2027. (Pickleball)

Coach education (by sport)

Coaching qualifications as each body publishes them, kept sport by sport. Badminton: the BWF's coach education pathway (summary updated March 2025) runs from Level 1 (CE1, at least 4 days face to face) through Level 2 (CE2) to Level 3 (CE3, run globally by the BWF), with FastTrack, disability and tutor courses. Tennis: the ITF Coach Education Programme names Play Tennis, Beginner and Intermediate Players, Advanced Players and High-Performance Players courses, with certificates issued by national associations (search summary, unconfirmed). Pickleball: USA Pickleball names the Professional Pickleball Registry and Pickleball Coaching International as coach education partners (search summary, unconfirmed). Padel: the LTA's first padel coaching qualification was a five-day LTA Padel Instructor course (The Padel Paper, 2023). Squash: England Squash's Level 1 to 3 pathway rests on search summaries of pages that could not be opened. (How people learn)

Concussion

A head injury for which each racquet-sport body and level writes its own rule, so there is no single answer. Pickleball: Pickleball Canada's policy (pre-tournament package, July 2026) removes a player from the day's events if a concussion may have occurred and requires a written letter from a physician or registered nurse (practitioner) before return; USA Pickleball's protocol for its sanctioned events, seen only in a search summary, requires clearance from a licensed health care professional. Squash: a 2025 review (Mangan and Heron) found only Canada had a squash-specific guideline (Squash Canada, 2019) and that the World Squash rules' injury-time section does not mention concussion. Tennis: no ITF, ATP or WTA policy was found; the UK's 2023 grassroots guidelines, reported by the LTA, say if in doubt, sit them out. Badminton: a single news report says the BWF's protocols of November 2024 let medical staff enter the court at once for concussion with loss of consciousness. A suspected concussion needs medical care. (Concussion and medical rules)

Cooling break (ATP heat rule, tennis)

A 10-minute break under the ATP's heat rule, approved by the ATP Board on 15 December 2025 and in force from the 2026 tennis season: when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature reaches 30.1°C or higher during the first two sets of a best-of-three singles match, either player may request it after the second set, and it then applies to both players; play is suspended when WBGT exceeds 32.2°C (ATP). The ATP says the rule aligns it with the WTA, whose WBGT-based rule dates from 1992 according to AP. Heat illness needs medical care. (Heat rules)

Corcuera, Enrique (padel)

The man in whose house at Las Brisas, Acapulco, Mexico, the FIP says padel was invented in 1969, on a court 20 by 10 metres with 3-metre walls and a net across the middle; the FIP says his wife, Viviana, drafted the first rules, and the LTA says he called the game Paddle Corcuera. A 2023 article in the Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal (Aref and Eirale) says padel began in 1968 and calls the Corcuera story unofficial. (Padel from Acapulco)

Court pace rating (tennis)

The ITF's measure of tennis court speed, from test ITF CS 01/02 (ITF Court Pace Rating) in Appendix I of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), which sorts surfaces into five categories: 0 to 29 is Category 1 (slow, for example most clay), 30 to 34 Category 2 (medium-slow), 35 to 39 Category 3 (medium, for example most acrylic-coated surfaces and some carpets), 40 to 44 Category 4 (medium-fast) and 45 or more Category 5 (fast, for example most natural grass, artificial grass and some carpets). Appendix I, Case 1 says Type 1 (fast) balls are intended for slow courts, Type 2 for medium-slow to medium-fast courts and Type 3 (slow) for fast courts. No court-speed classification was recorded for this site for pickleball, padel, squash or badminton. (Court surfaces)

Crushed core (pickleball paddles)

Damage inside a pickleball paddle that, as CTV News reported on 15 January 2026, Pickleball B.C.'s president said accredited referees check for by hand in the paddle inspections the body requires at its sanctioned tournaments. No Pickleball B.C. document was read, so this is unconfirmed. It is a sanctioning check, not a recall. (Recalls)

Crystal Palace (padel)

The first detachable, transportable glass padel court, introduced in 1989 by Jorge Galeotti of Mar del Plata, Argentina, according to the FIP; the 2023 Aspetar article says glass walls appeared in Argentina in 1989 and were first used in Spain at the 1992 World Championship. It is not the same thing as the Crystal side-wall layout in today's FIP Rules of Padel (see side wall layouts). (Padel from Acapulco)

CSA P400

The Canadian standard for eye protectors in racquet sports, including squash. Squash Ontario's eyeguard policy (approved March 2017) names CSA P400 and ASTM F803 as the two North American standards and says ANSI has no racquet-sport eye-protector standard; World Squash's 2014 eyewear guidance and Scottish Squash's 2023 policy accept CSA P400 for Canada. Its current edition and scope were not confirmed from CSA. (Eye protection standards)

CUPRA FIP Tour (padel)

The International Padel Federation's second-tier padel circuit, which the FIP says spans 59 host countries (20 October 2026); the FIP's history records it as an FIP international circuit from 2019, renamed the CUPRA FIP Tour in 2020. It used Star Point scoring from its first 2026 event (Premier Padel and FIP), and its results count towards the FIP Ranking along with Premier Padel's. (Padel bodies and tours)

D

Dampener (vibration damper)

An attachment that limits vibration, which each rule book treats in its own words. Tennis: Rule 4, Case 3 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) allows vibration-damping devices on the strings only outside the pattern of crossed strings. Pickleball: the USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025) says vibration dampers are acceptable. Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) allow only attachments that limit deterioration or vibration or distribute weight, reasonable in size and position. Badminton: Law 4.3.1 of the BWF Laws allows attachments used solely to limit wear and tear or vibration, to distribute weight or to secure the handle by cord to the hand. (Strings and grips)

Davis Cup (tennis)

A national-team tennis competition run by the ITF, which now trades as World Tennis (IPC, 26 June 2026). The Davis Cup's own history says it began in 1900 as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge between the USA and Great Britain at the Longwood Cricket Club, Boston, with a format designed and a trophy bought by Dwight Davis; a History Channel summary places Longwood in Brookline, Massachusetts. The Challenge Round was abolished in 1972, the first Davis Cup Finals were held in Madrid in 2019, and 157 nations entered in 2025. The 2026 Final 8 is upcoming, in Bologna, Italy, from 24 to 29 November 2026 (World Tennis release, reprinted by Tennis Tour Talk). (Wimbledon and the early championships)

Deflection test (pickleball paddles)

A static three-point beam test of pickleball paddle face stiffness that USA Pickleball's earlier requirements used as a stand-in for paddle power; the Equipment Evaluation Committee's NPRM 24-002 (1 October 2024) judged it unable to capture the power gains of newer designs and added the dynamic PBCoR test. The USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025) lists no deflection threshold. The Dink reported deflection among the first on-site paddle tests at USA Pickleball amateur events from January 2026; that is a single trade-press report, so it is unconfirmed. (Pickleball paddles)

Deuce and advantage

Scoring terms that tennis and padel share, each under its own rule book. Tennis: under Rule 5a of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), a game is called Love, 15, 30, 40, Game; at three points each the score is Deuce, then Advantage, and a player or team must win two consecutive points after Deuce to take the game. Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) offer three ways to settle deuce, Advantage (played as in tennis), Star Point and Golden Point. (Tennis)

Dot system (squash balls)

The coloured dots on squash balls, as the PSA explains them in a guide reproduced by Squash Canada: double yellow (2-dot) is the professional and tournament ball; single yellow (competition) hangs about 5 to 10% longer; red (progress) about 10 to 20% longer; and blue (intro) about 15 to 40% longer than the double yellow. This is the PSA's explanation, not a World Squash specification; World Squash's own ball specification could not be read, so squash ball figures are left out of this site. (Squash rackets and balls)

Doubles squash

Squash played by two pairs, under separate World Squash International Doubles Rules (a 2022 copy was listed but not opened) and, in North America, separate hardball doubles rules (Squash Canada). The WSF Specifications for Squash Courts (a copy with diagrams dated January 2017) give an international doubles court of 9,750 by 7,620 mm with a 480 mm tin, a competition-width doubles court 8,420 mm wide with a 330 mm tin, and a North American hardball doubles court of 13,716 by 7,620 mm with a 430 mm tin. Under Appendix 4 of the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025), protective eyewear is mandatory in all WSF-sanctioned doubles events. (Squash)

DreamBreaker (Major League Pickleball)

A deciding format in Major League Pickleball, the team-based pro pickleball league. The Dink reports that both matches in the 2026 MLP final, which the New Jersey 5s won 2-0 against the St. Louis Shock, were decided by a DreamBreaker (22-20 and 21-9). The research does not describe how a DreamBreaker is played. (Pickleball 2026)

Durability test (tennis and padel balls)

A laboratory test that simulates nine games of play. Tennis: Appendix I(c) of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) allows at most a 0.4 g change in mass, 4.0 cm in rebound, 0.08 cm in forward deformation and 0.10 cm in return deformation. Padel: the FIP ball certification document sets the same four limits; that the figures match is this site's comparison of the two published tables, not a statement by either body. (Tennis balls)

E

EN 12150-1 (padel glass)

The EU tempered-glass standard that a Belgian padel federation document names for glass padel courts, telling countries outside the EU to consult their own standards; the document was seen only in a search extract, so this is unconfirmed. The FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) require glass courts to meet the standards for tempered or plate glass in the FIP's Annex on Courts Homologation, which was not found. (Court and facility safety)

Enclosure (padel court)

The walls and mesh that fully enclose a padel court, which is 10 m wide and 20 m long inside under the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026). The ends are 4 m high, a 3 m wall topped by 1 m of metal fence; the sides follow one of two layouts (see side wall layouts). Walls may be glass, brick or another transparent or opaque material with a hard, smooth surface giving a uniform bounce; the fence mesh diagonals are 5 to 7.08 cm and weld points must be protected against cuts. The minimum clear height over the whole court is 6 m, with 8 m suggested for new facilities. (Padel)

England Squash

The governing body for squash and Squash 57 in England, recognised by Sport England according to Wikipedia and a search summary of its history page, which also say it was founded as the Squash Rackets Association in 1928, relaunched as England Squash in 2001 and became England Squash and Racketball in 2009. Its support article (updated 14 July 2025) makes eye protection compulsory for under-19s in any competition, including adult age groups, and for all ages in doubles competition, and strongly recommends it otherwise; a search extract of its equipment page, which could not be opened, gives a wider junior rule covering all its competitions and activities. (Squash bodies and tours)

Equipment Evaluation Committee (USA Pickleball)

USA Pickleball's committee, in place since 2016, that reviews every pickleball paddle and ball submitted for approval; testing is done in labs hosted at Element U.S. Space and Defense, and the USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025) claims that over 5,000 paddles and 400 balls had been tested since the committee began. The USA Pickleball Board approves equipment for sanctioned play on the committee's recommendation and may revoke approval on 18 months' notice if the maker materially changed the equipment or it materially degrades in ordinary use. (Pickleball paddles)

Equipment Standards Manual (USA Pickleball)

The USA Pickleball document (ESM) holding the detailed pickleball equipment specifications and test methods that flow down from the rulebook; Revision 3.0 is dated January 2025. It sets paddle limits for surface roughness, friction, reflection and power (PBCoR) and ball limits for size, weight, bounce, compression and holes, says equipment used in a tournament under the rules must be on the USA Pickleball Approved list, and strongly recommends that recreational equipment meet the specifications too. USA Pickleball changes the specifications through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to makers. (Pickleball paddles)

European Pickleball Federation

A continental pickleball body created on 31 May 2023 in Luxembourg, with 38 member countries by its own count. Its press release of 4 August 2026 says it was accepted as a Continental Member of the World Pickleball Federation, while the Global Pickleball Federation said its rules require exclusive affiliation before the EPF's application can proceed; international unification was not complete on that date. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

Extreme Weather Policy (ITF, tennis)

The ITF's heat policy for Olympic and Paralympic tennis, known for this site only from search extracts and a news-agency report, so the details are unconfirmed. At the Paris 2024 Olympic tennis event WBGT was measured every 30 minutes from 11:00 local time, and at 30.1°C the policy took effect, allowing a 10-minute break between the second and third sets with a player's consent, with the referee able to suspend play; it was reported activated on 30 July 2024. For wheelchair tennis at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics the ITF used a lower threshold of 28.0°C. Heat illness needs medical care. (Heat rules)

