–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–
Pickleball is a wildly popular sport, with over 36 million players nationwide. The hard paddle strike on the plastic ball creates a distinctive pock-pock-pock sound that players find invigorating, but neighbors living close to courts experience as irritating at best. HOAs and recreation districts are retrofitting tennis courts into pickleball courts to meet popular demand, but too often these courts are located very near homes.
There are countless reports documenting neighbors’ complaints and efforts to decrease the decibel level of pickleball play with noise barriers and quiet equipment. Many acoustics professionals are aware of other acoustic factors besides decibels such as impulsivity, frequency (Hz), and number of noise events per unit time that play a role in how humans perceive sound.
The context around a sound also plays an important role in how humans perceive sound. These are called non-acoustic factors. This study looks at the the pervasive non-acoustic effects related to long-term exposure to pickleball noise. It turns out that it’s not just about the decibels.
People who can hear pickleball noise in their homes (“neighbors”) have provided a wealth of personal accounts of non-acoustic factors affecting their lives. From 2023 to 2025, the authors closely analyzed news reports, social media, podcasts, Zoom recordings of public meetings, and legal filings pertaining to pickleball noise. We identified six categories of non-acoustic factors that contribute to neighbors’ distress.
1. Social conflict: The nature of these conflicts is widespread and includes face to face harassment as well as name calling/threats on social media towards those who speak up about the noise problem (e.g. Karens, crybabies, busybodies, whiners, ridiculous, entitled…).
2. Fear: Neighbors, even those who don’t speak out, report fear of harassment. Residents also fear the effects on their physical and mental health the longer they are exposed to the noise. One man was so disturbed by his auditory hallucinations that he and his wife went on a hunger strike to try to stop the noise.
3. Negative impact on daily activities: Neighbors report being forced to leave their homes for hours or days at a time. They stop opening windows, stop using their yards, and stop having guests over. They report being unable to enjoy a sense of peace inside their own homes.
4. Loss of locus of control: In one recent survey of >260 communities, almost 3 out of 4 living within 1000 feet of courts reported being able to hear the noise inside their homes. In an effort to gain some sense of control, some people wear noise cancelling headphones in their own homes or spend lots of money on new windows. But even these efforts do not resolve the situation, leaving residents feeling like they have no control over their own lives at home.
5. Loss of trust in authorities: Neighbors report that authorities, even after hearing about the impact on the neighbors, often don’t take action to move or close courts with the explanation “we can’t make everyone happy.”
6. Perceived unfairness. Neighbors express a sense of injustice when the majority’s desire for a specific type of recreation seems to outweigh the minority’s right to be able to enjoy their homes in peace.
Why is this important? Because research shows that the context around a noise affects how much that noise impacts people. (See ISO technical specification 16755-1).
Pickleball noise is not merely an issue of sound and decibels; it’s a complex psychosocial public health phenomenon that impacts communities to an extent not previously documented. The data clearly show that courts in residential areas cause significant community discord. One solution may be to create formal policy on setbacks for pickleball court locations so players can enjoy their game in a location where neighbors are not affected.
–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–
Pickleball, a paddle sport played with hard paddles and a plastic ball, has grown rapidly across the United States. In 2024 alone, more than 18,000 new courts were built nationwide. The noise is loud, impulsive, and often constant throughout the day. As more courts are constructed, the sharp, repetitive sounds of play are creating problems for nearby residents. This has led to widespread community conflicts, thousands of complaints, and an estimated 200 legal claims across the country.
Decision-makers responsible for approving the location of new pickleball courts are generally aware of the sport’s social and health benefits, but may not be aware of the possible negative effects that pickleball noise may have on the surrounding community.
This survey explores how people living near pickleball courts are affected by the noise in their daily lives. It aims to guide better decisions about where new courts are built and how noise can be reduced. We received 440 responses from 264 communities impacted by pickleball noise. Some of the key results are as follows:
*Almost three out of four people living within 1000 feet of courts say they can hear pickleball noise inside their homes.
*Nearly half report they have been harassed by pickleball players.
*Nine out of ten describe the noise as repetitive popping—more than the six out of ten who say it’s “loud”.
Eight out of ten respondents say that the noise constantly or almost always interferes with their ability to enjoy their home or relax.
More than half have moved or are considering moving away because of the noise. Many have lived in their homes for 20 or 30 years, often near parks that were previously peaceful.
Health concerns are widespread. 92% of respondents reported some type of health effect related to the noise.
