# Can a tennis racket or pickleball paddle go in a carry-on?

> OneBag Kit · https://onebagkit.com/tennis-racket-pickleball-paddle-carry-on/  
> Updated: 2026-10-27 · Published: 2026-10-27

TSA lists tennis rackets and pickleball paddles as "Yes" for both bags. United, Delta, American and Southwest check a racket as a bag, with no cabin rule. That's our pick: paddle in the personal item, racket in a soft cover on the carry-on. The trade-off is an officer decides on the day, and Ryanair takes rackets in the hold only.

## What TSA says about each one

TSA keeps two separate entries. Its [Tennis Rackets](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/tennis-rackets) page reads "Carry On Bags: Yes Checked Bags: Yes" and shows "Last Updated on March 29, 2017". Its [Pickleball Paddle](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/pickleball-paddle) page carries the same two Yes answers, last updated April 12, 2023.

Both pages end with one caveat: "The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint."

## How four US airlines count a racket or paddle

Only American names tennis among these four, and none names pickleball. United, Delta and Southwest fall back on a general line, quoted below. "Not stated" means we didn't find a racket or paddle line on its pages.

| Airline | How it is checked | Fee | In the cabin |
|---|---|---|---|
| [United](https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/baggage/sports-equipment.html) | "You can fly with most sports equipment. The equipment counts toward your checked bag allowance and may be subject to fees." Also: "We aren't liable for damage to sports equipment." | Checked bag fees, per its policy line | Not stated |
| [Delta](https://www.delta.com/us/en/baggage/special-items/sporting-equipment) | Tennis isn't on its list. "If you don't see your item below, then normal baggage allowances, fees and handling policies apply". It asks for a durable protective container made for the gear. | "standard checked baggage fees apply based on cabin, travel region and total number of checked bags"; 115 linear in cap | Not stated |
| [American](https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/travel-info/baggage/specialty-and-sports.html) | Under "Tennis, badminton, squash, or racquetball": "You can travel with 1 bag containing: Multiple rackets and balls" | Standard checked fees to 50 lbs, overweight fee from 50 to 70 lbs. "Oversize fees do not apply." | Not stated for rackets. Its [carry-on page](https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/travel-info/baggage/carry-on-baggage.html) gives 18 x 14 x 8 in for a personal item and "Cannot exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches" for a carry-on |
| [Southwest](https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/travel-fees.html) | "Any item listed in the Help Center will be treated as a standard bag", with a possible "limited release of liability". No tennis line found. | "Standard Checked Bag Fees Apply": $45 first and $55 second bag if booked on or after April 9, 2026 ($35 and $45 before). Oversized fee (63"-115") waived for sports listed in its Help Center; we didn't find a tennis line on the pages we read. 51-70 lbs adds $100 | Not stated |

American adds the damage line: it "will only be liable for any damage to sports equipment if: They are in hard-sided case". Southwest's [checked baggage policy](https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/article/checked-baggage-policy) puts a standard bag at 62 inches and 50 lb. By our reading, a racket in the cabin on any of the four rides only as part of a bag within its sizes, because none of them grants a separate allowance.

## Ryanair and easyJet: where they part ways

Ryanair names tennis directly. Its [prohibited items](https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12890928594705-What-items-are-prohibited-on-board-and-in-Check-in-Bags) page says "the following items must not be carried on board, but may be carried as part of your checked baggage", and under blunt instruments lists "Tennis rackets, squash rackets and so on". A general [sports page](https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-lv/articles/12888834233489-What-sports-equipment-can-I-bring-on-board) allows gear "as long as it fits" in your cabin bag, without naming rackets, so we follow the specific list: no tennis racket in a Ryanair cabin. The [fees table](https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/fees) prices sports equipment at EUR/GBP 40 when booking and 45 later, up to 20kg per item. Pickleball paddles aren't named on either page, so check with Ryanair.

easyJet's [restricted items](https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/restricted-and-unusual-items) page has no racket entry, and its [sports list](https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/sports-equipment) sends unlisted items to Customer Services. Its [cabin bag page](https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/cabin-bag-and-hold-luggage) sets the free under-seat bag at 45 x 36 x 20 cm and a paid large cabin bag at 56 x 45 x 25 cm, each up to 15kg; at the gate a large one costs £60. By our reading, a full-length tennis racket is longer than the 45 cm side of the small bag, so it needs the large one or the hold.

## Packing either one

Give the paddle a cover and slide it flat against the back panel of your personal item, where it adds little depth. A racket goes in a soft cover, inside the carry-on if the bag is long enough or strapped to its outside. Strapped on, it counts toward the bag's outer size, so [measure the bag](https://onebagkit.com/how-to-measure-a-carry-on-bag/index.md) with it attached. If you check one with American, pack it in a hard-sided case, which is the condition on American's damage line.

Sources: TSA [Tennis Rackets](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/tennis-rackets) (Last Updated on March 29, 2017) · TSA [Pickleball Paddle](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/pickleball-paddle) (Last Updated on April 12, 2023) · [United, sports equipment](https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/baggage/sports-equipment.html) · [Delta, sporting equipment](https://www.delta.com/us/en/baggage/special-items/sporting-equipment) · [American, specialty and sports](https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/travel-info/baggage/specialty-and-sports.html) · [American, carry-on](https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/travel-info/baggage/carry-on-baggage.html) · [Southwest, travel fees](https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/travel-fees.html) · [Southwest, checked baggage](https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/article/checked-baggage-policy) · [Ryanair, prohibited items](https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-gb/articles/12890928594705-What-items-are-prohibited-on-board-and-in-Check-in-Bags) · [Ryanair, sports on board](https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-lv/articles/12888834233489-What-sports-equipment-can-I-bring-on-board) · [Ryanair, fees](https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/fees) · [easyJet, cabin bags](https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/cabin-bag-and-hold-luggage) · [easyJet, sports equipment](https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/sports-equipment) · [easyJet, restricted items](https://www.easyjet.com/en/help/baggage/restricted-and-unusual-items). Airline pages read 27 October 2026.

## FAQ

### Can an officer still stop my pickleball paddle?

Yes. TSA lists the paddle as Yes, but its page says "The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint." One traveller's [r/Pickleball post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pickleball/comments/1cq5mx3/) describes it: having "carried my pickleball paddle as a carry on for at least 50X", the PreCheck line pulled the bag and "explained to me that my paddle is a weapon. They would allow tennis racquets but not pickleball paddles." That is one account, not a TSA rule. In a [separate thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pickleball/comments/1goyf8p/), the same worry comes up: carry the paddle on, or pay to check a bag.

## Related OneBag Kit guides

- [How do you pack electronics and power banks in a carry-on?](https://onebagkit.com/packing-electronics-carry-on/index.md): what else rides in the personal item next to a paddle
- [What goes in your personal item vs carry-on?](https://onebagkit.com/personal-item-vs-carry-on/index.md): which bag the paddle or racket goes in
- [How to measure a carry-on bag (and does squishing work?)](https://onebagkit.com/how-to-measure-a-carry-on-bag/index.md): measuring a bag with a racket strapped on
- [Personal item size by airline: under-seat limits for 25 airlines](https://onebagkit.com/personal-item-size-by-airline/index.md): under-seat limits if the paddle rides there

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