Eye injuries

Injuries to the eye that studies record in each racquet sport, kept apart because they count different people. Pickleball: a 2025 JAMA Ophthalmology study (Lacher, Koc and Tsui), as reported by Review of Optometry, estimated 3,112 US emergency-department pickleball eye injuries from 2005 to 2024, 1,262 of them in 2024. Squash: older British hospital series (Barrell and colleagues, 1981; MacEwen, 1987) record eye injuries in squash, the ball the main cause in the Southampton series. Badminton: a Vancouver chart review for 2013 (Cadenhead and colleagues, 2018) found badminton the second most common sport in sport-related eye trauma, and a series of 85 cases (Yu and colleagues, 2020) found most struck by the shuttle and most in doubles. Padel: a 2023 review (Dahmen and colleagues) found one study reporting eye contusion in about 1.7% of injuries. Any eye injury needs medical care. (Eye injuries and eyewear rules)

Eye protection rules (by sport)

Who requires eyewear, sport by sport, as the rule books and policies read for this site state it. Squash: Appendix 4 of the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025) recommends protective eyewear for all players at all times in play, makes it mandatory in all WSF-sanctioned doubles and junior events and keeps a list of WSF-certified eyewear; England Squash, Scottish Squash, Squash Canada and Squash Ontario set their own junior and doubles rules, and a September 2026 news report (Khel Now, unconfirmed) describes the World Squash junior rule more widely than the 2014 WSF text does. Pickleball: the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook contains no eyewear requirement, and press reports (unconfirmed) say USA Pickleball declined one in 2024. Tennis: the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 contain none. Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel contain none; their mandatory safety item is the wrist cord. Badminton: the BWF Laws read contain none, and Canadian regional junior rules are reported only in secondary sources. (Eye protection standards)

F

Falls (injury mechanism)

How most injuries in the US emergency-department studies of older pickleball and tennis players happened, each study counted on its own. Pickleball: slips, trips, falls or dives caused 66.9% of injuries to players aged 60 and over in 2010 to 2019 (Weiss, Dougherty and DiMaggio, 2021), and 75.5% of senior women's against 57.7% of senior men's; about 92% of the fractures in a 2002 to 2022 study resulted from falls (Ghattas and colleagues, 2024); and falls were the leading mechanism overall, at 65.5%, in a 2013 to 2022 all-ages study (Yu and colleagues, 2025). Tennis: falls were 59.0% of senior tennis injuries in the 2021 study. These counts show patterns, not the risk to any one player. Any injury needs medical care. (Pickleball injury research)

Final-set tie-break (tennis)

A tie-break that settles the last set of a tennis match. Appendix VI of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) approves a ten-point Final Set Tie-break at six games all. On 16 March 2022 the Grand Slam Board announced, as a trial approved through the ITF Rules of Tennis Committee, that all four majors would play a 10-point tie-break (won by two) at six games all in the final set; before that Wimbledon used a seven-point tie-break at 12-12, the US Open a seven-point tie-break at 6-6, the Australian Open already used a 10-point tie-break and the French Open had no final-set tie-break (Tennis.com). The trial covered qualifying, singles, doubles, wheelchair events and junior singles; whether and when it was made permanent was not confirmed. (Tennis)

FIP ball certification (padel)

The FIP's approval of padel balls, in testing since 1 April 2017. Only FIP-certified balls may be used in FIP official-calendar events, including FIP championships, Premier Padel, the CUPRA FIP Tour and FIP Promises, and in all FIP-recognised competitions. A maker submits a box of 24 cans (72 balls), from which an FIP-accredited lab picks 24 at random; the labs named are Labosport (Le Mans), RINA Consulting Centro Sviluppo Materiali (Rome) and the Instituto de Biomecanica de Valencia. Certification must be renewed every two years, the FIP may withdraw it at any time, and the list in the document read runs to 41 entries approved from September 2024 to 18 August 2026, with the online list prevailing over any printed copy (FIP, Certifications: Approved Balls). (Padel rackets and balls)

FIP (International Padel Federation)

The world governing body of padel, which under the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) determines the rules, with its General Meeting the final authority. The FIP's history says it was founded in Madrid on 12 July 1991 by the Argentine, Spanish and Uruguayan padel associations. Its membership is a dated claim: 100 national federations after its 35th General Assembly in Acapulco in November 2025 (search summary) and 115 after the 36th, in Madrid on 12 October 2026. Its president is Luigi Carraro, who is also vice chairman of Premier Padel. The FIP announced in July 2026 that it had become a WADA Code signatory after a two-year collaboration with the International Testing Agency. (Padel bodies and tours)

FIP Promises (padel)

The FIP's junior padel circuit (FIP, 20 October 2026). An FIP notice, seen only as a search summary, says all FIP Promises World Tour and Continental Tour matches use Star Point scoring from 2026, which is unconfirmed; the FIP's ball certification document lists FIP Promises among the events where only FIP-certified balls may be used. (Padel bodies and tours)

FIP Ranking and FIP Race Ranking (padel)

The two individual padel rankings the FIP publishes with Premier Padel. The FIP Ranking 2026 counts a player's best 22 results from Premier Padel and CUPRA FIP Tour events only, with points by category and round, defended on a rolling 52-week cycle. The separate FIP Race Ranking counts the best 22 results of the 2026 season only and decides qualification for the Premier Padel Finals (FIP; Red Bull). Both rank individual players, not pairs, and no season leader is given here. (Rankings explained)

FIP World Cup (padel)

The FIP's flagship biennial event for national padel teams. The FIP confirmed Qatar as host for 2026 and 2028; the 2026 edition is set for 2 to 7 November 2026 at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Doha, with 16 men's and 16 women's national teams, and was upcoming on 26 October 2026. The FIP's history records the first World Padel Championships in Spain in 1992, in Madrid and Seville (Wikipedia lists Seville only), and how the World Cup name relates to the older championship name is not explained in the sources read. In October 2026 the FIP added an FIP World League for national teams that do not qualify for the World Cup, with details to follow. (Padel 2026)

Fracture

A broken bone, recorded in each racquet sport's studies on their own terms. Pickleball: a study of US emergency-department data from 2002 to 2022 (Ghattas and colleagues, 2024) estimated 23,839 pickleball fractures nationally, about 87% in people over 60 and about 69% in women, with the radius the bone most often fractured; in the 2010 to 2019 senior study (Weiss, Dougherty and DiMaggio, 2021) senior women had about 3.7 times the odds of a fracture of senior men. Tennis: in the same senior study, fractures were 23.5% of senior tennis injuries and senior women had about 2.7 times the odds of a fracture. Badminton: fractures were 5% of diagnoses in a Danish hospital study (Hoy and colleagues, 1994). Any injury needs medical care. (Pickleball injury research)

G

Gauge (tennis strings)

The diameter of a tennis string. The ITF's technical note Strings (November 2019) gives gauges running from 19, the thinnest (1.00 to 1.10 mm), to 15, the thickest (1.41 to 1.50 mm), with half sizes marked by the suffix L. The note names materials and sizes only, and this site gives no stringing advice. (Strings and grips)

Gem, Harry, and Augurio Perera (tennis)

Two men whose lawn game at Edgbaston, Birmingham, called lawn rackets or pelota, Wikipedia says they had been playing for a decade or more before Major Wingfield's 1874 game, a priority Wikipedia calls no longer in dispute, although the traditional credit for lawn tennis goes to Wingfield. A tennis club's own history, seen as a search summary, says Gem, Perera and two others founded the world's first lawn tennis club at Leamington in 1872; the Harry Gem Project (seen as a search summary) and Wikipedia give 1874, and the project says it was probably preceded by London clubs formed earlier that year. No primary record was read. (Lawn tennis and Wingfield)

Global Pickleball Federation (GPF)

An international pickleball federation founded in November 2023 after the United States, Canada, Australia and others withdrew from the IPF, the revived International Federation of Pickleball (The Dink, 21 November 2025). It set up a Unification Committee with the merged IPF and World Pickleball Federation, which met on 8 November 2025, but unification was not complete on 4 August 2026, when the GPF said its rules require exclusive affiliation before the European Pickleball Federation's application could proceed. It claims to represent about 95% of pickleball members worldwide, a claim seen only as a search summary. The International Testing Agency announced on 5 December 2025 a phased anti-doping programme with the GPF, meant to help it meet the requirements for possible future WADA Code signatory status; the GPF is not described as a signatory. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

Golden Point (padel)

Option 3 of the scoring in the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026): with no advantage, a single deciding point is played at deuce, the receiving pair chooses the side to receive on and may not change positions, and in mixed matches the receiver is the same sex as the server. Tennis has its own deciding-point rule, No-Ad scoring, under a different rule book. (Padel)

Golden Ticket (USA Pickleball)

A category of USA Pickleball sanctioned pickleball tournament; the research does not set out what qualifies an event or what it awards. USA Pickleball's 2024 Annual Growth Report claims 142 sanctioned tournaments in 2024, including its National Championships and 13 Golden Ticket events. Rule 15.C.2 of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook bars provisional rally scoring at 2026 Golden Ticket events; The Dink reported that on-site paddle testing began at a 2026 Golden Ticket tournament in Glendale, Arizona (single source, unconfirmed); and the APP lists Golden Ticket play at its 2026 Tour Championships. (Pickleball)

Grand Slam (tennis majors)

The four tennis majors, the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, which act together as the Grand Slam Board for rules such as the 2022 final-set tie-break; the USTA owns and runs the US Open. All four 2026 majors are finished. Singles champions: Australian Open, Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina (Tennis Australia, which says Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, at 22); Roland-Garros, Alexander Zverev (ATP) and Mirra Andreeva (Roland-Garros); Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner and Linda Noskova (wimbledon.com draws); US Open, Alexander Zverev (ATP) and Elena Rybakina (WTA, 12 September 2026). From 1913 to 1923, Wikipedia says, the ILTF recognised Wimbledon, the World Hard Court Championships in Paris and the US championship as official championships. (Tennis majors 2026)

Grass-court shoe rule (Wimbledon, tennis)

The tennis shoe rule for Wimbledon in section C of the Grand Slam Rulebook 2026: only rubber-soled grass-court shoes without heels, ribs, studs or coverings may be worn, and special grass-court shoes need express approval from Grand Slam Tennis, with a sample sent at least 90 days before Wimbledon. Approved pimples or studs are vertical, 2 to 3 mm across the top, at most 2 mm high, of 55 to 60 Shore A hardness and 15 to 28 per square inch, none visible from above when the shoe sits flat. At Roland-Garros, players wear shoes generally accepted for clay, and grass-court shoes may not be worn in a match. (Court shoes)

H

Hardball squash

The North American form of squash, played with a harder ball than the international softball game. The historian James Zug records the US Open relaunched as a softball event in 1985, softball sales in the US overtaking hardball in 1991, the hardball professionals' championship switching to softball in 1992, and softball becoming the leading US form from 1 January 1993, when the North American hardball professional body (WPSA) merged into the PSA. US Squash says the switch happened during an executive director's tenure of about 1992 to 2002. The WSF Specifications for Squash Courts (a copy with diagrams dated January 2017) still give a North American hardball doubles court of 13,716 by 7,620 mm (45 by 25 feet) with a 430 mm tin. (Squash at Harrow and after)

Harrow School (squash)

The English school where squash began, though accounts date it differently. The World Squash Library places the start during or just before the 1850s, says boarding houses had miniature courts played with a softer India rubber ball while a separate hard-ball rackets game grew up, and cites a school time line for four courts built in 1864 and in use from January 1865, which it calls the first built specifically for squash. Wikipedia says Harrow boys noticed around 1830 that a punctured ball which squashed on the wall gave more variety; Lord Dunedin wrote in 1937 that squash had been played there from time immemorial. The Library adds that squash court dimensions were not standardised until 1922. (Squash at Harrow and after)

