Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT)
The pickleball federation in France · French Tennis Federation
Pickleball in France is governed by the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT, founded 1920 as the Fédération Française de Lawn-Tennis), the same multi-sport federation that runs tennis, padel, beach tennis and courte paume. FFT integrated pickleball into its statutes in January 2024 and received the French Ministry of Sport's official delegation for pickleball by decree of 22 December 2025 (published 31 January 2026), valid until 31 December 2029 - meaning only FFT-organised competitions count for official French champion titles and national team selection. By August 2025 roughly 750 FFT-affiliated clubs already offered pickleball; more recent counts put practice at about 30,000 players, 3,500 pickleball licensees and around 850 clubs. FFT runs French championships (e.g. the 2026 French pickleball champions were crowned in Aix-en-Provence) through its regional leagues and départemental committees, alongside its existing tennis/padel structure.
Getting a licence
A licence is needed to play official pickleball competitions in France.
Taken out through an FFT-affiliated club as the unified 'Licence Club FFT' (in force from the 2026-2027 season, replacing separate padel/pickleball/beach tennis licences): €33 for adults, €23 for ages 7-18. It covers all FFT sports including pickleball and gives access to the official ranking and homologated tournaments; a cheaper short-term 'Licence Découverte' also exists for newcomers, without tournament access.
Competitions and rankings
This federation also governs: Tennis, Padel.
Other bodies: Fédération Pickleball France (Pickleball France).
From the federation’s own website and its international federation, checked in September 2026.
The other racket-sport federations in France
The pickleball federation in other countries
United Kingdom · PBE
United States · USAP
Spain · RFET
Italy · FITP
Germany · DPV
Netherlands · KNLTB
Belgium · TPPWB
Portugal · PTPICKLE
Sweden · SvPF
Denmark · DTF
Ireland · PI
Saudi Arabia · SFA
Qatar
Kuwait
Egypt
Canada · PC
Mexico · FEMEXPB
Argentina · AAP
Australia · PA
India · IPA
Philippines · PPF
Malaysia · MPA
Singapore · SPA