Navratil’s Rule Shake-Up, MLP Playoff Push & UK Coach’s Bold Vision

Good morning, pickleballers!

We are into the closing points of the week now, are you 10-5 up or are you 9-4 down and chasing?

Either way, there's plenty of pickleball news for you in the last 24 hours.

Dive right in - either the Deep Dive to listen to or keep reading.

Pro Pickleball Star Zane Navratil Proposes Radical Rule Shake-Up for Sport's Future

United States – Professional pickleball player Zane Navratil has unveiled a bold vision for the sport's evolution, proposing ten significant rule changes aimed at fostering continued growth, especially as pickleball eyes collegiate and Olympic recognition. Navratil's suggestions prioritise a faster, fairer, and more engaging spectator experience for professional play.

Key proposed changes include:

• Eliminating the 'let' rule: Deemed a momentum killer and unnecessary, following its removal in college tennis and USAP.
• Fairer side switching: To mitigate the significant impact of wind, Navratil suggests switching sides halfway through games one and two, in addition to the traditional switch at six points in game three. He advocates for switches based on a predetermined number of rallies, mirroring tennis, rather than arbitrary points.
• Addressing cheating: Implement escalating penalties like fines and suspensions to uphold the sport's integrity.
• Paddle regulation overhaul: Reduce power and increase spin to encourage longer "hands battles" and ensure speed-ups remain in play, making matches more exciting.
• Abolishing timeouts: As pickleball lacks a running clock, timeouts are seen as artificial stops that disrupt momentum, which Navratil believes is crucial for spectator engagement.
• Clarifying the hindrance rule: Reduce confusion by allowing players to "talk smack" during points, suggesting even mic'ing them up for fan entertainment.
• Embracing fan noise: Encourage a constant roar from the crowd, turning it into atmosphere rather than a distraction, enhancing energy for players and fans.
• Modifying the Dreambreaker format: Staggering players in Major League Pickleball's electrifying format to ensure more male vs. female matchups and add excitement.
• Standardising to drop serves only: To simplify and enforce serve rules, eliminating current confusion while still allowing for spin.
• Introducing substitutions in MLP: Allow teams to substitute players during a match if someone is struggling, offering greater strategic flexibility.

Navratil, a prominent player on the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, asserts these changes would make pro pickleball "better, faster, and more entertaining" as the sport moves towards a larger future.

Fun First: Premier Pickleball League Coach Rob Williams Unveils Winning Formula

Corby, UK – Rob Williams, coach for England's 50+ team heading to the European Pickleball Championships in Rome this September, is also preparing Team PSO for the Premier Pickleball League Masters. Ahead of the league's third season, kicking off this weekend in Corby, Williams shared his unique approach to team building and success.

Describing the draft as "an inexact science," Williams meticulously prepared for selecting his squad. He created a spreadsheet of every player, attended league tryouts, and conducted extensive research to understand unfamiliar players. His strategy aimed for a mix of personalities, playing styles, and abilities. This thorough research also allowed him to anticipate other teams' picks, ensuring he had an informed idea of his selection field. Williams emphasised using "every tool in the box" – from personal insight gained from playing against and watching players, to asking around and scouting.

Ultimately, his team for this season comprises Ato Stephens, Fe Edwards, Hayley Thompson, Mathew Cordell, and Sharon Tinsley. Williams expressed high regard for his picks, noting Ato Stephens for bringing "energy and fun" and Fe Edwards as a "known winner" and "tough competitor".

Despite his tactical expertise, Williams' primary success metric goes beyond wins. "The only winning that really mattered to me, my only success metric, was whether we were all friends and had fun at the end of the season," he stated. He believes that fostering enjoyment, support, and friendship among teammates, combined with the right energy and talent, will naturally lead to victory. This philosophy underpins Team PSO's approach, aligning with the brand's broader initiatives, such as running racquet sports provision at a new Akra hotel in Turkey, set to open next year with eight dedicated pickleball courts. Williams is confident in his decisions, having explored every route to find the right players, allowing him to "rest easy" in his choices.

MLP St. Louis Kicks Off: Playoff Races and Player Swaps Dominate Early Action

St. Louis, United States – The Major League Pickleball (MLP) season continues this week at Marathon MLP St. Louis, marking the eighth of ten regular-season events. The four-day tournament at Chaifetz Arena will feature all six Challenger-level teams and six Premier-level teams, with 31 matches scheduled to unfold.

Thursday's opening matches set the stage for crucial playoff implications and intriguing team dynamics. In a high-stakes Premier level clash, the Chicago Slice (4-10, 14pts) will face the Atlanta Bouncers (4-11, 12pts). Both teams are currently outside the top ten playoff spots, making a win essential to keep pace with the Miami Pickleball Club. Adding to the drama is a June player-for-player trade that saw Chicago send Vivienne David to Atlanta, while Atlanta sent Vivian Glozman to Chicago, setting up a motivated showdown between former teammates.

The Brooklyn Pickleball Team (14-5, 44pts), a lock for the playoffs, will begin their final regular season event without star player Dekel Bar for the fourth consecutive time. AJ Koller will continue to fill in, facing a gauntlet of top contenders like Dallas, St. Louis, and Columbus. Brooklyn will need Koller to maintain his strong substitute performance to secure valuable standings points.

At the Challenger level, the Bay Area Breakers (6-9, 19pts) will see 18-year-old Jonathan Truong fill in for Sam Querrey. Truong, who recently advanced to the Round of 16 at the PPA Orange County Cup, will play men’s doubles alongside DJ Young and mixed doubles with his sister, Alix Truong. The Breakers are set to face the California Black Bears and Florida Smash on Thursday.

