Referee’s Room: Inside Canada’s Pickleball Boom and the 2026 Rule Amendments
By Tara Creasey, qualified referee
Welcome to another exclusive feature for World Pickleball Magazine. Today, we are exploring the explosive growth of Canadian pickleball, diving into the journey of an elite official, and breaking down the crucial 2026 rule amendments that will impact your next tournament.
The Rise of an Elite Official
Joane van Bergen’s journey into officiating began in 2020 in Naples, Florida, widely known as the Pickleball Capital of the World. Looking for a new challenge after retirement, she filled in for a player at a referee practice and quickly discovered that her quick decision-making and strong communication skills made officiating a natural fit. Today, she stands as a highly respected Certified Referee for Pickleball Canada, USA Pickleball, and the Global Pickleball Federation.
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Overcoming early challenges—such as maintaining split-second, accurate judgment on multiple fast-paced game elements simultaneously—she honed her skills through rigorous practices. At these sessions, trainers intentionally insert planned faults into live matches to help referees build competence and confidence under pressure. Her impressive resume also includes serving as the Head Referee for the Canadian National Pickleball League for three years, where she oversaw live-streamed professional matches.
Growing the Game in the Great White North
Pickleball’s roots in Canada trace back to retirees bringing the sport home from the southern United States in the 1970s, with some early development even taking place on rooftop courts in Vancouver. Today, the phrase “Just One More Game” echoes across the country, as an estimated two million people play pickleball in Canada as of January 2026. The sport thrives as a year-round activity, moving into newly built indoor facilities during the winter and back outdoors in the summer.
To support this booming competitive scene, Canada utilises the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) system for standardised rankings and provides official resources in both English and French. Canada boasts an officiating structure that is identical and reciprocal to USA Pickleball, making it the only country outside the U.S. with a comprehensive referee development program. Currently, the nation is supported by 224 referees, which includes 32 Certified Referees, 97 Level 1s, and 95 Level 2s. In her role as Referee Training Coordinator for Central Canada, van Bergen is instrumental in this growth, using her fluency in English, French, and Dutch to mentor officials and ensure fairness across all levels of play.
Decoding the 2026 Rule Amendments
Turning to the referee’s true “bread and butter,” the 2026 USA Pickleball rulebook introduces several highly nuanced changes that players and Tournament Directors alike need to understand.
Change #5: The Round Robin Tie-Breaker
Under the new Rule 15.B.4.f, a fifth tie-breaker has been introduced for round-robin tournaments. If two or more teams finish with an identical number of matches won, and previous tie-breakers fail, standings will now be decided by the highest number of points scored across all matches in that round robin. For example, in a rare three-way tie where teams have identical win-loss records, the total points accumulated by each team will determine the ultimate winner.
Change #17: Doubles Player Retirement
Perhaps the most fascinating update is found in Rule 21.C.9 regarding match retirements. If a player is unable to continue after their 15-minute medical timeout and standard timeouts expire, they are forced to retire and must leave the playing surface. However, the retiring player’s partner is now officially permitted to continue playing the match solo.
There are strict guidelines for this solo continuation: the remaining player must hold their original playing position and rotation. When the opposing team serves to the side of the court that the retired player would have occupied, the serve must still land legally in that correct service box for the point to count. If the retired player is the one who was supposed to serve, an immediate fault is called. Furthermore, while the retired player cannot return to that specific match, they are permitted to return for future matches in the tournament if they are capable.
Test Your Court Knowledge
Before you hit the courts for your next match, consider this piece of trivia: if a ball happens to fall out of your pocket onto the playing surface while the match ball is live, it results in an immediate fault. Keep your pockets zipped, embrace the continuous learning that makes our sport great, and we will see you on the courts!.
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Official references: USA Pickleball rulebook | DUPR ratings
Chris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at all levels of pickleball. Chris is also an avid player, currently struggling to make the breakthrough from 4.0 to 4.5.