Before entering a pickleball tournament, you should be fully aware of the format, scoring, duration, and other important tournament rules.
It is critical to remember that not all tournaments will adhere to the same rules. Some tournaments, such as the APP Tournaments, strictly follow the USA Pickleball rules, while some do not necessarily comply with them, like the PPA Tournaments. So how do pickleball tournaments work?
This article will go over all of the pickleball tournament rules and regulations. The majority of the rules will be discussed in accordance with the official USA Pickleball guidelines.
Let’s get started!
How Is A Pickleball Tournament Played?
Pickleball tournaments are divided into three categories: men’s division, women’s division, and mixed doubles division. You can enter the singles or doubles category under the men’s and women’s divisions. For mixed doubles, one should be from men’s and the other from women’s.
Some classifications may be present in the doubles category. They can be classified based on their age or skill level. In terms of age, the classification will be based on the younger player’s age.
For example, if one player is only 19 years old and the other is 60 years old, the doubles team will play in the 19+ category.
Meanwhile, the skill level classification will be based on the player with the highest skill level. For example, if one player has a 5.0 skill level and his partner has only a 2.0 skill level, the doubles team will play in the 5.0+ category.
If there is no junior division and a player under the age of 18 wants to participate in the tournament, the player will be classified as 19+.
How Is The Pickleball Tournament Scored?
A pickleball tournament will normally be scored with a best of two out of three matches. It can be a player or a team scoring 11 first, winning by one or two points. It can also be scored alternatively to 15 or 21 points, still winning by one or two points.
Does A Pickleball Tournament Include A Referee And Lines People?
Yes, you would normally see a referee and lines of people in an official pickleball tournament. Both of them play very important roles in the game.
What Is The Role Of A Pickleball Referee?
A referee ensures that all rules and regulations are enforced all throughout the game. Some of the responsibilities of a referee include:
- Calling for faults and violations of a player;
- Inspection of players’ playing equipment and the condition of the courts;
- Calling if a score has been made;
- Making sure the score is maintained correctly;
- Allowing and enforcing timeouts by players; and
- Ensuring that proper behavior is observed all the time by the players.
There will also be times within the game when a player will appeal a certain call. The referee is the one responsible for calling if the appeal is valid. The referee can reverse an initial call if he/she has clearly seen the correct call. If the referee has no clear vision, the initial call shall remain.
What Is The Role Of The Lines People?
Generally, the players are responsible for calling for faults against other players, including line faults. The players will still be responsible for calling for line faults if there is a referee. The referee shall be responsible for other violations of the game.
However, if there are lines people, then the players will not be responsible for calling for line faults. Any line call called by a player will not be honored by the referee except when he is calling it to his disadvantage.
A player can then appeal to the referee for any line call called. A referee can overrule the decision of the line person, and the point shall be replayed. However, if there is no certainty of the call, the point shall only be replayed if all the players will agree that the ball is out.
How Many Games Do You Play In A Pickleball Tournament?
The number of games you play in a pickleball tournament will vary according to the tournament format. In pickleball, four pickleball tournament formats can be played. Let us discuss each format and how many games each format will include.
Single Elimination (Consolation Bracket Included)
In this tournament format, those teams who lose their first game will fall under a consolation bracket. If a team in the consolation bracket loses for the second time, they will be out of the competition.
However, the highest rank those in the consolation bracket can attain is a bronze medal. Those teams who remain in the winning bracket will be the only teams competing for the gold and silver medals.
Double Elimination
In a double-elimination tournament format, the players or teams who lose will still enter a consolation bracket. They will continue to play in the bracket until they lose for the second time.
The only difference between this format from the single elimination is that the teams in the consolation bracket can still have a chance to win the gold medal.
The winning team from the consolation bracket shall win twice against the winning team in the winner’s bracket to bag the gold medal.
Round Robin Elimination
In a round-robin elimination format, each team has to face all the participating teams in the tournament. After all the games have finished, the winner shall be decided based on the teams’ win and loss record.
A head-to-head match will be conducted in case of a tie to determine the winner. The winner will be decided based on the point differential system if a tie still exists.
If after all of the considerations and a tie still exists, a head-to-head point differential will be conducted.
Pool Classification Format
In this format, the teams will be grouped into pools. Then, the teams in each pool will play round-robin. The winning teams from each pool will then undergo either single-elimination or double-elimination.
Each of the following formats will guarantee that all participating teams will play at least two games. The number of games the other players or teams will play is based on how they perform in the next rounds.
How Long Is A Pickleball Tournament?
The duration of a pickleball tournament depends on several factors. These include the format of the tournament, scoring, number of participating teams, skill level of players, and whether the games are simultaneously conducted.
Generally, it would take an hour for a single match to finish. This is already enough for a team to win the best of two out of three games. Hence, the total number of hours depends on how many teams will play against each other.
Moreover, there are tournaments where games are played simultaneously. This will significantly reduce the duration of the entire tournament.
The skill level of the players also affects the duration of the game. When two great players or teams compete against each other, you can expect longer rallies between the two. This will significantly add time to the duration of the tournament.
Finally, the format of the entire tournament can affect its duration. For example, single eliminations would normally be less time-consuming than double eliminations. The scoring can also affect the duration of the tournament. Some may finish as early as winning 11 points, while others may end at 21.
How Much Does It Cost To Enter A Pickleball Tournament?
Normally, each participant will be charged around $12 to $15 to enter an official pickleball tournament. Some would charge players $20, covering the first game for $15, and an additional $5 for the proceeding games.
What Should I Bring In A Pickleball Tournament?
Now that you’ve learned about the basics of a pickleball tournament, let’s discuss some essentials you should bring when joining a pickleball tournament.
You should bring at least 2 pickleball paddles for you. You never know what emergency can occur, so making sure you have an extra paddle will be a lifesaver. With this, you should bring at least 2 balls with you as well.
Aside from paddles and balls, you may bring some essentials: towels, a bottle of water, a hat and sunglasses to protect you from high heat, sunscreen and lip protection for your skin protection, and a pair of socks and shoes.
Final Thoughts
A pickleball tournament is as exciting as any other sports tournament. With its growing popularity all throughout the world, a series of tournaments are conducted in local, regional, national, and even international arenas.
If you are looking for a place to play a pickleball tournament with your friends, the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) has made a list of all the places you can visit to play pickleball.
The more people dive into the pickleball sport, the more tournaments and competitions will be developed. So, it’s high time you introduce the sport to your friends, and let’s all enjoy pickleball tourneys!
