Categorization of pickleball paddles as a highly impulsive sound source

As the sport of pickleball has grown in popularity and tennis courts close to homes are being converted to this use, noise regulation for pickleball courts has become a topic of discussion among city councils, planners, home owners associations, residents, and, increasingly, attorneys seeking injunctions against poorly sited or mitigated courts. Accurate noise impact assessment of the short duration impulsive sound produced by the impact of the ball on the paddles requires the use of the highly impulsive adjustment in ANSI S12.9 Part 4. Examination of the definitions of impulsive sound in this standard and in ISO 1996 Part 1 identifies characteristics of rapid onset, significant energy in the most sensitive part of the auditory spectrum, and duration as primary differentiators for categorization. The noise impact assessment methodology in ANSI S12.9 Part 4 for highly impulsive sound has proven an effective means of determining the amount of mitigation needed for pickleball facilities, being more repeatable and precise than other commonly used assessment methods while avoiding underestimation of annoyance.