Format: has to be round robin for any amateur tournament. It’s the only way to get your moneys worth. A long day of matches with new people is a lot better than going 2 and out because you were nervous for your first match.
Prize: Gift card to local or online retailer for pickleball gear. Amateurs shouldn’t have cash prizes to reduce sandbagging. Moneyball is a different beast.
Courts: Preferably real courts with a permanent net, most importantly it should be consistent. My bracket should stay on courts 3-4 the whole tournament, there’s nothing worse than having to get used to random lines on 10 different courts. Just set a round robin bracket, give them 1-2 courts, and have them play their matches
this is amazing! thank you for taking the time to share! 🫶
definitely will be reconsidering cash prizes now 🤨
damn sandbaggers 🤬 we are going to advertise that sandbaggers will be heckled profusely
Director should enforce the brackets by checking DUPR.. whether it be average of the 2 players or highest rated player (I prefer average). Maybe there’s a software that can check it for you so it would be less work? Format I agree with most it should be round robin. Courts ideally a permanent net and pickleball lines instead of off of tennis courts. Sponsors/prizes whatever you think.. as long as the tournament entry fee isn’t ridiculous.
Things to avoid : Making like a million brackets for different age groups and skill levels and then combining brackets the day before the tournament because so many aren’t filled.
🤝 well said - thank you! Average DUPR ratings is something we will be taking a close look at.
And, unfortunately, it seems combined divisions happen at the last minute all the time - we will be looking to avoid this at all costs! 🙏
If not DUPR ratings, then ask about their previous tournament experience or just search to see their history. If they are clearly miscategorized and win easily, make sure they are not eligible to enter than division next time. Anything you can do to clearly point out the differences in brackets and expected play styles will result in better matches for everyone (except the sandbaggers that want a cheap win).
I don't mind combining divisions as long as the dates/times don't change and it's clear when I need to show up and how long I need to be there. Just be considerate that a top 4.0-4.5 player if not going to be fun for a low 3.5-4.0.
1. Round robin followed by playoff. Or, at least, a medal round.
2. Referees for at least medal games.
3. Action photographer is a nice to have.
4. Plenty of water for players
-Strictly enforce bracket levels to prevent sandbagging.
-Refs for every game.
-Round robin format with teams advancing to knock outs.
-START THINGS ON TIME. Make your schedule such that there is minimal wait between matches.
-Good t-shirts and medals (extra bonus if you provide women cut t-shirts for females, but I don't think many tournaments do).
-Use a good ball for the weather (probably Franklin if it's cold, Dura if it's hot). Swap out said balls frequently so players aren't playing with a misshapen lump or a ball with little cracks forming.
-Ensure the venue has good courts with a comfortable amount of space around the sides and behind the courts.
-Don't schedule your tournament in a place that might be disrupted by weather unless you have a backup. Don't schedule it in Phoenix in the middle of the day during the summer, but we're happy to play outdoors at night.
It occurs to me that I've essentially described the exact opposite of a PPA, which really goes to show how poorly those overpriced tournaments are run.
Something that no one ever has but should-booze included! Open bar would be amazing, but just having a keg of light beer goes a long way. I play in a lot of [platform tennis tournaments](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EjfjPs3CZQ&t=355s&ab_channel=mshieldsjr) and a keg is mandatory (check the left side of the video). These often only cost $50 a person for the whole tourney so price shouldn't be an issue. It gets people to stick around and watch after and is just a nice treat!
1. Reasonable entry fees- would rather pay $45 without a shirt than $60-70 with a shirt. Option to buy a shirt is nice.
2. Round Robin format with 4 game minimum per event. No lose 2 and you’re out!
3. Efficient flow of brackets. No hour plus waits between games.
4. Complimentary chilled water and light snacks (granola bars, nuts, fruit, etc). Food vendors are a definite plus.
5. Enough staff and/volunteers that players don’t get ignored. I recently stood at the booth for 10 minutes with no acknowledgement whatsoever because they were too busy printing scorecards. It literally would have taken 20 seconds to help me. Guess whose tournament I won’t be playing again!
6. Medals/prizes for winners of sub-brackets when brackets are combined.
Thank you! We appreciate you taking the time to respond!
Anybody gotten anything other than a t-shirt yet from a tournament? How would you feel about getting a quality bag or water bottle instead of a shirt?
