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