Heat illness

Illness from heat, which the research for this site records through heat rules rather than counts of cases. The heat rules found are tennis bodies' (the ATP's 2026 WBGT rule, the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale, the WTA rule as reported, the ITF's Extreme Weather Policy as reported) plus Pickleball Canada's tournament guidelines; no heat rule was found from USA Pickleball, the PPA, MLP, the FIP or Premier Padel, World Squash or the PSA, or the BWF. A 2025 review of high-performance tennis players (Amor-Salamanca and colleagues) lists hot and humid conditions among the factors associated with injury, and a 2024 review of Paris 2024 heat policies (Bandiera and colleagues) notes that most heat indices were developed for soldiers or workers, not athletes. Heat illness needs medical care. (Heat rules)

Heat Index (Pickleball Canada)

The measure in Pickleball Canada's Weather and Air Quality Safety Guidelines (April 2026) for its pickleball tournaments: heat is generally considered extreme when the Heat Index (air temperature combined with relative humidity) meets or exceeds 34.0°C (93.2°F), all play is suspended at 40.1°C (104.2°F) or above, and the tournament director may declare extreme conditions at a lower reading. For air quality the guidelines point to the Government of Canada Air Quality Health Index, with matches considered for delay or cancellation when it is 10 or more at match start. Heat illness needs medical care. (Heat rules)

High Altitude ball (tennis)

One of the four adult ball types in Appendix I of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis): a pressurised ball specified only for play above 1,219 m (4,000 ft), weighing 56.0 to 59.4 g like the other types, with a rebound of 122 to 135 cm. Above that altitude a pressureless Type 2 ball (internal pressure no more than 7 kPa) may also be used if acclimatised for 60 days or more at the tournament's altitude, and the larger Type 3 ball is also recommended. (Tennis balls)

Hyphaema (hyphema)

An eye injury named, not described, in the racquet-sport eye studies. Badminton: all nine badminton eye injuries in a 2013 Vancouver chart review (Cadenhead and colleagues, 2018) involved traumatic hyphema, and 58 of the 85 cases in a 2020 badminton series (Yu and colleagues) were diagnosed with hyphaema; a 2022 case report (Kawamata and colleagues) says hyphema and angle recession are the most common findings in shuttlecock injuries. Pickleball: the injuries listed in the 2025 JAMA Ophthalmology study, as reported by Review of Optometry, include hyphema. Any eye injury needs medical care. (Eye injuries and eyewear rules)

I

Injury rate (studies)

A count of injuries against a measure of play, which each study defines in its own way, so rates are never compared or merged across studies or sports. Tennis: 20.7 injuries per 1,000 sets at Wimbledon from 2003 to 2012 (McCurdie and colleagues), and 201.7 per 10,000 game exposures for women and 148.6 for men at the Australian Open from 2011 to 2016 (Gescheit and colleagues, seen only as search excerpts). Padel: about 3 per 1,000 training hours and about 8 per 1,000 matches in a 2023 review (Dahmen and colleagues). Badminton: 1 to 4 per 1,000 hours in a 2025 review (Stepper and colleagues, via the journal's blog). Squash: 7.28 squash-related injuries per 1,000 training hours among 21 elite junior boys in Doha from 2009 to 2015 (Horobeanu and colleagues, 2019). US emergency-department (NEISS) studies of pickleball and tennis have no participation data, so they give no rate (Weiss and colleagues, 2021). Any injury needs medical care. (Tennis injury research)

International Badminton Federation (IBF)

The badminton federation that is now the BWF. Search summaries of BWF anniversary material, which could not be opened, say it was founded on 5 July 1934 at a meeting in London called by the Badminton Association, with nine founding members: Canada, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales; Wikipedia gives Cheltenham and GKToday London as the founding place, and Bernard Adams confirms July 1934. USA Badminton says it joined in 1938. A rival World Badminton Federation formed in 1978, and the two signed a Deed of Unification in Tokyo on 26 May 1981 (search summaries); Wikipedia says the IBF took the name Badminton World Federation on 24 September 2006. (Badminton origins)

International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF)

The tennis federation formed in 1913 and called the International Tennis Federation since 1977 (Sportcal). Its founding is told two ways: search summaries of the ITF's history page, which returned no text, say it was founded on 1 March 1913 in Paris with 15 founding members, while Wikipedia says 12 associations attended the first conference and three more asked to join. Wikipedia says the US association stayed out at first. A search summary of Racquet magazine dates the ILTF meeting that approved open competition between amateurs and professionals to 30 March 1968, which is unconfirmed. (The Open Era and the tours)

ISO 18527-2

The international standard ISO 18527-2:2021, Eye and face protection for sports use, Part 2, covering eye protectors for squash and for racquetball and squash 57; a standards retailer's listing says it was published on 2 March 2021 by ISO/TC 94/SC 6, covers protectors including prescription-lens models, and does not apply to protectors worn over spectacles, lensless protectors, occupational protectors or gradient-tinted lenses. A search extract of a standards catalogue lists the European adoption, EN ISO 18527-2:2021, against the EU regulation on personal protective equipment, and a September 2026 news report (Khel Now) says World Squash names ISO 18527-2:2021; both are unconfirmed. England Squash's own wording, BS EN 18527-2:2021, has its own entry. (Eye protection standards)

ISPA (International Squash Players Association)

The squash players' association from which the PSA dates its lineage. The PSA's own history says ISPA was founded on 21 February 1974 at a crisis meeting after a seeding protest at the Prodorite Open in Birmingham, with Jonah Barrington as chairman and Geoff Poole as first secretary; the same history names Ken Hiscoe president and Geoff Hunt vice-president in one section and the reverse in another. James Zug records that ISPA ceased to exist on 1 January 1993, when the newly incorporated Professional Squash Association took over. (Squash at Harrow and after)

ISRF (International Squash Rackets Federation)

The world squash federation's first name. Wikipedia says it held its first meeting on 5 January 1967, after a 1966 meeting in London of representatives of nine countries, and was renamed the World Squash Federation in 1992. Accounts of its start differ: Wikipedia-based summaries give 1966 or 1967 as the founding, a search summary of the World Squash Library says it began with six founder member nations, and another summary gives 1968. (Squash at Harrow and after)

ITA (International Testing Agency)

An agency that runs anti-doping work for some racquet-sport bodies. Squash: it announced on 23 September 2020 that the World Squash Federation had delegated its entire anti-doping programme to the ITA from January 2021 under a four-year agreement; whether that was renewed was not found. Padel: the FIP became a WADA Code signatory in July 2026 after a two-year collaboration with the ITA. Pickleball: on 5 December 2025 the ITA announced a phased programme with the Global Pickleball Federation, through 2028 at first. (Anti-doping)

ITF Approved (tennis balls)

The ITF's approval of tennis balls. Rule 3 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) requires every ball used in a tournament under the Rules of Tennis to be on the official ITF list of approved balls; there is no matching list for rackets. Under the 2026 procedures (E97-010 rev. 25, August 2025), approval means only that a ball conforms to the Rules; applications run through the ITF TennisNET Portal; testing is done only at the ITF Technical Centre in London; 72 standard or Stage 1 balls are submitted and 24 tested (36 and 12 for Stage 2 and Stage 3); the list, from 1 January 2026, shows each ball's name as printed on the packaging; and the ITF Approved logo may appear on packaging but not on the ball. (Tennis balls)

ITF (International Tennis Federation)

The governing body of tennis, which determines the Rules of Tennis. Founded in 1913 as the International Lawn Tennis Federation and called the International Tennis Federation since 1977, it is based in London (Sportcal). Member associations voted at its October 2025 AGM to rebrand as World Tennis, with the trading name changing from 1 January 2026 (Sportcal), and the IPC reported on 26 June 2026 that the rebrand had happened; the 2026 rule book still says ITF Limited, and whether the legal name changed is unconfirmed. Membership is a dated claim: 213 national associations in October 2025, 214 in the IPC's June 2026 report. It runs the Davis Cup, the Billie Jean King Cup and the World Team Cup. Wikipedia names David Haggerty as president, unconfirmed on an ITF page. (Tennis bodies and tours)

ITF Rules of Tennis

Tennis's rule book. The 2026 edition is published in English by ITF Limited, the English text prevailing over translations; changes run from the ITF Rules of Tennis Committee to the ITF Board of Directors to the ITF Annual General Meeting, the final authority, and trial variations approved for a limited number of events or time are not printed. Its twelve appendices cover the ball, the racket, player analysis technology, coaching, advertising, alternative procedures and scoring, court officials, 10 and under competition, the court plan, court marking, beach tennis and review procedures, with a separate section of wheelchair tennis rules. The ITF approved four text amendments for 2026, covering the foot fault rule, correcting errors, advertising and beach tennis rackets, none of them changing the racket or ball specifications. (Tennis)

ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency)

The body that manages and enforces the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme on behalf of the ATP, the WTA, the ITF and the Grand Slams; the ITF has delegated all doping control and education to it, and charges go to an Independent Tribunal with appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The ITIA published its 2026 tennis season rules on 29 December 2025, effective 1 January 2026, covering both the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program and the anti-doping programme, and describes its remit as protecting the credibility of professional tennis worldwide. A search excerpt of the 2026 programme describes the ITIA as the delegated third party of World Tennis (previously, the International Tennis Federation). (Anti-doping)

J

Jeu de paume

The French name, game of the palm, for the ancestor of tennis, which most historians place in northern France in the 12th century, when the ball was struck with the palm of the hand (Wikipedia). The International Tennis Hall of Fame records a 1245 ban on French priests playing jeu de paume by the Archbishop of Rouen, the earliest recorded private court at Poitiers in 1230, and the racket adopted in the early 16th century after gloves, thong bindings and a wooden paddle. Wikipedia says real tennis is a 19th-century name adopted to tell the old game apart from lawn tennis. (Real tennis and the roots)

K

King, Billie Jean (tennis)

The American tennis player who founded the WTA in 1973 (WTA) and was elected its first president at the founding meeting on 21 June 1973 at the Gloucester Hotel, London (WTA, 2023). She was one of the Original 9 who signed professional contracts with Gladys Heldman in Houston on 23 September 1970 (International Tennis Hall of Fame). Wikipedia, in a search summary, says she was the first player to win a major with a metal racket, a Wilson T2000 at the 1967 US National Championships, which is unconfirmed. Her 1973 match with Bobby Riggs is under Battle of the Sexes. (Women in tennis)

L

LA28 (Olympic and Paralympic Games)

The Los Angeles 2028 Games. The Olympic Games run from 14 to 30 July 2028 (NBC Sports, reporting LA28's schedule), with three of this site's sports: tennis, badminton and squash, which makes its Olympic debut with men's and women's singles (US Squash); padel and pickleball are not on the programme. LA28's own competition schedule (version 4.0, labelled subject to change) names the venues as Carson Courts for tennis, the Galen Center for badminton and the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios for squash. The Paralympic Games run from 15 to 27 August 2028 with wheelchair tennis at the Tennis Center in Carson and para badminton at the USC Sports Center (IPC, June 2025); a BWF summary names the para badminton venue the Galen Center, possibly the same arena under two names. All were upcoming on 26 October 2026. (LA28)

Lawn tennis

The game Major Walter Clopton Wingfield packaged and sold as Sphairistike, soon called lawn tennis, which the International Tennis Hall of Fame calls more an evolution than an invention. Its date is given three ways: the Hall of Fame's patent page gives 23 February 1874, a second Hall of Fame history says lawn tennis was unveiled in Wales in December 1873, and Wikipedia says Wingfield published rules and sold equipment from March 1874. Whether the patent was fully granted is disputed in search summaries of Hall of Fame material and History Today. Wikipedia says Harry Gem and Augurio Perera played their own lawn game at Edgbaston years earlier. (Lawn tennis and Wingfield)

Lightning and weather rules

Rules for stopping play in bad weather, found for few racquet-sport bodies. Pickleball: Pickleball Canada's Weather and Air Quality Safety Guidelines (April 2026) say extreme weather, including lightning, wind, rain and weather warnings, may be declared before or during matches, and play is then suspended until conditions are no longer extreme; the guidelines also set heat thresholds. A search excerpt of the PPA Tour's 2024 player handbook says play is stopped for one hour for weather until staff can assess the courts (unconfirmed); no USA Pickleball rulebook text on lightning was found. Tennis: a search excerpt of Tennis Australia's extreme weather policy says it covers lightning and puts player, official and spectator safety first (unconfirmed); no USTA, LTA, Tennis Canada or ITF lightning rule was found. Heat illness needs medical care. (Heat rules)

