The World Pickleball League (WPBL), India’s first and only franchise-based pickleball competition, has partnered with Hawk-Eye to improve tactical efficiency and decision-making.
Hawk-Eye has impacted several sports, including football, tennis, badminton, and India’s most popular sport, cricket, and is now revolutionising the game in India’s fastest-growing sport, pickleball.
In a historic first, Hawk-Eye technology is being utilised to assure fair and accurate gameplay. The WPBL has partnered with Hawk-Eye technology suppliers to ensure fair and exact line calls. Each side will face two challenges each tie, with the successful ones retained. In addition, the league will include linesmen for each match, assuring a level playing field for all players.
Gaurav Natekar, CEO and Co-Founder of the World Pickleball League, said, “We are grateful to Hawk-Eye for choosing to partner with the World Pickleball League, marking a historic first for the sport. Their cutting-edge technology is set to transform the Pickleball experience, enhancing accuracy, fairness, and engagement for players and fans alike. This collaboration isn’t just a milestone for our league—it’s a leap forward for the global Pickleball community as we embrace innovation to shape the future of the sport.”
Segolene Stephenson, Head of Commercial, Growth Sports at Hawk-Eye Innovations, added, “At Hawk-Eye Innovations, we are committed to revolutionising sports with cutting-edge technology, and are proud to partner with the World Pickleball League for their inaugural season. World Pickleball League are using the same innovative technology as VAR in football, we are honoured to work together with the league to enhance the accuracy and fairness of officiating in this rapidly growing sport”
The WPBL, founded by former Indian tennis players Gaurav Natekar and Arati Ponnappa Natekar, uses a timed system for its matches, with each spanning 15 minutes. Each tie consists of five contests in different categories: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Players have only 10 seconds between points, assuring nonstop exciting pickleball action and avoiding the possibility of time-wasting.
Hawk-Eye Innovations, owned by Sony Corp, is a sports technology business that specialises in monitoring and officiating technologies.
