Code of Conduct & Ethics

The WPF Code of Conduct and Ethics sets the ethical principles and rules of conduct that apply to everyone connected with the World Pickleball Federation. It is aligned to the IOC Code of Ethics and the Olympic Charter, and is the governing ethics instrument of the WPF Bylaws.

Who it applies to

The Code binds all “Covered Persons” — directors, officers, and committee members; employees, contractors, and interns; accredited volunteers and officials; athletes and athlete-support personnel in WPF-sanctioned competition; member national federations and their officers; and coaches and agents acting in connection with WPF activities.

Fundamental principles

Every Covered Person shall act, and be seen to act, with:

• Integrity — honesty, fairness, and impartiality, without abuse of position.
• Dignity and respect — for every athlete, official, employee, member, and opponent, without discrimination.
• Fair play — consistent with the rules of pickleball, clean sport, and the Olympic value of fair play.
• Loyalty to WPF — the federation’s interests ahead of personal interests, under the Conflict of Interest Policy.
• Confidentiality — protecting WPF information and personal data.
• Compliance with law — including anti-corruption, sanctions, data-protection, and anti-money-laundering laws.

Key prohibitions

• Bribery, corruption, and improper benefit.
• Competition manipulation and betting on pickleball.
• Doping, as governed by the WPF Anti-Doping Rules.
• Harassment, discrimination, and abuse — with safeguarding violations treated as serious matters.
• Retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith.
• Misuse of confidential information and misrepresentation.
• Acting in a conflict of interest.

Reporting suspected violations

A suspected violation may be reported to the WPF Ethics Officer, the Chair of the Ethics Committee, the Chair of the Board (where the report concerns the Ethics Officer or Committee Chair), or through the secure, encrypted channel maintained for anonymous reports. Reports made in good faith are protected, and anonymous reports are accepted and considered.

Independent oversight

The WPF Ethics Committee has primary jurisdiction over alleged violations. It has at least three members with legal and sport-governance expertise and, where possible, an athlete representative, and reports annually to the Board in anonymized, aggregate form. Every report follows a defined workflow — receive, acknowledge, triage, investigate with due process, decide, resolve, and protect — with interim measures available where needed to protect people or the integrity of proceedings.

Appeals

A person sanctioned under the Code may appeal internally to the WPF Appeals Committee within 14 days, and externally to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne where eligibility under the CAS Code is satisfied.

For ethics questions or to make a report, contact the WPF Ethics Officer.