LTA (Lawn Tennis Association)

Britain's governing body for padel since 2020 and, as search summaries of LTA pages say, for tennis in Great Britain since 1888; Wikipedia says it covers Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man and that William Renshaw was its first president. The LTA's padel history says it announced in 2019 that it would integrate British Padel and was recognised as padel's national governing body in 2020 (November 2020, per The Padel Paper). Its participation claim of November 2024 is about 5.6 million adults in Britain playing tennis in a year and about 3.6 million children. (Tennis bodies and tours)

M

Major League Pickleball (MLP)

The team-based professional pickleball league. It merged with the PPA Tour under one parent company in early 2024, keeping separate brands and formats (Sportcal, 1 March 2024); the parent is named the United Pickleball Association (search summary), and The Dink (March 2025) describes PPA and MLP professional play as governed by its UPA-A, while USA Pickleball says it is the only national governing body. The 2026 MLP season is finished: The Dink reports the New Jersey 5s beat the St. Louis Shock 2-0 in matches in the final, their first title after losing the 2024 and 2025 finals, with Federico Staksrud the Finals MVP. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

Major (padel)

The top tournament level on the Premier Padel tour. The 2026 calendar announced by Premier Padel and the FIP had Majors in Doha (April), Rome (June), Paris at Stade Roland-Garros (September) and Mexico (Acapulco, late November). The Qatar Major was postponed and then cancelled; on 7 May 2026 the FIP gave as its reason operational disruptions due to the war in Iran, and Kuwait was upgraded to a Major for 2026 only. The Italy Major in Rome is finished (Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia; Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay) and so is the Paris Major (Coello and Tapia; Ari Sanchez and Andrea Ustero), both per the FIP. The Kuwait Major (26 to 31 October 2026) was in progress on 26 October 2026, and the Mexico Major was upcoming. (Padel 2026)

Market Testing (ITF ball approval)

The ITF's random sampling of approved tennis balls worldwide, in association with the Grand Slams, the ATP and the WTA, under section 13 of its 2026 ball approval procedures. In a 12-ball sample, 2 to 3 failures bring a warning letter and 4 or more a point towards removal; in a 24-ball sample the thresholds are 3 to 7 and 8 or more. Failures meeting the removal criteria across samples totalling at least 72 balls within 12 months bring a yellow card and a 12-month notice period, and a second yellow card in the next 12 months can bring a red card: removal of ITF Approval, and of balls assimilated to it, for 12 months. Balls made more than 12 months before testing are left out of removal assessments if the packaging carries date codes. (Tennis balls)

Match tie-break (tennis) and super tie-break (padel)

A tie-break played instead of a deciding set. Tennis: Appendix VI of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) approves a seven-point or ten-point Match Tie-break replacing the deciding set, with a 120-second set break before it and no ball change before it even if one is due; the US Open's separate 2026 mixed doubles event played its deciding set this way (WTA). Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) allow a ten-point super tie-break replacing the final set at one set all, alongside a seven-point match tie-break and four-game mini sets. (Tennis)

Medical Emergency Intervention Protocols (BWF, badminton)

Revised BWF badminton protocols that a single news report (Hangzhou government news, 18 December 2024) says the BWF Council approved on 9 November 2024, effective immediately, letting medical staff enter the court at once, without the referee's direction, for a suspected cardiac arrest or a concussion with loss of consciousness; the BWF's own text was not found, so this is unconfirmed. After a 17-year-old player collapsed and died at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in June 2024, the BWF said it issues overarching medical guidelines that host bodies apply differently, and the Indonesian association said its medical team had to wait for the referee's permission to enter the court (China Daily HK). A heart problem needs emergency medical care. A suspected concussion needs medical care. (Concussion and medical rules)

Men's International Professional Tennis Council

The council of ITF and player representatives that ran the men's professional tennis circuit until 1989, according to Wikipedia; Wikipedia and ATP heritage articles, seen as search summaries, say the ATP Tour, with players and tournaments sharing control, began in 1990 after a breakaway announced at the 1988 US Open. The ATP heritage page was not read. (The Open Era and the tours)

Mini-singles (pickleball)

A half-court variation of pickleball singles, provided for in Rule 14.B of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook and described in its Section 1. (Pickleball)

N

NEISS (National Electronic Injury Surveillance System)

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission's sample of hospital emergency departments, used for weighted national estimates of emergency visits. The authors of the Weiss (2021) and Yu (2025) studies note it counts only emergency patients and has no participation data, so it shows trends, not injury rates or the risk to any one player, and each study's figures stand alone. Five pickleball studies use it: Forrester 2020 (2001 to 2017; abstract seen only as a search excerpt, so unconfirmed), Weiss, Dougherty and DiMaggio 2021 (2010 to 2019, players 60 and over, an estimated 28,984 pickleball injuries), Ghattas and colleagues 2024 (fractures, 2002 to 2022), Yu and colleagues 2025 (2013 to 2022, all ages) and Lacher, Koc and Tsui 2025 (eye injuries, 2005 to 2024). For tennis, the 2021 senior study estimated 58,836 senior tennis injuries; a 2007 to 2016 study (Changstrom and colleagues) combined all racket and paddle sports. Any injury needs medical care. (Pickleball injury research)

Net (by sport)

Each net-sport's rule book sets its own net. Tennis: Rule 1 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) hangs the net at 3.5 feet (1.07 m) at the posts and 3 feet (0.914 m) at the centre, held down by a white strap. Pickleball: Rule 3.B of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook sets 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches at the centre, each within 0.25 inch. Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) set a 10 m net 0.88 m high at the centre rising to 0.92 m at the ends. Badminton: Law 1 of the BWF Laws sets the top of the net at 1.524 m at the centre and 1.55 m over the doubles side lines. Squash has no net; the ball must reach the front wall above the tin (the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025), Rule 6.2). (What racquet sports are)

No-Ad scoring (tennis)

An alternative tennis scoring method approved in Appendix VI of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis): at Deuce a single deciding point is played, the receiver chooses the side to receive from, and in mixed doubles the player of the same gender as the server receives it. Padel's comparable option, Golden Point, sits in a different rule book. (Tennis)

Noise rules (pickleball)

Public rules on pickleball court noise, of which the research read one from a public body's own page. The City of Centennial, Colorado, prohibits permanent outdoor pickleball courts within 250 ft of residentially zoned or used property, requires an Outdoor Pickleball Court Permit with mitigation after a Noise Impact Assessment between 250 and 600 ft, prohibits temporary courts within 350 ft, limits all outdoor courts to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and to no more than 47 decibels at the nearest residential property line, and exempts courts shown to exist before 21 March 2023 from the setbacks but not the hours or decibel limit. Search extracts date its adoption to 19 September 2023 (Ordinance No. 2023-O-10), which is unconfirmed. USA Pickleball announced an acoustic site-assessment tool on 13 November 2024 without giving any noise standard. (Shared courts and facilities)

No-Let rule (tennis)

An alternative tennis procedure approved in Appendix VI of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), under which a serve that touches the net is in play. (Tennis)

Non-volley zone (pickleball)

The 7 by 20 foot area beside the net on each side of a pickleball court, extending 7 feet from the net, in which a player may not volley the ball (Rule 3.A.4.c of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook). Its lines are part of the zone, and the zone is two-dimensional: it does not extend above the surface. (Pickleball)

NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, USA Pickleball)

The process through which USA Pickleball changes its pickleball equipment specifications, notifying manufacturers (the USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025), closing note). NPRM 24-002, issued by the Equipment Evaluation Committee on 1 October 2024, added the PBCoR power test for paddles submitted after 1 November 2024. (Pickleball paddles)

O

Open Era (tennis)

Tennis since amateurs and professionals were allowed to play together. A search summary of Racquet magazine dates the ILTF meeting that approved open competition to 30 March 1968 (unconfirmed). The International Tennis Hall of Fame records the first open tournament as the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth in April 1968, where Ken Rosewall beat Rod Laver in the men's final and Virginia Wade, still an amateur, won the women's title, the first amateur to win a title in the Open Era. (The Open Era and the tours)

Optic yellow ball (tennis)

The yellow tennis ball. Wikipedia, in a search summary, says optic yellow balls came in around 1972 after research found they showed up better on television, with the ITF's rules from then allowing white or yellow balls; search summaries say Wimbledon kept white balls until 1986, which no Wimbledon or ITF page read confirms. Appendix I of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) still requires adult balls to be white or yellow. (Rackets from wood to graphite)

Original 9 (tennis)

The nine women tennis players who signed professional contracts with the promoter Gladys Heldman in Houston, Texas, on 23 September 1970: Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Nancy Richey, Kristy Pigeon, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Peaches Bartkowicz, Julie Heldman, Kerry Melville Reid and Judy Tegart Dalton (International Tennis Hall of Fame). The Hall of Fame says they risked suspension, played the Virginia Slims Invitational at the Houston Racquet Club, and by 1971 had a circuit of at least 21 tournaments; a WTA article says nearly 20 American cities. They were inducted into the Hall of Fame as the Class of 2021. (Women in tennis)

Outerbridge, Mary Ewing (tennis)

The woman whom the traditional account, given by Wikipedia and dated 1874 by the International Tennis Hall of Fame, credits with bringing a lawn tennis set from Bermuda to the United States, with a court laid out at the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club. The cultural historian Heiner Gillmeister, in a chapter seen only as a search summary, argues that James Dwight and Fred Sears first played the game in the US in August 1874 at Nahant, Massachusetts, and that the Outerbridge story does not hold up. Encyclopedia.com, also seen as a summary, places the first recorded US game on 8 October 1874 at Camp Apache, Arizona. (Lawn tennis and Wingfield)

Oversize racket (tennis)

A tennis racket with an enlarged head. The International Tennis Hall of Fame says Howard Head received a US patent in 1976 for the oversized Prince Classic and that midsize rackets, invented in the mid-1970s, were the best-selling size worldwide by 1980. A search summary of a Wikipedia-based source instead places Head's redesign from 1974 and Prince's first oversize in the late 1970s. (Rackets from wood to graphite)

P

Paddle (pickleball)

The striking implement in pickleball, set by Rule 3.D of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook: combined length and width, including edge guard and butt cap, may not exceed 24 inches (60.96 cm), length may not exceed 17 inches (43.18 cm), and there is no limit on thickness or weight. It must be rigid and non-compressible, and its hitting surface may not have holes, cracks or delamination, rough texturing or sandpaper characteristics, rubber, moving parts, anti-skid paint or a reflective finish. It must carry a brand and model and the USA Pickleball Approved seal or text (Rule 3.D.1), and in tournaments it must be on the approved list: under Rule 18.A a non-compliant paddle found before a match is switched without penalty, found during a match means the player forfeits the match, and found after it leaves the result standing. (Pickleball paddles)

Padel (the sport)

A racquet sport for pairs, played on either side of a net inside a court enclosed by walls and mesh, governed worldwide by the International Padel Federation. Under the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) the court is 10 m by 20 m inside, the serve is struck at or below waist height diagonally into the receiving box, play off the walls is part of the game, and there are three ways to settle deuce (Advantage, Star Point and Golden Point). The FIP and the LTA date the game to 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico, while a 2023 Aspetar article says 1968. Padel is not on the LA28 programme or a Paralympic sport; the FIP renewed its call for inclusion at Brisbane 2032 on 20 October 2026. (Padel)

Para badminton classes

The six sport classes of para badminton, as search summaries of BWF and IPC pages that could not be opened give them: wheelchair WH1 (more severe impairment) and WH2 (less severe), standing SL3 and SL4 (lower-limb impairment, severe and minor), SU5 (upper-limb impairment) and SH6 (short stature); these are unconfirmed. The BWF Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), read from the version 2.1 copy in force from 29 May 2023, because the 2025 text could not be opened, put wheelchair singles and doubles on the courts in Diagrams D and E and SL3 half-court singles on Diagram F, and require the shuttle in a wheelchair service to be below the server's armpit. Para badminton has been governed by the BWF since 2011 (search summary) and made its Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 (UK Sport). (Wheelchair and para play)

PBCoR (paddle/ball coefficient of restitution, pickleball)