Seven out of ten reported concerns about unusually strong physical or emotional reactions to pickleball noise in their homes—ranging from anxiety, tension, or irritability to elevated heart rate.
Nearly six out of ten people are concerned about “phantom pops”, hearing the noise even when no one is playing—sometimes waking them up at night or occurring weeks after they’ve moved away.
Both of these responses suggest a possible trauma-like response in some residents living near courts. More research is urgently needed.
The results show that pickleball noise is having a strong impact on residents living nearby:
People—even those more than 500 feet from courts—report being unable to enjoy their homes,
consistent with a noise nuisance.
Many describe health concerns linked to the body’s stress response to chronic impulsive noise.
Community relationships are being strained, with conflicts and harassment between neighbors.
Using the decibel alone is not enough to convey the impacts of pickleball noise. It is the quality of the sound, its repetitiveness, its ability to be heard over long distances, and its duration. The setback between courts and homes may need to exceed 500 feet. Communities are encouraged to support pickleball recreation while also safeguarding residents’ health and well-being. Evidence-based guidelines for siting and noise control are needed to support this effort.
FIRST-IN-THE-NATION MEDICAL ANALYSIS: The Hidden Health Impact of Pickleball Noise on Neighbors
Media Contact: Nalini Lasiewicz Executive Director, The Robert and Nalini Lasiewicz Foundation Phone: 818-249-9691 Email: nalini@lasiewicz.org Web: https://lasiewicz.org
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MAY 19, 2025 – As pickleball’s popularity explodes nationwide, a groundbreaking medical analysis reveals the concerning physiological and psychological effects of its signature impulsive noise on nearby residents. This first-of-its-kind investigation demands the attention of public health officials, researchers, and communities grappling with this emerging issue.
Kathleen Romito, MD, Medical Advisor to the Lasiewicz Foundation (La Cañada Flintridge, CA), will present preliminary findings live in New Orleans this week during the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) annual meeting at the New Orleans Marriott. Dr. Romito’s presentation, “Session 4aPP — Pickleball noise – A qualitative description of the psychological and physiological effects on nearby residents” will take place on Thursday, May 22, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM CT. Her accompanying paper is co-authored with Daniel Fink, MD.
Dr. Romito’s analysis of public data, including social media, news reports, and legal filings, indicates a potential link between persistent pickleball “pop” and serious non-auditory health impacts reported by neighbors. These include anxiety, sleep disruption, the novel phenomenon of phantom pickleball sounds, and alarmingly, PTSD-like symptoms and suicidal ideation. The study also highlights self-reported cardiac and neurological complaints.
This presentation is a crucial opportunity for journalists to:
Be the first to report on this novel medical analysis highlighting a potential public health concern linked to a rapidly growing sport.
Interview Dr. Kathleen Romito, MD, a medical professional on the front lines of this emerging issue.
Gain access to preliminary data and insights into the surprising ways impulsive noise may be affecting communities.
Capture a unique angle on the ongoing discussion surrounding pickleball’s impact on neighborhoods.
“We are urgently calling on the research community, the pickleball industry, and community leaders to bring their attention to this emerging and serious concern” states Dr. Romito. “With over 50,000 pickleball courts across the U.S. and more being built every week, understanding the potential health consequences for nearby residents is paramount. This initial analysis underscores the urgent need for further, comprehensive research.”
CREDENTIALED MEDIA WELCOME: The Acoustical Society of America offers free registration to credentialed and professional freelance journalists. For registration details, please contact AIP Media Services at media@aip.org.
About the Robert and Nalini Lasiewicz Foundation: The Robert and Nalini Lasiewicz Foundation is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to connecting researchers, policymakers, noise experts, engineers, neighbors, players, vendors, and local governments to address the growing problem of noise in shared community spaces.
Quiet Communities, Scientific Advisory Board, The Robert and Nalini Lasiewicz Foundation, BOISE, ID, 83703-1000, United States
Daniel Fink – DJFink@thequietcoalition.org
Program Chair, The Quiet Coalition
A program of Quiet Communities, Inc.
60 Thoreau Street Suite 261
Concord, MA 01742
Popular version of 4aPP1 – Pickleball noise – A qualitative description of the psychological and physiological effects on nearby residents
Presented at the 188th ASA Meeting
Read the abstract at https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0038039
–The research described in this Acoustics Lay Language Paper may not have yet been peer reviewed–
New research shows that pickleball noise appears to raise major health concerns for residents living near courts. Pickleball is a racquet sport like tennis, but is played on smaller courts with hard wood or fiberglass paddles and hard plastic balls similar to whiffle balls. Instead of the softer “ping” heard during tennis, pickleball play makes a piercing “pop” sound. Pickleball started increasing in popularity during Covid, and many residents living near courts have now had several years of daily exposure to the popping noise.
