Bien Chaussé

FFT License and Pickleball Competitions: How to Find Your Way

Posted October 22, 2026 Revised October 22, 2026 4-minute read

By the Bien Chaussé editorial team.

A player filling out a registration form on a table at the edge of a court.
Entering Competition. The FFT has obtained the Sports Ministry's delegation for pickleball and runs French championships as well as tournaments, including the Open de France and the Open d'Hiver. The license opens access to rankings and official competitions. License holders remain a minority of players, which shows that play is still largely informal.

Let's start "FFT License and Pickleball Competitions: How to Find Your Way" by setting out the route. You'll learn what the FFT license represents, which competitions exist, and what the ministerial delegation changes. My plan has two parts: the internal logic and the benchmarks for telling options apart.

Pickleball at the FFT in January 2026 — Lets you compare the scale of play, license holders, and FFT clubs announced at the general assembly.
Pickleball at the FFT in January 2026 — Lets you compare the scale of play, license holders, and FFT clubs announced at the general assembly. Source: Assemblée générale de la FFT, les décisions (janvier 2026) — January 2026.

The Internal Logic

First, the applicable framework. Starting September 1, 2026, a single "Club FFT" license replaces the discipline-specific licenses (padel, pickleball, beach tennis). It costs €33 for adults and €23 for ages 7-18, and it gives access to all disciplines.

Here's the principle to set down. Surgeons at the Hospital for Special Surgery advise a court shoe with a flat, stable base. The curved sole of a running shoe, which propels you forward, is a poor fit. Keep this point in mind for the parts ahead.

Now, the rulebook. The 2025 USA Pickleball rules allow a player to be asked to change clothes if the outfit is judged inappropriate, notably if it resembles the color of the ball. Graphics must be "in good taste."

One provision to note: the Fédération Française de Tennis built pickleball into its bylaws in 2024. It has produced official documents: sporting regulations, rules of play, an equipment specification, and a competition guide.

Benchmarks for Telling Options Apart

Here are the comparison points to keep in view.

  • On a gym's hardwood or laminate floor, a podiatrist recommends a firmer outsole. Outdoors, a sole that absorbs shock better is the stronger choice.
  • For pickleball, a podiatrist recommends a shoe with toe protection, a firm heel counter, and a reinforced upper and forefoot on the sides. An ankle collar that supports is optional.
  • A running shoe is built for linear movement — it's a poor match for pickleball's lateral moves, according to a podiatrist quoted by the Globe and Mail.

Do You Need a License to Play in a Tournament?

Back to the rulebook. The 2025 USA Pickleball rules (section 2.G.3) require shoe soles that don't mark or damage the playing surface.

Read this carefully: in August 2025, the FFT counted more than 20,000 identified pickleball players, about 750 FFT clubs offering the discipline, and more than 2,800 ranked players.

Now the reference values. The SFIA reports that 13-24 year-olds have the highest pickleball participation rates in the United States, and that women made up 42.9% of players in 2025.

Which Competitions Does the FFT Run?

Read this carefully: under the 2025 USA Pickleball rules, the court is a rectangle 20 feet by 44 feet (6.10 m by 13.41 m).

A look at how things are changing: pickleball was showcased at Roland-Garros in June 2024, and FFT president Gilles Moretton expected fast growth in France, similar to what happened in the United States.

Back to the rulebook: in January 2026, the FFT announced that it had obtained the Sports Ministry's delegation for pickleball.

What Does the Sports Ministry's Delegation Change?

From the records: in January 2026, the FFT reported about 30,000 pickleball players in France, 3,500 licenses, and 850 FFT clubs offering the discipline.

End of the Route

That completes the route: the internal logic and the benchmarks for telling options apart. Go back to the part that matters most to you before making any decision.

See also

Sources

The information on this site is general and doesn't replace the advice of a doctor, physical therapist, or podiatrist, especially in cases of pain, old injury, or a particular foot type.

The site doesn't sell shoes and doesn't publish paid rankings: models mentioned are for information only.

What we verified.

This article draws on 7 sources: 5 official or institutional sources and 2 press articles.

Facts checked against their sources on October 18, 2026.

The method we follow: Notre méthode.