USA Pickleball's power limit for pickleball paddles in section 2.E.6.f of the USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025): not more than 0.44 from 1 November 2024, reduced to 0.43 from 1 November 2025, measured by the USA Pickleball PBCoR Test Protocol published by Element U.S. Space and Defense. NPRM 24-002 (1 October 2024) says a ball is fired by air cannon at the paddle, typically at 60 mph, the method being modelled on the bat test ASTM F2219-14, and that the test applied to all paddles submitted after 1 November 2024. On 27 December 2024 USA Pickleball announced that seven paddle models exceeding the standard would be sunset for sanctioned tournament play on 1 July 2025. Professional PPA and MLP play uses the separate UPA-A list. (Pickleball paddles)

Pickleball (the sport)

A paddle sport that the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook describes as combining elements of badminton, table tennis and tennis, played with a perforated ball on a 20 by 44 foot court with a tennis-type net, as singles or doubles; USA Pickleball says it published the sport's first official rulebook in March 1984. HistoryLink records that Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum invented it at Pritchard's summer cabin on Bainbridge Island, Washington, in an accepted date of summer 1965, while Pritchard once said 1963 and Joan Pritchard wrote 1966. HistoryLink records three accounts of the name: a rowing pickle boat (Joan Pritchard), being in a pickle (McCallum), and a wish for a nutty name (Joel Pritchard). Washington made it the official state sport on 28 March 2022. (Pickleball)

Pickles (the dog, pickleball)

The Pritchard family dog in a widely repeated story that pickleball was named after it. HistoryLink records Joel Pritchard saying the dog was named after the game, not the reverse, and Wikipedia, in a search summary, says the Pritchards stated the dog came after the name and that a reporter in the early 1970s may have caused the confusion. (Pickleball on Bainbridge Island)

Platform tennis

A separate game not covered on this site. It appears in the research as one of the sports in which the RSPA (formerly the USPTA) certifies instructors, alongside tennis, pickleball, padel and squash (search summary), and in a 2023 Aspetar article that records some sources crediting the United States with padel's roots through an earlier paddle tennis said to have been created by the Reverend Frank Beal in 1898, with platform tennis from 1928. (What racquet sports are)

Player Analysis Technology (tennis and squash)

Equipment that records, stores, transmits, analyses or communicates player performance information, as Appendix III of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) defines it for tennis; a player may access the information only as Rule 30 allows, and Rule 2, Case 1 allows objects approved as Player Analysis Technology on the net post, as a guide no more than 50 cm wide, 40 cm deep and 122 cm high. Squash: Appendix 6 of the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025) lets such technology be built into equipment that meets the specifications; it may record information during a match, but a player may not retrieve it until afterwards. (Tennis rackets)

Poona (badminton)

A name tied to badminton's origin stories, told more than one way. In the popular account, repeated by Olympics.com in a search summary, British officers in India around the 1860s added a net to a local game and called it Poona, after the city of Pune; Bernard Adams says the first rules were framed at Poona in 1873; and the National Badminton Museum says ball badminton, a separate game played with a woollen ball, was also called Poona in its early days. (Badminton origins)

PPA (Professional Padel Association)

The men's padel players' association, which co-founded Premier Padel with the FIP and Qatar Sports Investments in 2022; in padel, PPA never means pickleball's PPA Tour. Sportcal reports that in May 2022 the FIP and the PPA complained to the European Commission that World Padel Tour's player contracts were anti-competitive. In February 2025 the PPA said the top 100 men had skipped the Premier Padel P2 in Gijon, denied promoting a boycott, and criticised the FIP for acting as both regulator and Premier Padel partner, a conflict of interest in its view (Padel Alto); the article carried no FIP or Premier Padel response. (Padel bodies and tours)

PPA Tour (pickleball)

The professional pickleball tour of individual events, not to be confused with padel's Professional Padel Association. It merged with Major League Pickleball under one parent company in early 2024 (Sportcal), and The Dink (March 2025) describes its professional play as governed by the UPA-A, while USA Pickleball says it is the only national governing body. It now runs a split season: the 2025-26 season is finished, closing with the PPA Finals on 4 to 10 May 2026 in San Clemente, California, where the PPA's recap records Chris Haworth and Kate Fahey winning the singles, Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio the men's doubles, Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters the women's doubles and Waters and Johns the mixed. The 2026-27 season began on 31 August 2026 with the PPA's Pickleball National Championships and was in progress on 26 October 2026; that event is different from USA Pickleball's National Championships. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

Premier Padel

The professional padel tour governed by the FIP. In 2022 the FIP partnered with Qatar Sports Investments to launch it, founded with the Professional Padel Association, and after the 24 August 2023 agreement for QSI to acquire World Padel Tour, the tours were to run as one, named Premier Padel, from 2024 (FIP). It used Star Point scoring from the Riyadh Season P1 in February 2026, and its 2026 calendar, as Premier Padel and the FIP announced it, had 26 tournaments in 18 countries, though other sources (search summaries, and Wikipedia) give 25 or 28 and the calendar changed in season; its CEO is David Sugden. The 2026 season was in progress on 26 October 2026, with the Finals for the top 16 men and women in the FIP Race Ranking set for Barcelona, 7 to 13 December. (Padel bodies and tours)

Pressureless ball (tennis and padel)

A ball without internal pressure, allowed under each sport's own rules. Tennis: Appendix I of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) lets the Type 2 ball be pressurised or pressureless; a pressureless ball (internal pressure no more than 7 kPa, or 1 psi) may be used for high-altitude play above 1,219 m if acclimatised for 60 days or more at the tournament's altitude. Padel: the FIP's ball certification document lets the Standard ball be pressurised or pressureless, says pressureless balls are filled with micro-cellular material to simulate internal pressure, and requires a pressureless ball to be acclimatised at least 60 days at the event's altitude with internal pressure no greater than 7 kPa. (Tennis balls)

Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR)

A pickleball coach certification body, which a search summary of an Athletic Business item describes as a subsidiary of the Professional Tennis Registry that became USA Pickleball's education and certification partner in 2018 under a multi-year agreement; a search summary of USA Pickleball's coach education page names PPR and Pickleball Coaching International as its two official partners. Both are unconfirmed. (How people learn)

Professional Squash Association (PSA)

The body that runs the men's and women's professional squash tour; it does not make the rules, which are World Squash's (England Squash governance page, search summary). Its founding is dated four ways: Wikipedia gives 1975; the PSA dates its lineage to ISPA's founding on 21 February 1974; a PSA article, seen as a summary, says Jonah Barrington set up a professional players' association in 1973; and James Zug records the PSA incorporated on 11 September 1992 and operating from 1 January 1993. The women's tour joined it in 2015 by the PSA's account, while Wikipedia says the merger was announced in November 2014. (Squash bodies and tours)

Professional Tennis Registry (PTR)

A tennis coach certification body which search summaries of USTA material say was founded in 1976 by Dennis Van der Meer and given full USTA accreditation in 2020 alongside the USPTA, with a unified set of US certification standards. The USTA page itself redirected, so all of this is unconfirmed. (How people learn)

Proposition 65 (California)

A California law under which private enforcers send 60-day notices; it is not a recall. Notice 2025-01846, filed on 13 June 2025, alleged DEHP in an Onix pickleball paddle handle, and the California Attorney General's database lists it as settled (29 June 2026) with Indian Industries Inc., with reformulation and/or warnings as the relief. (Recalls)

PSA Squash Tour Finals

The PSA's season-ending squash event. The 2025-26 edition was staged at Centquatre-Paris in June 2026, the first time in France (SquashInfo), and is finished. Its finals, as one press report (SquashInfo, 21 June 2026) gives them: Diego Elias beat Paul Coll 7-11 11-4 11-6 11-9, and Hania El Hammamy beat Sivasangari Subramaniam 11-6 10-11 11-8 11-8; no PSA page was read. (Squash 2026)

PSA World Championships (squash)

The professional squash world championships run by the PSA. The 2026 edition, the 2025-26 season's, is finished: finals were played on 16 May 2026 at the Palm Hills Club, Giza, Egypt, where Mostafa Asal beat Youssef Ibrahim 11-4 11-1 12-10 to retain his title and Amina Orfi beat the defending champion Nour ElSherbini 6-11 11-6 11-9 7-11 14-12 (Egyptian Streets); the event's own site headlines Asal's second world title and Orfi as the youngest ever winner. The site's banner gives the next edition as 27 March to 4 April 2027 in London, which is unconfirmed. (Squash 2026)

Q

Qatar Sports Investments (QSI, padel)

The investment company that partnered with the FIP in 2022 to launch Premier Padel and, on 24 August 2023, agreed with Damm to acquire World Padel Tour's business assets, subject to regulatory approval, with the tours unified as Premier Padel from 2024 (FIP). A search summary of a Spanish competition authority (CNMC) file, notified on 22 December 2023, says the purchase was approved with commitments including no player exclusivity clauses for tournaments in Spain; that file was not read, so this is unconfirmed. (Padel bodies and tours)

Quad (wheelchair tennis)

One of the two wheelchair tennis sport classes. The LTA says Quad players have impairments affecting the legs and the arms or hands and that men and women play together, unlike the Open class. Under the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis in the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), a quad player who cannot serve in the usual way may have the ball dropped for them and must then serve that way all match. An IPC page summary says quad events joined the Paralympic programme at Athens 2004 (the page returned an error, so unconfirmed). Niels Vink won the 2026 quad singles at the Australian Open, Roland-Garros and Wimbledon (organisers' pages); the US Open quad result could not be confirmed and is left out. (Wheelchair and para play)

R

Racket (limits by sport)

Each racket sport's rule book sets its own maximum sizes. Tennis: Appendix II(c) of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) allows at most 73.7 cm (29.0 in) overall length and 31.7 cm (12.5 in) width, with a hitting surface no more than 39.4 by 29.2 cm; the ITF keeps no approved-racket list. Badminton: Law 4 of the BWF Laws allows at most 680 by 230 mm, with a stringed area of 280 by 220 mm, extendable into the throat to 330 mm if the throat is no more than 35 mm wide. Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) allow 45.5 cm overall length, 26 cm width and 38 mm thickness (with a 2.5% thickness tolerance) and a handle up to 20 cm, with a perforated face instead of strings. Squash: the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025) point to specification pages that could not be read, so no squash figure is given. Pickleball uses a paddle, which has its own entry. (Racket Size Checker)

Rackets (the game)

An older racket game played against walls, from which squash grew. The World Squash Library says historians generally date it to the 18th century, when debtors in London's King's Bench and Fleet prisons adapted fives using tennis rackets against the prison walls; search summaries say World Squash's own history describes Fleet prisoners creating a simplified real tennis, while Britannica calls the prison origin a once-common notion and says most scholars place the origin in real tennis. Its arrival at Harrow is dated 1822 (Britannica summary), by a 1795 lithograph (Wikipedia) or by Bishop Jenner's report of play in the school yard in 1834 (World Squash Library). The Tennis and Rackets Association, formed in 1907, governs real tennis and rackets in the UK. (Squash at Harrow and after)

Racquetball

A separate sport not covered on this site, which appears here for its eyewear rule and standards. USA Racquetball Rule 2.5(a) requires every competitor at sanctioned events, with or without corrective lenses, to wear lensed eyewear designed for racquet sports and warranted to meet the ASTM F803 standard current when it was made; USA Racquetball does not test or certify eyewear. ASTM's own racket-sport eyewear standard since 2019 is F3164, whose 2024 title names racquetball first along with squash, tennis and pickleball. (Eye protection standards)

Rally scoring (pickleball, squash, badminton)

Scoring in which the winner of every rally scores a point, used differently in three sports. Pickleball: it is a provisional rule in 2026 (Rule 14.A of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook), not the default side-out scoring; the 2026 Change Document lets the receiving side win the game point and says USA Pickleball will decide in 2027 whether to extend, make permanent or drop it; and Rule 15.C.2 bars it in double-elimination doubles, at 2026 Golden Ticket events and at the 2026 National Championships. Squash: Rule 2 of the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025) makes every rally score (point-a-rally), with games to 11 won by two from 10-all. Badminton: Law 7 of the BWF Laws gives a point on every rally, in games to 21 until 3 x 15 scoring starts on 4 January 2027. (What racquet sports are)

