Barry Wyerman – wyerbr@gmail.com
PSM Consulting LLC
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
United States
Dale Van Scoyk, PSM Consulting LLC
Popular version of 3pNS2 – A Recommended Metric and Noise Standard for Pickleball Noise
Presented at the 190th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://eppro01.ativ.me/web/planner.php?id=ASASPRING2026
–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–
A new standard for assessing pickleball noise has been developed to better reflect how people actually experience the sound, especially in neighborhoods near courts. The growing popularity of pickleball—and the rapid expansion of new courts—is creating a clear need for improved and simplified acoustical standards to avoid excessive noise in nearby residential areas. This proposed noise standard has already been successfully applied on multiple projects, including the evaluation of new courts planned near homes and the development of sound reduction solutions for existing courts.
Pickleball has a distinct “pop” when the paddle hits the ball, and that sharp, repetitive sound can be more noticeable and irritating than steady background noise.
Current standards based on average sound levels with a slow meter response tend to smooth out these sharp peaks and will understate the annoyance from pickleball. This new approach improves on those methods by focusing on the loudest, most noticeable moments of play.
It uses a sound level meter set to a fast response and maximum (peak) measurement, allowing it to capture the highest sound levels rather than averaging everything together. It also uses A-weighting (dBA) so that measurements reflect how the human ear perceives sound.
A key feature of the standard is how it accounts for existing background noise. First, the ambient sound level is measured using a slow, averaging setting. If that background sound is 47 dBA or lower, the limit for pickleball noise is set at 50 dBA (fast maximum). If the background sound is higher than 47 dBA, the allowable pickleball noise level increases to 3 dBA above the measured background level. This signal-to-noise approach ensures that pickleball sound does not stand out excessively compared to its surroundings as shown in the figure below.
Importantly, the standard does not prescribe specific noise control methods. Instead, it establishes a clear threshold above which sound is likely to become objectionable. This makes it a practical tool for both planning and enforcement. It can be used before construction to evaluate whether new courts will meet acceptable noise levels with or without mitigation measures, and it can also be applied to existing courts to assess and guide sound reduction efforts.
Another advantage is its simplicity and practicality. Unlike environmental standards that require 24-hour monitoring and complex averaging with adjustments, this method can be used quickly in the field by acoustical consultants, police officers, zoning officials, or community inspectors using standard sound level meters. By focusing on the most noticeable characteristics of pickleball noise, it provides a more accurate, realistic, and enforceable approach than current standards commonly used in community noise ordinances. This standard could be an addendum to an existing community noise ordinance to address pickleball noise.