How to Run a Pickleball Tournament: Planning, Formats & Tips

1. Why Pickleball Tournaments Are Booming

Pickleball has exploded in popularity over the past few years. What started as a backyard game has become a legitimate competitive sport with professional tours, dedicated facilities, and millions of active players. Tournaments are a natural extension of that growth — they give recreational players something to train for, help communities build around the sport, and create events that are genuinely fun to watch and participate in.

The beauty of pickleball tournaments is their accessibility. Matches are relatively short compared to tennis, the court footprint is smaller, and the sport attracts a wide range of ages and skill levels. That means you can run a meaningful tournament without needing a massive venue or a week-long schedule. But "accessible" doesn't mean "easy to organize" — there's still a lot of moving parts to get right.

2. Choose Your Tournament Format

The format you pick shapes the entire tournament — how long it takes, how many matches each player gets, and how competitive it feels. Here are the four main options:

Single Elimination

One loss and you're done. This is the fastest format and works well when you have a lot of teams and limited court time. A 16-team bracket only requires 15 matches. The downside is obvious — some players drive an hour to play one game. For casual or community events, this can feel unsatisfying.

Double Elimination

Every team gets a second chance. After losing in the winners bracket, you drop to the losers bracket and keep playing until you lose again. This is the gold standard for competitive pickleball tournaments because it reduces the impact of a single bad game or unlucky draw. It does take roughly twice as many matches as single elimination, so plan your time accordingly.

Round Robin

Everyone plays everyone — or at least everyone in their pool. This format guarantees the most matches per player, which makes it great for recreational events and skill-level divisions where the goal is more play time rather than crowning a single champion. The trade-off is that round robin takes significantly longer and doesn't always produce a dramatic finish.

Group Knockout (Round Robin + Elimination)

This is the best of both worlds. Players are divided into small groups for round-robin play, and the top finishers from each group advance to a single elimination bracket. Everyone gets at least a few matches in pool play, and the knockout stage brings the excitement. This format is increasingly popular at pickleball events because it balances play time with competitive drama.

Need help deciding? Check out our detailed comparisons: Single vs Double Elimination and Round Robin Format Explained .

3. Plan Your Event

Pickleball has some specific venue and scheduling considerations that differ from other racquet sports. Getting these right early saves you from headaches on tournament day.

Venue and Courts

A standard pickleball court is 20 x 44 feet — roughly a quarter the size of a tennis court. Many facilities convert tennis courts into pickleball courts (you can fit 2-4 pickleball courts on one tennis court). When choosing a venue, consider:

• Number of courts: More courts means faster tournament progression. For a 32-team doubles bracket, 4 courts can comfortably run the event in a day. With 8 courts, you'll have room for multiple categories.
• Indoor vs outdoor: Outdoor events are weather-dependent. Have a rain date or an indoor backup plan. Wind can also significantly affect outdoor play.
• Player amenities: Shade, seating, water, and restrooms matter more than you think. Happy players make for a better event.

Time Estimates

A typical pickleball match takes 15-25 minutes, depending on the scoring format and skill level. Best-of-three to 11 (win by 2) is the most common format. When scheduling, budget about 30 minutes per match slot to account for changeovers, warmups, and the occasional game that goes to extra points. For a tournament with 24 teams across 2 categories on 4 courts, expect a full 8-10 hour day.

Skill and Age Divisions

Pickleball has a well-established skill rating system (DUPR, UTPR, or self-rated levels from 2.0 to 5.5+). Using skill-based divisions keeps matches competitive and fun. You can also offer age brackets (19+, 35+, 50+, 65+) to give more players a chance to compete meaningfully. Just be careful — every additional division is another category to manage and schedule.

4. Handle Registration

Registration is where tournaments often start going sideways. The earlier you get organized, the smoother everything else will be.

Common pickleball tournament categories include:

• Men's Doubles — The most popular category at most events
• Women's Doubles
• Mixed Doubles — One male and one female player per team
• Singles — Less common but growing, especially at competitive events

For each category, you'll want to collect player names, skill ratings, contact info, and payment. A few tips:

• Set a firm registration deadline — last-minute additions wreck brackets
• Require both partner names for doubles at sign-up time
• Collect payment upfront to reduce no-shows (even a small entry fee helps)
• Allow players to enter multiple categories, but warn them about potential scheduling conflicts
• Keep a waitlist so you can fill spots from cancellations

Using tournament software like Tournamently lets you manage registrations, track payments, and organize participants into categories without juggling spreadsheets and group chats.

5. Schedule and Run Matches

This is where organization really matters. A well-run schedule keeps players happy and the tournament moving. A bad one leads to long waits, frustrated participants, and matches that drag into the evening.

• Allocate courts strategically: If you're running multiple categories, dedicate specific courts to specific brackets or rotate them on a set schedule. Don't let one category hog all the courts.
• Avoid player conflicts: Players entering multiple categories cannot be in two places at once. Your schedule needs to account for this — either stagger categories or build in enough buffer time.
• Announce upcoming matches: Give players at least 10-15 minutes notice before their match. A visible match board (physical or digital) prevents the constant "when do I play?" question.
• Keep matches flowing: As soon as a court opens, the next match should be ready to go. Have players warm up on the side while the current match finishes.
• Build in rest time: Pickleball is fast-paced and physically demanding, especially in the heat. Give players at least 15-20 minutes between consecutive matches. Back-to-back games with no rest is a recipe for injuries and complaints.

Scheduling manually across multiple courts and categories is one of the hardest parts of tournament management. Software that handles court allocation and conflict detection can save you hours of work and prevent mistakes.

6. Live Scoring and Results

Nothing kills tournament momentum like outdated brackets. When a match finishes, the result should be recorded immediately so the next round can be scheduled and players know where they stand.

Here's what good live scoring looks like:

• Real-time bracket updates: As scores are entered, the bracket automatically advances winners and updates the schedule. No manual redrawing needed.
• Public tournament page: Share a link that players and spectators can check on their phones. They can see live brackets, upcoming matches, and pool standings without asking you.
• Multiple score reporters: You don't have to be the only person entering scores. Assign volunteers or court monitors to report results as matches finish.

A public tournament page is especially valuable. Instead of players clustering around a whiteboard or constantly messaging you, they can pull up the bracket on their phone. It reduces your workload and keeps everyone informed.

7. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most first-time tournament organizers make the same handful of mistakes. Here's what to watch out for:

• Not enough courts: This is the number one bottleneck. If you have 48 teams and 2 courts, your tournament will take forever. Be realistic about what your venue can handle and cap registrations accordingly.
• Too many categories: It's tempting to offer every possible division — 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 for both doubles and mixed, plus singles and age brackets. But each category needs its own bracket and court time. Start with 3-4 categories and grow from there.
• No rest between matches: Players who are scheduled back-to-back-to-back will burn out, perform poorly, and complain. Build minimum rest periods into your schedule.
• Poor communication: If players don't know when or where their next match is, they'll either miss it or spend the entire day glued to you asking questions. Use a public schedule page, a visible match board, or an announcement system.
• Ignoring weather: For outdoor events, have a clear plan for rain, extreme heat, or wind. Communicate the policy before tournament day so there are no surprises.
• Manual bracket management: Tracking brackets on paper or a whiteboard works for 8 teams. For anything larger, it gets messy fast. Scores get lost, brackets get drawn wrong, and you end up spending more time managing paperwork than running the event.