There are four nominee categories: Contributor, Pro Player, Senior Pro Player and Legends Player.

Contributor

Nominee must have made a significant impact and contributions producing positive, lasting effects that have helped advance the sport on a regional and national level. The Nominee’s activities must have caused a significant impact to the sport of pickleball for at least an eight-year period. Such impact must be directly tied to pickleball’s advancement and promotion.

A contributor’s work performed in a single area, or in multiple areas may be considered. This works needs to be defined as a “service contribution”, and not paid employment in the area of pickleball. If a person is employed in the sport of pickleball, but their specific work contribution is outside the scope of their paid employee duties, then they may be qualified for induction.

Pro Player:

A “pro player” is defined as a player who specifically competes in the pro division categories. An eligible “pro player” is mostly retired from play in the pro division and playing in no more than five pro tournaments per year.

Includes Open players in singles or doubles, Team Doubles and Team Mixed Doubles. Definition of a team is two players being nominated together forming a team. Nominees may still be active in playing the sport while being nominated and inducted.

The nominee must have impacted the sport through competitive excellence and good sportsmanship within the United States and its territories. Nominees must have exhibited outstanding performance at Regional, National and other qualifying tournaments. “Outstanding performance,” means the nominee has dominated their respective events for at least five years as outlined in the following paragraph. The five-year period does not have to be consecutive.

Nominee must have won, at the minimum, one gold medal at the USAP National Outdoor Championships and a minimum of 10 gold medals cumulative in either The US Open or the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) tournament or the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tournament.

Other tournaments not listed may be used as a determining factor for qualifying, as deemed appropriate by the Nomination Committee.

Senior Pro Player:

A “senior pro player” is defined as a player who specifically competes in the senior pro division categories of age 50+.

Nominee must have won, at the minimum, one gold medal in the Senior Pro division at the USAP National Outdoor Championships and a minimum of 10 gold medals cumulative in either The US OPEN or the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) tournament or the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tournament.

Other tournaments not listed may be used as a determining factor for qualifying, as deemed appropriate by the Nomination Committee.

Legends Player:

A “Legends player” is defined as a player who specifically competed in tournaments in the time frame from 1965 – present. These players were instrumental in growing the competitive nature of the sport particularly at the regional and national level. Their achievements were the forerunner of what became the growth of “open” division categories .

Includes players in singles or doubles, Team Doubles and Team Mixed Doubles. Definition of a team is two players being nominated together forming a team. Nominees may still be active in playing the sport while being nominated and inducted into the HOF

The nominee must have impacted the sport through competitive excellence and good sportsmanship within the United States and its territories. Nominees must have exhibited outstanding performance at tournaments. “Outstanding performance,” means the nominee has dominated their respective open or age events for at least 10 years although the ten years do not need to be consecutive.

Nominees must have won, at the minimum, one gold medal or first place finish (per calender year) in any of the USAP qualifying events (such as regionals) and/or one gold medal at the USAP National Outdoor Championships.

Other tournaments not listed may be used as a determining factor for qualifying into the HOF as deemed appropriate by the Nomination Committee.