The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has obtained the delegation of pickleball to the Ministry of Sports. This decision gives the official body the responsibility for organizing the practice of this discipline in France and effectively excludes the Badminton Federation which also coveted the discipline.
The FFT, which has a network of 7,000 clubs spread across the territory via its leagues and departmental committees, is now entrusted with several missions: developing pickleball from grassroots to high level, organizing official competitions including the French championships, structuring the French teams and individual support for athletes, as well as defining and applying the rules governing the discipline.
Pickleball currently has nearly 30,000 practitioners in France for 3,500 licenses, almost half of whom are women. To date, 850 clubs offer pickleball. This racket sport, which is played in singles or doubles, has the advantage of easily adapting to existing infrastructures. Pickleball courts can be installed on a tennis court, facilitating their deployment in clubs affiliated with the FFT.
