Transgender Participation & Competition Policy

This policy aims to establish clear guidelines for the participation of transgender athletes in UPA, PPA, and MLP pickleball events, ensuring alignment with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes and adherence to the Executive Order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” issued on February 5, 2025.

For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions apply:

1. 1)

   Transgender Athlete

   An individual whose gender identity or gender expression is different from their sex assigned at birth.

2. 2)

   Sex Assigned at Birth

   The male or female designation doctors assign to infants at birth, which is marked on their birth records.

3. 3)

   Women's Division

   A competition category designated for athletes whose sex was assigned female at birth.

4. 4)

   Men's Division

   A competition category designated for athletes whose sex was assigned male at birth.

5. 5)

   Mixed Doubles Competition

   A format in which each team must consist of one male and one female player, based on their sex assigned at birth.

6. 6)

   Gender Identity

   An individual's own internal sense of their gender (e.g., man, woman, nonbinary).

UPA is committed to providing a fair and competitive environment for all athletes. In alignment with the NCAA’s updated policy and the aforementioned Executive Order, the following guidelines are established for transgender athlete participation in UPA, PPA, and MLP pickleball competitions:

1. 1)

   Eligibility for Women's Divisions

   • Athletes assigned female at birth are eligible to compete in women's divisions.
   • Athletes assigned male at birth are not permitted to compete in women's divisions, regardless of gender identity or any medical treatments undertaken.
2. 2)

   Eligibility for Men's Divisions

   • Athletes assigned male at birth are eligible to compete in men's divisions.
3. 3)

   Mixed Doubles Competitions

   • In mixed doubles events, teams must consist of one male and one female player, as determined by the participants' sex assigned at birth.

This policy is effective immediately and applies to all UPA, PPA, and MLP sanctioned events. All athletes are required to comply with these guidelines to ensure fair competition and adherence to federal directives.

UPA reserves the right to review and amend this policy as necessary to remain in compliance with governing bodies and federal regulations.

• NCAA Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes: ncaa.org
• Executive Order: Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports: whitehouse.gov

For questions or further clarification regarding this policy, please contact UPA’s administration through our contact page.