Matches for the Marathon MLP St. Louis tournament began Thursday on Grandstand Court at 11:00 am CT, with Championship Court action starting at noon CT on Pickleballtv. This event is a critical juncture for many teams vying for their postseason berths.

APP Academy Ignites Youth Pickleball Talent with ‘Academy on Fire’ Initiative

St. Louis, United States – The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) is celebrating the remarkable success of its youth initiative, the APP Academy, which founder Ken Herrmann hails as "on fire". This program aims to provide young pickleball players with a vital springboard for competitive action and learning, preparing them for the highest levels of the sport. Herrmann stated that the launch of the APP Academy, alongside seven nationally televised APP Tour events, has been one of the most exciting achievements for the association in the first half of 2025.

Central to the Academy's success is APP Next, a platform designed for young US-based pickleball players to compete and learn simultaneously. The ultimate goal of APP Next is to ready these promising athletes for international competitions and to excel on the professional APP Tour.

Recently, the second stop of the 2025 APP Next Series took place from June 20-22 in St. Louis, hosted with partners Chicken N Pickle. This three-day tournament saw some of the most talented and aspiring young professionals, aged 16-23, vying for a USD $15,000 prize pool and bragging rights as the next generation of top talent. A clear indicator of the initiative's effectiveness was the participation of 11 students from the APP Academy in the event.

Notable performances at the St. Louis stop included Emilia Schmidt, a 20-year-old phenom from Brisbane, Australia, who secured the women’s overall title, and Jayden Broderick, a 2025 APP U.S. National Team member, who took home the men’s overall title. For many participants, this marked their first experience in a competitive tournament environment.

Building on this momentum, Herrmann also announced the ongoing APP High Performance Summer Academy, which runs until August 8, 2025, with the fall session of the APP Academy slated to begin on August 18, 2025. These programs underscore the APP's commitment to setting a global standard for young player development in pickleball.

Grand Rally Open 2025 Delivers World-Class Pickleball, Showcasing Global Talent in Malaysia

Shah Alam, Malaysia – Shah Alam's Grand Rally Pickleball facility buzzed with excitement from July 11 to 13, 2025, as it hosted the Grand Rally Pickleball Open 2025. The tournament, conceived by Ken Kong and his team, aimed to showcase their premium 17-court indoor facility, attract international talent, engage intermediate players, and provide elite-level competition. With nearly 1,000 competitors and smooth operations, the event successfully delivered on its ambitious goals, proving that home-grown tournaments in Malaysia can rival international organisers.

The Men’s Open Singles culminated in an all-Indian final, with Sonu Kumar Vishwakarma triumphing over Tejas Ravindra Mahajan after closely fought semifinals that saw them defeat Malaysia’s top players, Syed Uzair Sufi and Muhammad Aiman. While the Malaysians battled for bronze, their strong performance signalled a narrowing gap with international competitors.

In the Men’s 50+ Open Doubles, Malaysia’s Danny Tan and Liew Kim Tu stormed through the field to claim gold, solidifying Tan's reputation as one of Malaysia's premier over-50 players.

The Mixed Open Doubles division showcased some of Asia’s top talent, including Neilson Chen of Taiwan and Isha Lakhani of India, whom Malaysian sensation Neem Shamsuddin recognised as potential contenders on the US PPA Tour. Malaysian PPA Trailblazer Jimmy Liong and partner Mia bt Azizul Azhar impressed by reaching the final, ultimately taking silver to the Australian-Chinese duo of Mitch Hargreaves and Yufei Long. Their final match captivated the large crowd with its "accuracy, speed, and reactions," motivating many local spectators.

The success of the Grand Rally Open was significantly bolstered by corporate support, with BYD Sime Motors serving as the title partner. Ken Kong highlighted that such large-scale tournaments are not commercially viable without corporate backing. BYD Sime Motors explained their support was inspired by pickleball's growing popularity in Malaysia and its alignment with their brand values of being "fun, active, and inclusive," indicating future lifestyle integrations beyond the tournament.

Carpinteria Pickleball Enthusiasts Bring Local Spirit to Costa Rica on Group Expedition

Carpinteria, United States – A significant group of 35 pickleball enthusiasts from Carpinteria recently embarked on an international adventure, travelling to Costa Rica for a dedicated pickleball trip. Among those on the journey were locals Christopher Curcuru, Ron Kvale, Lourdes Trigueros, and Erick Trigueros, who ensured a piece of their hometown travelled with them by packing copies of their local publication, the Coastal View News.

This expedition underscores the burgeoning global appeal of pickleball, a sport that has rapidly grown from a casual pastime into a major phenomenon, connecting communities and inspiring active lifestyles worldwide. The ability for a group of this size to organise and undertake an international trip specifically centred around pickleball is a testament to the sport's increasing accessibility and strong communal bonds it fosters. As highlighted in other sources, pickleball's simple rules, low barrier to entry, and cross-generational appeal have contributed to its explosive growth, with participation doubling in the U.S. alone from 2022 to 2024. This widespread enthusiasm is evidently translating into unique travel opportunities for its devotees.

For the Carpinteria contingent, the trip offered a chance to combine their shared passion for pickleball with the exploration of a new country, strengthening camaraderie among the participants. Their gesture of bringing along the Coastal View News reflects the strong local pride and community ties often associated with the sport's rapidly expanding network of players. Such international ventures exemplify how pickleball transcends mere play, evolving into a lifestyle that encourages social connection, physical activity, and adventurous exploration. As the sport continues its meteoric rise, it is anticipated that more local groups will follow suit, venturing abroad to participate in and celebrate pickleball on a global stage, further showcasing its widespread appeal and unifying power.