Real tennis

The older game, played in walled spaces, from which lawn tennis grew, a name Wikipedia says was adopted in the 19th century to tell it apart from lawn tennis; the International Tennis Hall of Fame calls it court tennis. The Tennis and Rackets Association, the UK governing body for real tennis and rackets, formed in 1907, says the first published rules of tennis were Hulpeau's Ordonnance, printed in Paris in 1592, that the first reference to the game in the British Isles dates from the reign of Alexander III of Scotland, and that Cardinal Wolsey built the first court at Hampton Court Palace, later replaced by Henry VIII. Real tennis appears on this site only as a root of tennis. (Real tennis and the roots)

Recall (racquet equipment)

A regulator's withdrawal of a product, which the research found rarely for racquet gear, and only for chemicals in grips and handles. Tennis: Health Canada recalled Yonex Junior Aluminum Tennis Racquets on 5 November 2025 because the butt cap contains phthalates (2,749 units sold in Canada from July 2022 to July 2025; no incidents reported in Canada as of 17 October 2025). Padel: an EU RAPEX alert of 12 August 2022 (A12/01135/22, notified by Finland) covered a Karhu padel racket whose handle tape contained the phthalate DEHP, as reproduced by Certifico and unconfirmed against Safety Gate. Badminton: OKO-TEST reported a 2018 RAPEX alert on a badminton set sold in Germany with DEHP in its handles (unconfirmed). No recall of a pickleball paddle or ball or a squash racket or ball was found in web searches on 26 October 2026; USA Pickleball's paddle sunsets are sanctioning decisions, not safety recalls. (Recalls)

RSPA (Racquet Sports Professionals Association)

The new name, from September 2024, of the USPTA, which now certifies instructors in tennis, pickleball, padel, squash and platform tennis, with existing USPTA memberships and tennis certifications carrying over; these details come from search summaries of pages that could not be opened. The USPTA traces itself to 1927, as the Professional Lawn Tennis Association of the United States; its own history page summary gives a meeting on 23 September 1927 in New York, while Wikipedia says November 1927. (How people learn)

S

Safe Play (USTA, tennis)

The USTA's tennis safeguarding approval programme, which needs three steps: annual U.S. Center for SafeSport training (a 90-minute core course, then three 30-minute refreshers in the following years, after which the cycle restarts), annual acceptance of the USTA Safe Play Policy, and a criminal background screen renewed every two years through the National Center for Safety Initiatives (USTA Safe Play renewal page). (Safeguarding)

Safeguarding (by sport)

The policies racquet-sport bodies publish to protect children and adults from harassment and abuse, kept sport by sport. Tennis: the ITF Safeguarding Policy: Children and Adults took effect in January 2026, replacing separate children's and adults' policies, states zero tolerance at events it organises, authorises or sanctions, and names the WTA, the ATP and the ITIA as partners. Squash: the PSA publishes a safeguarding policy for children and vulnerable adults at its events, and England Squash's Safe Squash page gives clubs template policies. Badminton: search excerpts of blocked BWF pages describe a BWF Safeguarding Policy and Plan and a February 2026 online-safeguarding partnership (unconfirmed). Pickleball: Pickleball England lists a safeguarding adults policy dated 16 October 2023 (not opened). No World Squash, USA Pickleball or FIP safeguarding policy was found. (Safeguarding)

SafeSport (U.S. Center for)

The independent US body with authority to investigate misconduct allegations in the US Olympic and Paralympic Movement, provided the person reported is a member or participant of a national governing body within it, as each body defines membership. It has exclusive jurisdiction over sexual misconduct and related matters, and discretionary jurisdiction over other abuse and misconduct, including Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies violations, which it may refer back to the governing body (U.S. Center for SafeSport). The USTA's tennis Safe Play programme requires its training; no source was found saying whether USA Pickleball, the pickleball body, is within its jurisdiction. (Safeguarding)

Safety Gate (EU, formerly RAPEX)

The European Union's alert system for dangerous products. The research found two racquet-sport alerts through reproductions, not the database itself, so both are unconfirmed against Safety Gate: in padel, alert A12/01135/22 (notified by Finland, report of 12 August 2022) on a padel racket whose handle tape contained the phthalate DEHP, as reproduced by Certifico; and in badminton, a 2018 alert on a badminton set sold in Germany with DEHP in its handles, as reported by OKO-TEST. (Recalls)

Service height (badminton)

Law 9.1.6 of the BWF Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), read from the version 2.1 copy in force from 29 May 2023, because the 2025 text could not be opened: at the instant of service the whole shuttle must be below 1.15 m from the court surface, and in wheelchair badminton below the server's armpit (Law 9.1.6.1). A search extract of BWF news of 2 May 2025 says the BWF's AGM permanently banned the spin serve, rewriting Law 9.1.5 so that the server's racket must first hit the base of the shuttle; the page could not be opened, so this is unconfirmed. (Badminton)

Shuttle (badminton)

The projectile in badminton, set by Law 2 of the BWF Laws of Badminton (BWF Statutes, Section 4.1), read from the version 2.1 copy in force from 29 May 2023, because the 2025 text could not be opened. It may be made of natural or synthetic materials, but its flight should be generally like a natural feathered shuttle with a cork base covered in a thin layer of leather. A feathered shuttle has 16 feathers 62 to 70 mm long, with tips on a circle 58 to 68 mm across, a base 25 to 28 mm in diameter rounded on the bottom, and weighs 4.74 to 5.50 g; a non-feathered shuttle has a synthetic skirt and may vary by up to 10%. Where altitude or climate make the standard shuttle unsuitable, the member association may approve modified specifications. Law 3 tests speed: a shuttle of correct speed, struck as the Law describes from over the back boundary line, lands 530 to 990 mm short of the opposite back boundary line. (Badminton rackets and shuttles)

Side out (pickleball)

In pickleball's standard scoring, the moment the serving side loses the serve. Under the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook a point is scored only by the serving side winning the rally, the server keeps serving until losing a rally, and in singles a side out occurs when the server loses a rally (Rules 4.A and 5.A.1 to 5.A.3); games are typically to 11, won by two. Under the provisional rally scoring of Rule 14.A, only one player per team serves in doubles before a side out. (Pickleball)

Side wall layouts (padel)

The two permitted layouts of a padel court's side enclosures in the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026): Variant 1, stepped walls (3 m high by 2 m long, then 2 m high by 2 m long) completed by metal mesh, and Variant 2, Crystal, a 3 m high, 4 m long glass section without steps, completed with mesh. The variants apply to the sides; the ends are 4 m high, a 3 m wall and 1 m of metal fence. (Padel)

Spaghetti racket (tennis)

A double-strung tennis racket. Wikipedia and Tennis Majors, seen as search summaries, say the ITF temporarily banned it from 3 October 1977 after a decision on 1 October, and the USTA followed for its own tournaments on 19 October 1977. Sports Illustrated reported in April 1978 that the ITF had never specified what a tennis racket is; the first ITF racket specification is dated 1978 by a 2019 Applied Sciences paper and 1979 by an ITF history document, both seen only as summaries. Today Rule 4, Case 1 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) allows only one set of strings on the hitting surface, and Case 2 says strings on more than one plane are not generally uniform and flat. (Rackets from wood to graphite)

Sphairistike (tennis)

Major Walter Clopton Wingfield's name for his lawn tennis game, which the International Tennis Hall of Fame says was soon called lawn tennis. The Hall of Fame dates his patent to 23 February 1874, for a new and improved portable court for playing the ancient game of tennis, and says it expired in 1877, after which other firms could sell boxed sets (whether the patent was fully granted is disputed in search summaries of Hall of Fame material and History Today); a Jefferies set in its collection held four ash rackets strung with gut, a net and poles, a rubber ball and a rule book. (Lawn tennis and Wingfield)

Spin Rate Test (USA Pickleball)

USA Pickleball's limit on the spin a pickleball paddle can produce: a maximum of 2,100 RPM, applying to all paddles submitted for certification from 1 October 2026. Its official test procedure was to be distributed on 15 July 2026 and was not read. Under it the upper thresholds for surface roughness and coefficient of friction become a measurement of record; until 1 October 2026 paddles meeting the existing roughness and friction limits could still be certified, and certified paddles must comply with the standards in force when they were certified. The test uses a dual-camera high-speed video system developed with Image Systems and an instrumented test ball developed with Franklin (USA Pickleball, about July 2026). (Pickleball paddles)

Squash 57

A racket game formerly known as racketball, played on the squash singles court: the WSF Specifications for Squash Courts (a copy with diagrams dated January 2017) say the singles court dimensions apply to it, and Wikipedia says Sport England recognises England Squash as the governing body for squash and Squash 57. ISO 18527-2:2021 covers eye protectors for squash and squash 57 (standards retailer listing). It is not covered as a separate sport on this site. (What racquet sports are)

Squash court

The enclosed squash court in the WSF Specifications for Squash Courts (a copy with diagrams dated January 2017): an international singles court is 9,750 mm long by 6,400 mm wide (each within 10 mm), measured to the finished inside wall surfaces, with a standard tin height of 480 mm; the front wall out-line is at 4,570 mm to its underside and the service line at 1,780 mm, and the back wall line is at 2,130 mm, left out where the court has a transparent back wall 2,130 mm high. WSF championships, the World Junior Circuit and some national championships may only be played on courts meeting the specification and built from WSF-accredited products. Squash Canada notes that the critical dimensions are measured to the finished playing surfaces. A newer edition of the specification was not checked. (Squash)

Squash (the sport)

A racket sport for two players in an enclosed court, each returning the ball to the front wall in turn after a serve; under the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025) the court, ball and racket must meet World Squash specifications (Rules 1.1 to 1.3), and the rules open by naming two essential principles, safety and fair play, because the game is played in a confined space at high speed. A good return reaches the front wall above the tin and below the out-line before bouncing on the floor (Rule 6.2). The 2025 edition added a conditions of play section with a new diving rule and expanded conduct rules (US Squash, as seen in a search summary). Squash makes its Olympic debut at LA28 with men's and women's singles (US Squash, 16 October 2023). (Squash)

Stage balls (tennis)

The slower tennis balls in Appendix I(d) of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), the only balls allowed in 10 and under competition: Stage 3 (Red) foam (25.0 to 43.0 g, 8.00 to 9.00 cm, any colour), Stage 3 (Red) standard (36.0 to 49.0 g, red and yellow or yellow with a red dot), Stage 2 (Orange) (36.0 to 46.9 g, orange and yellow or yellow with an orange dot) and Stage 1 (Green) (47.0 to 51.5 g, yellow with a green dot). The Green ball may be used at all levels of competition except world-ranking professional events, the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, Olympic and Paralympic tennis and named ITF tours, with national associations deciding its use in national events. (Tennis balls)

Star Point (padel)

Option 2 of the scoring in the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026), new for 2026: after the first deuce and a lost advantage play goes to a second deuce; if the second advantage is also lost, the score returns to a third deuce and a single deciding Star Point is played, with the receiving pair choosing the side, and in mixed matches the receiver the same sex as the server. Premier Padel and the FIP say the FIP General Assembly of 100 national federations approved it unanimously on 28 November 2025, and that Premier Padel used it from the Riyadh Season P1 in February 2026 and the CUPRA FIP Tour from its first 2026 event. (Padel)

Steel racket (tennis and badminton)

Metal rackets in two sports' histories, kept apart. Tennis: the International Tennis Hall of Fame records the Dayton steel racket, with steel-wire strings, introduced in 1922, and says Rene Lacoste patented a chromium-plated steel racket in 1965 that Wilson made as the T-2000 from 1967; an ITF history document, seen only as a summary, dates Lacoste's method to 1953, and a Wikipedia summary says steel rackets were first patented in 1957. Badminton: the National Badminton Museum says wooden rackets were the norm until the Carlton 3.9 of 1966, the first mass-produced lightweight steel badminton racket. (Rackets from wood to graphite)

String materials (tennis)

