JOOLA Gen3 False Advertising Settlement Opens Claims Portal for Pickleball Players

More than 17,000 owners of JOOLA Gen3 pickleball paddles were eligible to claim either a $300 refund or a $150 gift code through a class action settlement resolving allegations that Sport Squad, Inc. falsely advertised its Gen3 line as approved by the USA Pickleball Association. The claims portal and processing materials opened ahead of a December 15, 2025 deadline, with a final settlement approval hearing scheduled for January 27, 2026.

The two consolidated lawsuits, brought by lead plaintiffs Gregory Matus and John Michael Tomberlin, alleged that JOOLA marketed its Gen3 paddles as USA Pickleball Association-approved when the paddles had not actually received that designation. Sport Squad, which does business as JOOLA, did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to resolve the claims.

The settlement covered a specific slice of the Gen3 lineup, including the Tyson McGuffin Magnus 3 in both 14mm and 16mm, the Collin Johns Scorpeus 3 16mm, the Anna Bright Scorpeus 3 14mm, the Simone Jardim Hyperion 3 16mm, and multiple Ben Johns signature models spanning the Hyperion 3 and Perseus 3 lines in both thicknesses. The full qualifying model list extended beyond those named in court filings.

Eligible class members were those who owned and had a Gen3 paddle in their possession and had not previously accepted JOOLA's earlier offer to tender and return the paddle. To access the higher-tier benefit, claimants needed proof of purchase from an authorized retailer to unlock the $300 refund. Those without documentation were entitled to a one-time $150 gift code redeemable on JOOLA.com. Class members holding more than one qualifying paddle were required to file a separate claim form for each product. According to settlement terms, receiving any benefit required physically returning the Gen3 paddle to JOOLA by the December 15 deadline.

Claims could be filed online through the court-approved settlement website, with login options using either the unique class member ID printed in the settlement notice or a combination of full name, email address, and mailing address. Mail filing was also available through the same court-approved process.

The final approval hearing, set for January 27, 2026, represented the last procedural step before distribution of benefits to eligible class members. Courts typically begin distributing settlement funds only after granting final approval, meaning any payouts would follow that hearing at the earliest.