Yes, Luzz pickleball paddles were banned. On 31 March 2025 the UPA-A pulled every Luzz paddle from its approved list. They have since been re-approved, model by model, and as at July 2026 Luzz is back on that list.
If you have just come off a Reddit thread with a headline like "Luzz paddles banned" and no resolution underneath it, that is the short version. Here is the long one, including the parts that do not flatter the brand.
Straight up: we sell Luzz. Pickld stocks four Luzz paddles, so read this knowing we have a commercial interest in the answer. That is also why we have written it out in full rather than waving it away. The honest account is more reassuring than a denial would be, and you can check every date below against the governing bodies yourself.
What the UPA-A actually did
The UPA-A is the United Pickleball Association of America. It governs equipment for professional play: the PPA Tour and MLP. On 31 March 2025 it removed all Luzz paddles from its Approved Paddle List and revoked the provisional approval Luzz had been operating under.
That was a real removal, not a technicality that got spun into one. Every Luzz paddle came off. For a period in 2025, no Luzz paddle was legal for UPA-A sanctioned professional play.
Why it happened, and why that detail matters
The reason was a submission-process failure, not a finding about how the paddles played or any suggestion of cheating on court.
Luzz submitted its "Cannon" paddle to the UPA-A as a design variation of the "ZZ", a model that had already been approved. When officials examined it, they found the Cannon was built differently and performed differently to the ZZ. On that basis it should have been submitted as an entirely new model and gone through full testing in its own right, not waved through as a cosmetic variation of something already on the list.
The review that triggered all of this came from outside the sport's officialdom. A YouTuber known as Pickleball Tech Dude publicly questioned whether the Cannon was legitimately covered by the ZZ's approval. The UPA-A looked, agreed there was a problem, and took the whole brand off the list rather than just the paddle in question.
It cuts both ways. Submitting a materially different paddle under an existing approval is something a brand should not do, and a blanket removal is a proportionate response. It is also a different thing from a paddle being found to deliver illegal performance in play. Both are true at once.
USAP and the UPA-A are not the same body
This is where most of the confusion on Reddit comes from. USA Pickleball (USAP) and the UPA-A are separate, independent organisations with separate equipment lists and separate testing. USAP certification governs amateur and local sanctioned tournament play. UPA-A approval governs the professional tours.
USAP was not part of the March 2025 removal. Through that period, USAP's database continued to show Luzz models with "Pass" status. So a Luzz paddle could be legal for a local sanctioned tournament and simultaneously barred from the pro tour.
The general rule holds well beyond Luzz: approval by one body does not imply approval by the other. If a listing anywhere tells you a paddle is "tournament legal" without naming which body and which list, that claim is not doing enough work. Check the body that runs your event.
The reinstatement, model by model
Luzz re-submitted its paddles through the correct process. Approvals came back in stages:
- Pro-Cannon approved 27 August 2025
- Pro-4 Inferno approved 19 September 2025
- Tornazo relisted in the same autumn 2025 wave
- Pro Blade 2 approved 9 January 2026
- Cannon2 M1, Glider and Inferno-Frozen approved May 2026
On the USA Pickleball side, the Cannon passed USAPA certification on 25 June 2026, and the Inferno2 M1 16mm was added to the USA Pickleball approved list the same day.
As at July 2026, Luzz is reinstated on the UPA-A approved list. Paddles came back one at a time as each cleared testing on its own merits, which is what the process is supposed to look like.
So should you be worried about buying one?
Depends entirely on what you play.
Social and club play: the whole episode is irrelevant to you. It never touched casual play at any point.
Local sanctioned tournaments: this runs on USAP certification, which was not part of the removal. Check the current USAP list for your exact model before you enter.
Professional or UPA-A sanctioned play: this is where it mattered, and where Luzz is now back. Check the live UPA-A approved list for your specific model and specification.
Check the list, not the marketing. Approvals change, models get revised, and names are close enough to trip over. "Cannon", "Pro-Cannon" and "Cannon2 M1" are not automatically the same listing. Before you enter anything sanctioned, look up your exact model on the relevant body's current list. We will not tell you a specific paddle is certified for your event, because only the governing body can.
The Luzz paddles we stock
For context, here is what Pickld carries and who each one suits. Specs are the manufacturer's.
The Luzz Cannon in black is AUD $175, a 16mm elongated power and spin paddle with a T700 raw carbon friction face, swing weight 121 and twist weight 6.2. It sits in the Cannon model family, the line at the centre of the 2025 story, which is exactly why you should confirm your specific model against the current list rather than take our word for it.
The Luzz Glider 2026 Hybrid at AUD $189 is the control-first option: PP honeycomb core, hybrid shape, swing weight 111. Easy on the arm and forgiving off-centre, which suits players building a game around dinks and resets.
At the top end, both Gen 4 paddles run AUD $369. The Pro 4 Inferno uses an MPP microporous foam core (swing weight 119) and comes in Inferno and Darkness Inferno. The Pro 4 Tornazo runs a PEBAZ dual-layer core with a 3D grooved carbon weave face for spin, swing weight 122, in Purple and Shadow. Both carry a one-year manufacturer warranty.
All four sit in our Luzz pickleball paddles collection, and if the certification history has put you off the brand entirely, that is a fair call to make. There is plenty else in the full paddle range.
Got a question about whether a specific paddle suits your play or your comp, hit reply on any of our emails or get in touch. Ben and Chris answer those ourselves.
Pickld carries Luzz. This account is based on the published decisions of the UPA-A and USAP, not on affiliate incentives. Certification status changes over time, so always confirm your model against the relevant governing body's current list.