The materials tennis strings are made of, as the ITF's technical note Strings (November 2019) describes them: natural gut is the most elastic common string material, Kevlar the stiffest, and nylon and polyester lie between. The note says strings and ball are both heavily deformed at impact, the ball leaves within about 5 milliseconds, the strings return around 90 to 95% of the impact energy, and stiffer strings generate larger impact forces. Ashaway claims PEEK is the synthetic closest to natural gut in dynamic stiffness, a maker's claim. Rule 4 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) sets the string pattern, not the material; in badminton, Law 4.2 of the BWF Laws likewise regulates only the stringed area. This site gives no stringing advice. (Strings and grips)

Sudirman Cup (badminton)

Badminton's mixed team world championship. There is no 2026 edition, which events research infers from the 2027 announcement rather than from a stated rule. IANS reported on 14 October 2026 that the BWF had named Beijing host of the 2027 Finals, from 21 April to 2 May 2027, with a 12-day format and 24 member associations; the BWF page was not reached, so this is unconfirmed. (Badminton 2026)

Surface roughness (pickleball paddles)

A pickleball paddle-face measurement in section 2.E.2.a.1 of the USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025): taken with a Starrett SR160 or SR300 tester, or equivalent, in six directions on each face, the per-face average may not exceed 30 micrometres Rz or 40 micrometres Rt, and no single reading may exceed 33 Rz or 44 Rt. For paddles submitted from 1 October 2026 the upper thresholds become a measurement of record under the Spin Rate Test. The Dink reports that the UPA-A enforces different grit standards from USA Pickleball, so a paddle can be removed from one list and not the other. (Pickleball paddles)

Synthetic shuttle (badminton)

A badminton shuttle with a synthetic skirt instead of feathers, allowed by Law 2.3 of the BWF Laws. In a January 2020 announcement the BWF approved synthetic feather shuttlecocks, developed with Yonex's technical cooperation, for any BWF sanctioned tournament from 2021 after three trials in 2019, and claimed they were more durable with very similar flight. On 8 April 2026 the BWF approved two synthetic shuttles for a trial at Grade 3 and Junior International tournaments (BWF page seen as an extract, corroborated by IANS), and a PTI report in August 2026 said they had been trialled at four events, with BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund calling synthetics an alternative rather than a replacement and setting no fixed timeline for elite use. (Badminton rackets and shuttles)

T

TADP (Tennis Anti-Doping Programme)

Tennis's anti-doping rules; the 2026 programme took full effect on 1 January 2026 and is managed and enforced by the ITIA on behalf of the ATP, the WTA, the ITF and the Grand Slams. It states that the ITF is a WADA Code signatory and that the programme implements the mandatory provisions of the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code. It covers the ITF, ITIA, ATP, WTA and Grand Slam Board, national associations, registered players and support personnel, players entered in covered events and players holding an ATP or WTA ranking in 2026; charges are heard by an Independent Tribunal, with appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (ITIA). (Anti-doping)

Tennis court

The tennis court in Rule 1 of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis): a rectangle 78 feet (23.77 m) long, 27 feet (8.23 m) wide for singles and 36 feet (10.97 m) wide for doubles, with baselines at the ends and sidelines at the sides, and most lines other than the baseline 1 to 2 inches wide. An ITF court-size document (file dated December 2022) recommends, as a guide for international competitions, at least 21 feet (6.40 m) between baselines and backstops and 12 feet (3.66 m) between sidelines and sidestops, and a minimum height of 10 m for indoor or covered show courts unless the ITF approves otherwise. (Tennis)

Tennis elbow (lateral elbow pain)

Pain on the outside of the elbow, called lateral epicondylalgia or lateral elbow tendinopathy in the research, named in two sports. Tennis: a 2025 review of high-performance players (Amor-Salamanca and colleagues) reports 14% in juniors and 11% in adults, but as baseline values from a small group of equipment studies within the review, not general prevalence; published figures range from 1.3% in a Finnish cohort of 4,783 players (a secondary citation) to 41.8% of 839 players in a Brazilian self-report survey (a search listing), so no single figure is given. Padel: a 2023 review (Dahmen and colleagues) found lateral elbow tendinopathy the most frequently reported diagnosis, with one study reporting 74% of players affected. Any injury needs medical care. (Tennis injury research)

Thomas Cup and Uber Cup (badminton)

Badminton's men's (Thomas Cup) and women's (Uber Cup) world team championships. Bernard Adams records the first Thomas Cup in 1949 and the first Uber Cup in the 1956/57 season, won by the United States against Denmark; no BWF page was read to confirm. The 2026 finals, at Forum Horsens, Denmark, from 24 April to 3 May 2026 (dates as Wikipedia gives them), are finished: Badminton Planet reported China beating France 3-1 for the Thomas Cup and Korea beating the defending champions China 3-1 for the Uber Cup. (Badminton 2026)

Throat (racket)

The part of a racket that joins the head to the rest of the frame, where there is one, defined by each rule book. Tennis: Appendix II(a) of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) says a frame is a handle and a head and may include a throat joining them. Badminton: Law 4.1 of the BWF Laws names the handle, stringed area, head, shaft and throat (if present), and Law 4.2.2 lets strings extend into the throat if that extension is no more than 35 mm wide and the stringed length stays within 330 mm. Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) divide the racket into head and handle and limit the handle's width, measured at the throat and ignoring the open space, to 50 mm. (Tennis rackets)

Tie-break

A game played to settle a set at an even score, which tennis and padel each define. Tennis: under Rule 5b of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), points are counted Zero, 1, 2, 3 and so on, and the first to seven points with a two-point margin wins the game and set; the player due to serve serves the first point, the opponent the next two, then service alternates every two points, and players change ends after every six points (Rules 5b and 10). Padel: the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) count a tie-break the same way, first to seven by two, with the set recorded 7-6. (Tennis)

Tin (squash)

The strip at the bottom of a squash court's front wall, below which a shot is not good: a good return must reach the front wall above the tin and must not touch it (Rule 6.2 of the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025)). The WSF Specifications for Squash Courts (a copy with diagrams dated January 2017) set a standard tin height of 480 mm, with the top 50 mm deflecting the ball and the rest making a distinctive noise when struck (electronic devices may replace the top 50 mm); a lowered tin of 430 mm is preferred for PSA-sanctioned tournaments, though 480 mm may be sanctioned at some PSA levels. Doubles courts use 480 mm, 330 mm (competition width) or 430 mm (North American hardball) tins. Video review is not available for tin calls (Appendix 3). (Squash)

Two bounces (wheelchair tennis and wheelchair pickleball)

The extra bounce wheelchair players are allowed, under each sport's own rule book. Tennis: under the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis in the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), the player may let the ball bounce twice and must return it before a third bounce, and the second bounce may be in or out of the court. Pickleball: the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook (Section 1) lets wheelchair players and some players with disabilities let the ball bounce twice, the first bounce in the court and the second anywhere on the playing surface. This is a different thing from pickleball's two-bounce rule. (Wheelchair and para play)

Two-bounce rule (pickleball)

One of pickleball's unique features in the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook (Section 1): the receiver must let the serve bounce, and the serving side must then let the return bounce, before either side may volley. It is not the same as the two-bounce allowance for wheelchair players. (Pickleball)

Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3 balls (tennis)

The adult tennis ball types in Appendix I(b) of the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), with the High Altitude ball: Type 1 (fast), Type 2 (medium) and Type 3 (slow), all weighing 56.0 to 59.4 g and white or yellow. Type 1 and Type 2 measure 6.54 to 6.86 cm and Type 3 is larger, at 7.00 to 7.30 cm; rebound is 138 to 151 cm for Type 1 and 135 to 147 cm for Types 2 and 3. Appendix I, Case 1 intends Type 1 for slow-pace courts, Type 2 for medium-slow to medium-fast courts and Type 3 for fast courts. The imperial conversion of the Type 1 rebound differs between the rule book (54 to 60 inches) and the ITF's 2026 ball approval procedures (53 to 60 inches); the metric figure agrees, and SI units take precedence. (Tennis balls)

U

United Cup (tennis)

The mixed team tennis event that opens the season in Australia. The 2026 edition is finished: Tennis Australia reports that Team Poland, led by Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek, won its first United Cup after losing in a previous final. (Finals and team cups 2026)

UPA and UPA-A (pickleball)

The United Pickleball Association (UPA) is the parent company of the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, whose merger closed on 29 February 2024 (search summary). On 16 May 2024 the UPA announced its own governing body, the UPA-A, to replace USA Pickleball as the governing body for its events (The Dink); its expansion is given two ways, United Pickleball Association of America by The Dink and United Pickleball Association of Americas by Pickleball.com, a UPA-affiliated outlet. Its 2025 Equipment Rules (16 January 2025) apply to professional play at PPA and MLP events, while amateur events at PPA tournaments use USA Pickleball's list; UPA-A certification has been required for all professional play since 1 September 2025, and for junior and senior pro divisions from 30 August 2026 (Pickleball.com). The two sides disagree: at a March 2025 panel USA Pickleball's representative said it is the only national governing body and that the two standards should merge, while the UPA-A's president said it governs only professional play and, as to ownership, falls under the UPA; no agreement was reached (The Dink). Its numeric paddle thresholds were not found. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

US Open Pickleball Championships

A pickleball tournament that USA Pickleball lists for 11 to 18 April 2026 at the USOP National Pickleball Center, Naples, Florida, marking a decade, with participation giving 4,500 TPS points towards Nationals eligibility. The 2026 event, branded the Franklin US Open, ran pro play from 14 to 18 April in five divisions (The Dink) and is finished. Only the mixed pro final was found, in a single press report: Anna Leigh Waters and Jay Devilliers beat Casey Diamond and Sofia Sewing (Naples Press, names as printed). (Pickleball 2026)

US Squash

The US national squash body, which says it was founded in Philadelphia in 1904 as the United States Squash Racquets Association, was renamed US Squash in 2006, was the world's first national squash governing body, merged with the women's association in 1979, and is a member of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee; a secondary history, seen as a search summary, gives 1907 for the first national association instead. (Squash bodies and tours)

USA Badminton

The US national badminton body, which says it was founded in 1936 in Brookline, Massachusetts, as the American Badminton Association, joined the IBF in 1938, became the USBA in 1978 and USA Badminton in 1996; a search summary of the USA Badminton Museum gives 1976 and 1997 for the two renamings. On 28 April 2026 it confirmed the BWF's adoption of 3 x 15 scoring from 4 January 2027. (Badminton bodies and tours)

USA Padel

The US padel body, which renamed itself from the United States Padel Association on 29 June 2026. It says it was founded in 1993 as the American Paddle Association, took the USPA name in 2007, is based in Austin, Texas, and sanctions more than 250 tournaments a year, and names the FIP and Padel America as recognising it; older pages, seen as search summaries, named the American Padel Federation instead. (Padel bodies and tours)

USA Pickleball

The body that calls itself the National Governing Body of American pickleball, formulates and interprets the rules (its decisions final and not appealable) and says it published the first official rulebook in March 1984 (the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook). Wikipedia says it was founded in 1984 in Tacoma, Washington, as the United States Amateur Pickleball Association, re-formed as a corporation in 2005 and named USA Pickleball in 2020; HistoryLink calls the 1984 body the USA Pickleball Association. Its headquarters is Surprise, Arizona, per Wikipedia, while its 2026 Change Document gives a Scottsdale, Arizona address. Membership is a dated claim: 62,260 in its 2024 Annual Growth Report, against 104,828 as of January 2025 in Wikipedia. It sanctions the APP Tour, while professional PPA and MLP play runs under the UPA-A. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

USA Pickleball Approved (list and seal)

USA Pickleball's approval of pickleball equipment. The USA Pickleball Equipment Standards Manual, Revision 3.0 (January 2025) says equipment used in a tournament played under the rules must be on the USA Pickleball Approved list, that approval implies no other approval or endorsement, that products may not be marketed as approved before all testing is complete, and that they must be on the public database to be legal for sanctioned events. Rule 3.D.1 of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook requires the seal or text on the paddle, and Rule 3.C puts the approved ball list on USA Pickleball's website, with the tournament director choosing the ball from it. The list decides what is legal; this site does not say any product is approved. (Pickleball paddles)