Thanks again
✌️🫶
PKLN
Use the text feature to alert players of their matches
Ah didn’t think of this one! Very nice! Thanks 🙏
Format: has to be round robin for any amateur tournament. It’s the only way to get your moneys worth. A long day of matches with new people is a lot better than going 2 and out because you were nervous for your first match. Prize: Gift card to local or online retailer for pickleball gear. Amateurs shouldn’t have cash prizes to reduce sandbagging. Moneyball is a different beast. Courts: Preferably real courts with a permanent net, most importantly it should be consistent. My bracket should stay on courts 3-4 the whole tournament, there’s nothing worse than having to get used to random lines on 10 different courts. Just set a round robin bracket, give them 1-2 courts, and have them play their matches
this is amazing! thank you for taking the time to share! 🫶 definitely will be reconsidering cash prizes now 🤨 damn sandbaggers 🤬 we are going to advertise that sandbaggers will be heckled profusely
Director should enforce the brackets by checking DUPR.. whether it be average of the 2 players or highest rated player (I prefer average). Maybe there’s a software that can check it for you so it would be less work? Format I agree with most it should be round robin. Courts ideally a permanent net and pickleball lines instead of off of tennis courts. Sponsors/prizes whatever you think.. as long as the tournament entry fee isn’t ridiculous. Things to avoid : Making like a million brackets for different age groups and skill levels and then combining brackets the day before the tournament because so many aren’t filled.
🤝 well said - thank you! Average DUPR ratings is something we will be taking a close look at. And, unfortunately, it seems combined divisions happen at the last minute all the time - we will be looking to avoid this at all costs! 🙏
If not DUPR ratings, then ask about their previous tournament experience or just search to see their history. If they are clearly miscategorized and win easily, make sure they are not eligible to enter than division next time. Anything you can do to clearly point out the differences in brackets and expected play styles will result in better matches for everyone (except the sandbaggers that want a cheap win). I don't mind combining divisions as long as the dates/times don't change and it's clear when I need to show up and how long I need to be there. Just be considerate that a top 4.0-4.5 player if not going to be fun for a low 3.5-4.0.
Oh and a mini prize for funniest outfits.
1. Round robin followed by playoff. Or, at least, a medal round. 2. Referees for at least medal games. 3. Action photographer is a nice to have. 4. Plenty of water for players
This is great stuff - thank you for the response! 🫶
-Strictly enforce bracket levels to prevent sandbagging. -Refs for every game. -Round robin format with teams advancing to knock outs. -START THINGS ON TIME. Make your schedule such that there is minimal wait between matches. -Good t-shirts and medals (extra bonus if you provide women cut t-shirts for females, but I don't think many tournaments do). -Use a good ball for the weather (probably Franklin if it's cold, Dura if it's hot). Swap out said balls frequently so players aren't playing with a misshapen lump or a ball with little cracks forming. -Ensure the venue has good courts with a comfortable amount of space around the sides and behind the courts. -Don't schedule your tournament in a place that might be disrupted by weather unless you have a backup. Don't schedule it in Phoenix in the middle of the day during the summer, but we're happy to play outdoors at night. It occurs to me that I've essentially described the exact opposite of a PPA, which really goes to show how poorly those overpriced tournaments are run.
This is extremely helpful! Thank you for taking the time to respond! Hope to see you out there someday soon! 🫶
Something that no one ever has but should-booze included! Open bar would be amazing, but just having a keg of light beer goes a long way. I play in a lot of [platform tennis tournaments](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EjfjPs3CZQ&t=355s&ab_channel=mshieldsjr) and a keg is mandatory (check the left side of the video). These often only cost $50 a person for the whole tourney so price shouldn't be an issue. It gets people to stick around and watch after and is just a nice treat!
1. Reasonable entry fees- would rather pay $45 without a shirt than $60-70 with a shirt. Option to buy a shirt is nice. 2. Round Robin format with 4 game minimum per event. No lose 2 and you’re out! 3. Efficient flow of brackets. No hour plus waits between games. 4. Complimentary chilled water and light snacks (granola bars, nuts, fruit, etc). Food vendors are a definite plus. 5. Enough staff and/volunteers that players don’t get ignored. I recently stood at the booth for 10 minutes with no acknowledgement whatsoever because they were too busy printing scorecards. It literally would have taken 20 seconds to help me. Guess whose tournament I won’t be playing again! 6. Medals/prizes for winners of sub-brackets when brackets are combined.
Thank you! We appreciate you taking the time to respond! Anybody gotten anything other than a t-shirt yet from a tournament? How would you feel about getting a quality bag or water bottle instead of a shirt? Thanks again ✌️🫶 PKLN
No problem. I like the idea of a water bottle or bag. I probably wouldn’t use a bag because I have a large one I like and need for all my stuff.
Every time I win, it's a great tournament.
🤣 love it!