MLP

Baseline Scoreboard Falls on Player During MLP New York Match

by Alex E. Weaver on

By all accounts, the Brooklyn Pickleball Team's Rachel Rohrabacher appears to be OK after a strong wind gust toppled the event's main scoreboard onto her leg

Trust me, that's just as surprising for me to write as I'm sure it is for you to read.

But it happened.

During today's final MLP New York match between the Bay Area Breakers and Brooklyn Pickleball Team, the scoreboard that spans the entire length of the baseline topped and fell flat onto the court, briefly trapping player Rachel Rohrabacher's leg underneath.

Conditions during the match started fairly calm but were getting noticeably windier. By all accounts, it was a strong gust of wind that caught the scoreboard like a sail and caused it to fall during play.

Players and other personnel quickly rushed to Rachel's aid, lifting the scoreboard so she could free her leg.

The scoreboard is wider than the width of the court. I'd estimate it's about 30 feet wide.

In an Instagram story, Major League Pickleball released the following statement:

During today's match between the Brooklyn Pickleball Team and Bay Area Breakers, a strong wind gust caused a baseline LED board to tip over, temporarily halting play.
Thankfully, no players sustained any significant injuries.
Play resumed after the board was secured, and additional precautions have been implemented for the remainder of today's competition and the rest of the MLP New York event. The safety of our players, fans, and staff remains our top priority, and we will continue to monitor conditions throughout the event.

Rachel walked off the court under her own power but didn't return to the match, which did resume about 30 minutes after the incident.

The Bay Area Breakers women conceded their game to Brooklyn. Hannah Blatt then stepped in to play for Brooklyn for the remainder of the match.

Brooklyn won the match 3-1.

I was watching the match live and captured the scenes immediately following the scoreboard falling, including Rachel returning to the court:

This is a developing story; I'll update this article as more information becomes known.

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Alex E. Weaver

Alex E. Weaver

Alex is The Dink's Digital Content Manager. (Have a tip? Hit him up.) His passions used to include hiking, traveling, and spending time with his family. Now all he does is play pickleball.

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