How does pickleball noise affect the neighbors? Image source: Nicholas Klein, Istock photo 1746673904, 2023
Our study found that disrupted sleep, cardiac, and neurologic issues were the most common self-reported physical symptoms from nearby neighbors as shown in Figure 1. Hearing phantom pops appears to be a new type of phenomenon that can’t be completely explained yet, but may represent changes in brain processing systems.
Figure 1: Self-reported physical symptoms from pickleball noise exposure.
Self-reported psychological symptoms included mental health problems, mentions of trauma, and “red flag” complaints including severe distress, mention of torture, and suicidal thoughts as shown in Figure 2. An example of a comment that was classified as “severe distress” is: “No one would choose to live this way. It is physically and emotionally debilitating”.
Figure 2: Self-reported psychological symptoms from pickleball noise exposure.
Why do those living near pickleball courts feel this way?
The piercing “pop” comes from a sudden, loud burst of sound called impulse noise. Impulse noise is characterized by short duration with a sharp rise and decrease, as shown below in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Pickleball noise sound pressure trace. Image courtesy of Lance Willis, Spenderian and Willis, Tucson, AZ.
Listen to this audio below to hear the sound generated by 4 pickleball courts.
An acoustic study of one neighbor’s experience found up to 2800 pickleball pops per hour, for a total of 21,208 pops in one day as shown in Figure 4. That’s a lot of disruptive impulse noise to endure. And to make it even worse, the frequency of the “popping” sound (about 1200 Hertz) is the same as back up alarms for vehicles.
Figure 4: One day, 4 courts, hourly distribution of 21,208 total pops. Image courtesy of Noise Net Operations US, Inc.
It’s not unusual for those living near pickleball courts to be exposed to this repetitive impulse noise more than 90 hours/week. That might be more than 100,000 pickleball pops a week! Figure 5 demonstrates a day for busy courts open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Figure 5: A typical day of pickleball noise exposure for a neighbor near busy courts.
While some workplace studies have examined impulse noise and hearing loss, our study is the first to explore its health effects on the general public. Long-term exposure to impulse noise wasn’t a public concern until pickleball courts were built near homes. In some cases, the popping is even heard inside people’s homes.
We used a research method called content analysis to analyze public comments in news reports, legal filings and social media, spotting early trends by grouping and counting similar comments. While not definitive, this method helps identify problems, guide research, and spark discussion.
Local noise ordinances often focus on average sound levels (decibels) and don’t regulate repetitive impulse noise like pickleball. Unfortunately, most noise studies don’t consider all the factors that affect how people actually perceive such noise, especially the repetitive impulse noise hours a day from pickleball play. As pickleball noise expert and referee Bob Unetich told NPR in 2023, “You can’t take pop, pop, pop for 12 hours a day every day and remain sane.”
We need more research on how long-term impulse noise affects the health of people living near pickleball courts. Future studies could look at what makes pickleball noise unique, how this kind of noise impacts people’s minds and bodies, how far courts should be from homes, and how well different noise-reducing methods work.
So far, we aren’t aware of any courts within 100 feet of homes that have been successfully quieted. Until more is known, we recommend that courts not be placed within 100 feet of homes and that courts within 1,000 feet of homes receive close attention. Sound evaluations by engineers should look at more than just how loud the sound is. All the factors that affect how humans perceive sound should be considered.
There is no doubt that pickleball is lots of fun for those who play, but it raises major health concerns for those living near the courts.
Pickleball, a paddle sport played with hard paddles and a plastic ball, has grown rapidly across the United States. In 2024 alone, more than 18,000 new courts were built nationwide. The noise is loud, impulsive, and often constant throughout the day. As more courts are constructed, the sharp, repetitive sounds of play are creating problems for nearby residents. This has led to widespread community conflicts, thousands of complaints, and an estimated 200 legal claims across the country.
Figure 2: Self-reported psychological symptoms from pickleball noise exposure.
Figure 3: Pickleball noise sound pressure trace. Image courtesy of Lance Willis, Spenderian and Willis, Tucson, AZ.
Figure 4: One day, 4 courts, hourly distribution of 21,208 total pops. Image courtesy of Noise Net Operations US, Inc.
Figure 5: A typical day of pickleball noise exposure for a neighbor near busy courts.