Is Pickleball a Racket Sport? Neighbors Say No!

Though most of us think of pickleball as a racket sport, some sound sensitive neighbors are arguing that since pickleball is played with a paddle, not a racket, it should not be permitted at Fox Meadow Tennis Club on Wayside Lane.

The club (FMTC) thought the pickleball issue was resolved in May, 2026 when Scarsdale Building Inspector Frank Diodati determined that pickleball play was covered by Fox Meadow Tennis Club’s special use permit.

In his decision he said, “Over the years, the FMTC has maintained a variety of racket sports including tennis, platform and paddle tennis.” Furthermore, Scarsdale Village code allows “tennis court, platform tennis court, lawn tennis court or other racket sport facility” in Residence A Districts.

But after the club filed an application to convert a tennis court to padel courts, and to add lights to two of the paddle courts, attorneys for the neighbors filed an appeal to the Building Inspector’s decision on pickleball, and said that needed to be decided before considering the application for padel and lighting.

The neighbors are represented by the law firm of Abrams Fensterman LLP. In their appeal, they argue that:

1) Pickleball is not covered by the club’s special use permit because it did not exist prior to the date of the special use permits, which only allow tennis and paddle tennis.

2) Pickleball is not a racket sport as it uses a paddle, and the club is not a residence.

3) The Planning Board did not conduct a SEQRA review of the environmental impacts of pickleball.

4) Pickleball causes significant noise and list problems.

You can see their letter here:

It should be pointed out that paddleball, or platform tennis, also uses a paddle not a stringed racquet. Fox Meadow Tennis Club was founded in 1883 and paddleball, which uses a paddle, not a stringed racket, has been played there since 1931, when it built the first paddle court in the country. There are currently nine platform tennis courts at the club. And if the Special Use Permit allows for paddleball which uses a paddle, then why not pickleball?

In response to neighbor’s concerns, the club reduced the number of hours when pickleball can be played. But the sport remains very popular with members and their families.

In fact, the Village of Scarsdale recently converted two tennis courts into pickleball courts and they have been receiving lots of usage.

The club is seeking to add padel courts to the mix, as that’s the future of racket sports and they want to continue to attract members.

The Scarsdale Zoning Board of Appeals will hear the case at their meeting on October 14 at 7 pm.