USA Pickleball National Championships

USA Pickleball's national pickleball championships; the 2026 edition is set for 31 October to 8 November 2026 at the Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego, its second year there (event site), and was upcoming on 26 October 2026. Rule 15.C.2 of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook bars provisional rally scoring there. It is a different event from the PPA Tour's Pickleball National Championships, which opened the PPA's 2026-27 season on 31 August 2026. (Pickleball 2026)

USTA (United States Tennis Association)

The US national tennis body, which says it was founded in 1881 at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in Manhattan as the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association, became the USLTA in 1920 and the USTA in 1975, has 17 sections, and owns and operates the US Open. Tennis Majors, seen as a search summary, dates the founding meeting to 21 May 1881, when more than 30 clubs agreed to use the All England Club rules for a year; Wikipedia says the first US National Championship followed at the Newport Casino, Rhode Island, from 31 August to 3 September 1881, won by Richard Sears. (Tennis bodies and tours)

V

Video review (squash)

Appendix 3 of the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025) provides for video review, with two reviews per player in best-of-five matches and one in best-of-three, and none for line or tin calls. A squash match should normally have a Referee, or a Referee and a Marker (Rule 3). (Squash)

W

Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT)

A heat measure used by several tennis heat rules. The ATP's 2026 rule allows a cooling break at 30.1°C and suspends play above 32.2°C (ATP); AP reports the WTA has used a WBGT-based rule since 1992, with a longer break between sets in singles above 30.1°C (86.2°F); the ITF's Paris 2024 Olympic policy is reported to have taken effect at 30.1°C (search extracts, unconfirmed); and the Australian Open replaced its WBGT reading with the Heat Stress Scale in 2019. A 2024 review of Paris 2024 heat policies (Bandiera and colleagues) found seven of 15 higher-risk sports used WBGT and noted that most such indices were developed for soldiers or workers, not athletes. Heat illness needs medical care. (Heat rules)

Wheelchair (equipment rules)

The chair rules in each sport's book. Tennis: under the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis in the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis) the chair is part of the body, may be of any non-reflective material, may have a single pushrim per wheel and no steering, braking, gearing or energy-storage device, must have a fixed seat height with the buttocks kept on the seat during a point, and may be electric only for players meeting Article 10 of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Classification Rules, at no more than 15 km/h; medical modifications need ITF Sport Science and Medicine Commission approval at least 60 days ahead. Pickleball: Rule 25.A.3 of the 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook allows a power chair, controlled only by the player, up to 10 mph, for players unable to propel a manual chair for a whole match. Badminton: Law 5 of the BWF Laws says a wheelchair or a crutch may be used in para badminton. (Wheelchair tennis equipment)

Wheelchair tennis

Tennis played under the ITF's Rules of Wheelchair Tennis in the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 (still issued by ITF Limited, although the ITF now trades as World Tennis), which follow the Rules of Tennis with exceptions: two bounces are allowed, the chair is part of the body, and the server must be stationary but may take one push. There are two sport classes, Open and Quad, and the LTA says World Tennis runs classification, which is required for the World Tennis Wheelchair Tennis Tour. The IPC records, in search summaries of pages that could not be opened, that it began in California in 1976 with Brad Parks and Jeff Minnebraker; IPC summaries disagree on its Paralympic debut, one giving a demonstration at Seoul 1988 and medal status at Barcelona 1992, another Barcelona 1992 as its first appearance, though both agree on medal status from 1992. (Wheelchair and para play)

Wimbledon (tennis)

The Championships at the All England Club. Wikipedia says the first Lawn Tennis Championship began on 9 July 1877 and that Spencer Gore beat William Marshall in the final on 19 July 1877; accounts differ on the entry (22 registered and 21 played, per Wikipedia, or 22 took part in another account), and Britannica, in a search summary, calls the often-told story that the club held it to repair a pony roller a story rather than a documented fact. Search summaries say the first ladies' singles, in 1884, was won by Maud Watson (unconfirmed). Section C of the Grand Slam Rulebook 2026 requires players to be dressed almost entirely in white. The 2026 Championships are finished: Jannik Sinner and Linda Noskova won the singles (wimbledon.com draws), and the wheelchair singles went to Tokito Oda (LTA), Yui Kamiji, her first Wimbledon singles title (IPC, 13 July 2026), and, in quad, Niels Vink (wimbledon.com draw). (Wimbledon and the early championships)

Wingfield, Major Walter Clopton (tennis)

The man traditionally credited with lawn tennis, which he called Sphairistike. The International Tennis Hall of Fame dates his patent to 23 February 1874 and says it expired in 1877; a second Hall of Fame history says his game was unveiled in Wales in December 1873; Wikipedia says he published rules and sold equipment from March 1874; and whether the patent was fully granted is disputed in search summaries of Hall of Fame material and History Today. Wikipedia says Harry Gem and Augurio Perera had been playing their own lawn game at Edgbaston for a decade or more before him. (Lawn tennis and Wingfield)

WISPA and the Women's Squash Association

The women's professional squash body, whose dates differ by source. The PSA's history says a first attempt failed in 1978, players agreed at the 1983 World Open in Perth to form WISPA, which held its first meeting at the Belfast Boat Club in 1984, renamed itself the Women's Squash Association in 2012 and merged with the PSA in 2015. Squash Ireland, in a search summary, gives February 1984 in Belfast as the founding; Wikipedia gives the renaming in 2011, a merger announced in November 2014 with the WSA closing in December 2014, and in one article credits Angela Smith with forming WISPA in 1979. (Squash at Harrow and after)

World Anti-Doping Code (by sport)

The WADA Code that each racquet sport's anti-doping rules follow in their own way. Tennis: the 2026 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme states that it implements the 2021 Code and that the ITF is a signatory. Padel: the FIP announced it had become a signatory in July 2026 (copies dated 15 and 16 July). Squash: a search excerpt of a national-body document says World Squash is a signatory, and the ITA has run its programme since January 2021 under a four-year agreement whose renewal was not found. Badminton: a search excerpt says the BWF's anti-doping regulations took effect on 1 January 2021 to align with the 2021 Code (unconfirmed). Pickleball: the GPF is not described as a signatory but is working with the ITA, and Pickleball England says its rules follow the Code through UK Anti-Doping. A search excerpt says the 2027 Code was approved on 5 December 2025 and comes into force on 1 January 2027 (unconfirmed). (Anti-doping)

World Badminton Federation (1978)

A rival badminton federation formed on 24 February 1978, led by China, then not an IBF member, which search summaries of BWF Olympic material and Wikipedia say 13 Asian and six African associations joined, and which held its own world championships in Bangkok in November 1978. An Indonesian news piece instead calls it the Badminton World Federation, founded by 22 countries. The IBF and the WBF signed a Deed of Unification in Tokyo on 26 May 1981 (search summaries). (Badminton origins)

World Padel Tour (WPT)

The professional padel tour run by Setpoint Events, owned by Damm, from 2013 (FIP); the FIP's history records an earlier Padel Pro Tour, run by private organisers, from 2005 for eight seasons. In 2022 WPT argued that the FIP, the PPA and QSI were competing unfairly with a parallel tour, while the FIP and the PPA complained that WPT's player contracts were anti-competitive; Madrid Commercial Court No. 15 rejected WPT's request for interim measures, and the Madrid arbitration court rejected its claim against players (Sportcal, 21 November 2022). On 24 August 2023 QSI agreed to acquire WPT, with the tours to be unified as Premier Padel from 2024 and the disputes settled (FIP). (Padel bodies and tours)

World Pickleball Federation (WPF)

An international pickleball federation started in 2018. The Dink reports that the original International Federation of Pickleball (2010) became defunct and was revived as the IPF in April 2023, and that the IPF and the WPF merged in June 2025 (reported date 14 June 2025). The European Pickleball Federation announced on 4 August 2026 that it had been accepted as a Continental Member of the WPF; unification with the Global Pickleball Federation was not complete on that date. (Pickleball bodies and tours)

World Pickleball Rankings (PPA Tour)

The PPA Tour's pickleball ranking, which it describes as one global leaderboard for every PPA Tour event, announced on 5 August 2026 and in effect from the 2026-27 season opener in Cary, North Carolina, in September 2026 (PPA Tour newsroom index). A search summary of the PPA's explainer describes a rolling 52-week ranking counting a player's best 16 events, with points by tier; the fetched page did not show the method, so that is unconfirmed. (Rankings explained)

World Squash Singles Rules 2025

Squash's singles rule book, effective 1 September 2025 after updates at the WSF Extraordinary General Meeting of 14 June 2025; the previous edition took effect on 1 January 2024. The 2025 edition adds new sections 12 (Conditions of Play) and 13 (Illness, Injury and Blood Injury), and renumbers the appendices, protective eyewear moving from Appendix 6 to 4 and technical specifications from 7 to 5, though its own Appendix 6 still points to Appendix 7. The court, ball and racket specifications are published as separate World Squash pages, not in the rule book. Any injury needs medical care. (Squash)

World Squash Team Championships

World Squash's national-team squash championships. World Squash awarded the 2026 edition to Cheongju, Korea, at the Cheongju International Squash Stadium in December 2026, with the men's and women's events run together (Squash Mad, quoting World Squash's chief executive, 29 September 2025); a single press report gives the dates as 14 to 19 December 2026. It was upcoming on 26 October 2026. Wikipedia says Egypt won the 2024 men's edition in Hong Kong. (Squash 2026)

World Squash (World Squash Federation)

The world governing body of squash. Wikipedia says it was founded as the International Squash Rackets Federation, first meeting on 5 January 1967, renamed the World Squash Federation in 1992, is legally World Squash Federation Ltd and is based in Hastings, England. It announced a rebrand to World Squash, a new name and logo, on 28 January 2025, tied to squash's LA28 debut (The Squash Site). Wikipedia gives 115 national federations as of 2026, unconfirmed on a World Squash page, and names Zena Wooldridge president since 2020; US Squash quoted her as WSF President in October 2023. Its Courts and Equipment Commission sets the technical specifications (the World Squash Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 September 2025), Appendix 5). (Squash bodies and tours)

World Team Cup (wheelchair tennis)

Wheelchair tennis's national-team world championship, the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, run by the ITF, now World Tennis (IPC, June 2026). The 2026 edition, in Orlando, Florida, is finished; its results were seen only in search summaries of ITF articles that returned no content, so they are left out here. (Wheelchair tennis 2026)

World Tennis

The trading name of the International Tennis Federation, voted by member associations at the October 2025 AGM and, Sportcal reported, used from 1 January 2026, with the IPC reporting on 26 June 2026 that the rebrand had happened. The ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 are still issued under the names International Tennis Federation and ITF Limited, and the 2026 anti-doping documents call the body World Tennis (previously, the International Tennis Federation) (search excerpt). See ITF. (Tennis bodies and tours)

Wrist cord (padel)

A non-elastic cord of at most 35 cm fixed to the padel racket's handle and worn around the wrist, which the FIP Rules of Padel (the review applying from 1 January 2026) make obligatory, describing it as protection against accidents; a pair loses the point if a player breaks the cord or drops the racket. It is the mandatory safety item in the FIP rules, which contain no eyewear rule. In badminton, Law 4.3.1 of the BWF Laws allows an attachment that secures the handle by cord to the hand. (Padel rackets and balls)

WTA Finals (tennis)

The women's season-ending tennis event. The WTA says the 2026 Finals are at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, from 8 to 15 November 2026, the first time the season ends there; a 2024 WTA announcement had named Riyadh host for 2024 to 2026, so the venue is a recorded disagreement in which the later WTA statement governs, and the reason for the change was not read. The singles field, complete on 19 October 2026, is Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Elina Svitolina, Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova. It was upcoming on 26 October 2026. (Finals and team cups 2026)

WTA (Women's Tennis Association)

The women's professional tennis tour, founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King; the WTA says it was founded at a meeting on 21 June 1973 at the Gloucester Hotel, London, in the week before Wimbledon, and that in 1995 its players' association merged with the Women's Tennis Council to form the WTA Tour. Accounts of the founding meeting's size differ: more than 50 players and 64 members from 18 countries within weeks (WTA), nearly 60 (an AP account) or about 70 (Wikipedia). The WTA says its computer ranking era began in 1974, with Chris Evert the first official No. 1 on 3 November 1975. Its 2026 season was in progress on 26 October 2026, and no year-end No. 1 is recorded here. (Tennis bodies and tours)