Will you open the lid to the pickles? Pickleball has made its way into the heart of Americans and for good reason. It’s plain wholesome and fun! 

Organizing a pickleball tournament in your community is a way to share and enjoy the sport. Doing it right will leave a good lasting impression on any newcomers. It’ll also encourage the sport to continue its upward trend in popularity. 

So, before the first serve of the tournament, you should read this guide on hosting your tournament. 

Make Sure Everyone Knows the Rules 

Everyone should be on the same page on how to play the game. Some of the rules can be rather tricky at first, but they’re learned quickly. 

It might be a good idea to print out some pamphlets about the sport for newcomers. Hand them out to everyone, so everyone understands the same set of rules. Keep the instructions brief but crystal clear. 

Know that some players have a tendency to be more lenient or more strict when it comes to adhering to the rules. If it’s a friendly tournament, it’s not advised to get an official judge — it makes it a little too intimidating for new players. Have everyone give their word to play a fair game and that should suffice. 

Get Enough Balls and Racquets

It’s never a bad thing to be over-prepared.

The tournament might have skilled players or completely new players to the sport. Ask that everyone brings their own racquet and at least a set of balls. But, prepare for some players not to have that equipment. 

These are the best pickleball bags to store the community’s equipment. 

If you can coordinate a small donation drive for a community equipment set, a lot of players would absolutely chip it. This breaks down a lot of barriers to entry for players.

Reserve a Time for Your Pickleball Tournament

Don’t forget to grab your time slot for the courts at the park!

When you’ve got a set date in mind, make it known with your park officials that you’ll be reserving the courts. This might cost some money, so you should try to fundraise it. But it’s typically not very expensive, especially for public parks.

Organize the Ladder by Skill

You might want to consider having two separate tournaments, varied by skill level.

Allow for players to sign up for whichever tournament they prefer, but you should consider sanctioning the more skilled players to their own matches. Veterans of the sport will mop the floor of the new players, and that’s no fun for anybody. 

Also, think of organizing the games by age brackets. 

Don’t Forget to Bring Snacks

Everybody loves food. If you want to have recurring players, bring some snacks to the tournament that everyone can munch on.

It doesn’t have to be an expensive assortment, but a dozen donuts and a couple of bags of chips make the world go round. 

Serve

Pickleball has made its way into the limelight of American culture, and it’s not going anywhere. It’s just too fun. If you’re hosting a pickleball tournament, you should consider some things.

Make sure everyone follows the same set of rules and get enough equipment for everyone. Reserve a timeslot for your courts, bring snacks, and organize the bracket by skill. 

If you love pickleball or any outside activity, check out our other articles on sports and leisure.