Pickleball Team Leagues FAQ

Modified on Thu, Jun 12 at 4:05 PM

League Structure and Organization
Season Setup and Management
Teams and Players
Matchups and Scoring
Ratings and Player Movement
Roles and Permissions
Registration and Payment
Venues and Scheduling
Communication
Public Website and Player Experience
Technical Considerations and Support
Additional Features
League Structure and Organization

Team League Structure and Organization

How are leagues structured in the system? The system uses a hierarchical structure starting with a root-level team league. Within each league, you can organize by districts/communities/clubs, then divisions, and finally teams. Multiple separate team leagues (e.g., Mixed Doubles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles) can run simultaneously.

Can I run multiple seasons at the same time? No, only one active season can run at a time within a single team league. To run concurrent seasons (e.g., Mixed Doubles and Men's Doubles), you need to create separate team leagues for each.

What's the difference between a district, division, season, and team?

Districts: Group teams based on geography, facility, or other organizational needs.
Divisions: Group teams within a district by skill level, age, or other classifications.
Season: The duration of the league's competitive play.
Teams: The player groups that compete against each other in matchups.

How are players organized in the system? Players exist at the root level of a team league. They can be assigned to teams but remain part of the league even when unassigned. Players can be on multiple teams but cannot be on two teams within the same division to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Season Setup and Management

How do I set up a new league? Before you can setup a new league, you need to make sure you have a user profile and a club created on pickleball.com. Once those are complete, our support team will help you setup your initial Team League. Once created, you'll receive login credentials to set up divisions, teams, and seasons.

How do I set up a new season? To add a new season:

Go to the "Season" section and click "Add Season."
Enter the season title.
Select the public visibility start date.
Set the season's start and end dates.
Select the divisions participating in this season.

Can I control when registration opens for a new season? Yes. You can set early registration periods for returning players and regular registration dates. Tiered pricing based on registration dates is also supported.

Can seasons have different formats and rules? Yes. Each season can have a unique structure with customizable match formats, scoring rules, rotation policies, and tiebreaker procedures for each division.

Teams and Players

How do players join teams? Players can join teams in several ways:

Team captains can invite players using an invite code or QR code.
League administrators can manually add players.
Players can request to join teams (if this option is enabled).

What player information is stored in the system? The system stores player contact information (email, phone), photos, DUPR ratings, and other profile details.

How do team management permissions work? Team management roles include:

Captain: Full team management capabilities.
Co-Captain: Limited to score entry and lineup setting.
Manager: Permissions similar to a captain, based on league configuration.

What's the difference between a captain and a co-captain? A team can have only one captain, who can enter scores, set lineups, make trades, and add/drop players. Multiple co-captains can be assigned, with the ability to only enter scores and set lineups on game day.

How do captains add players to their teams? Captains can add players by:

Using an invite code (displayed or sent directly).
Adding free agents from the league's free agent list.
Moving players between teams they manage (if permitted).

Is there a limit to how many players can be on a team? Yes, you can configure minimum and maximum team sizes per division. The system supports large rosters (20+ players) if needed.

How do we handle substitute players or injured players? The system offers:

Game-day substitution for injured players.
An injured reserve (IR) list for longer-term injuries.
Player replacement functionality.

Can we control player movement between teams? Yes, commissioners have full control over player movement between teams and divisions through the Team League settings. Options include:

No commissioner approval required for trades/moves.
Commissioner must initiate all player moves.
Commissioner must approve all player moves.

Matchups and Scoring

How are matchups set up in the system? Matchups are created when you set up your schedule. Each matchup involves two teams playing multiple matches based on the format defined for that division/season.

What match formats can we use? You can configure various match formats, including:

Different scoring systems (e.g., rally scoring).
Number of games per match.
Points needed to win.
Different player combinations (men's, women's, mixed doubles).
Custom tiebreaker rules.

How are tiebreakers handled? You can configure custom tiebreaker formats, including:

Single or multiple games.
Different scoring formats.
Player rotation rules (individual or cumulative point counting).
Team or individual rotation after specific point thresholds.

How does the lineup submission process work?

Away teams submit lineups first, by the set deadline.
Home teams submit lineups after viewing the away team's lineup.
You can configure specific deadlines for each team.

Can we hide lineups from opposing teams? This feature is being added to allow teams to submit lineups without the opposing team seeing them until both are submitted.

How do teams enter scores? Scores can be entered via the captain's dashboard on desktop or mobile devices. The interface allows entry for each individual game within the match.

What happens if a team is late submitting their lineup? The system tracks submission times but does not automatically lock teams out.

Can we cancel or withdraw from matches? Yes, the system supports:

Canceling matchups (removes them from standings calculations).
Withdrawing from a match (counts as a forfeit).
Forfeiting individual games.
Retiring from games in progress.

Ratings and Player Movement

How does the system handle DUPR ratings? The system integrates with DUPR. Players can use their self-rating as a starting point, and all matches played in your leagues can automatically contribute to their DUPR rating if enabled.

How are player trades and movements handled? The system supports various player movement options:

Trades between teams.
Adding or dropping players.
Moving players between teams.
Injured reserve status. You can configure whether these movements require commissioner approval or can be managed directly by team captains.

How does the system track player statistics? All player statistics are stored per season, division, and team, allowing for comprehensive historical performance tracking.

Roles and Permissions

What are the different administrative roles?

Commissioner: Full access to the entire platform for the team league.
Primary Manager: Same access level as a commissioner.
Manager: Customizable specific permissions.
Game Day Manager: Can manage lineups and enter scores on behalf of teams.

What can team captains do in the system? Team captains can:

Add or remove players (based on league settings).
Set lineups.
Enter scores.
Request trades.
Send invite codes to potential players.
Manage their team roster.

What's the difference between a commissioner and a primary manager? Commissioners and primary managers have the same level of permissions and access to all league management features. Multiple individuals can hold either role.

Registration and Payment

Does the system handle registration and payment? Yes, the system supports online registration and payment processing through Stripe integration. You can set up registration periods, pricing tiers, team and player fees, and waiting lists.

Venues and Scheduling

How are venues managed in the system? You can add multiple venues with detailed information, including:

Name and address.
Surface type.
Number of courts.
Ball type.
Parking information.
Court specifications. Teams can have designated home courts for schedule creation.

How do we create our league schedule? Two scheduling methods are available:

Individual matchup creation: Recommended for flexible scheduling.
Bulk scheduling: Better for schedules with fixed times and locations.

Can captains propose schedule changes? Yes, captains can review the schedule and propose changes to specific matches. Commissioners can then accept, modify, or reject these requests.

Can captains directly reschedule matches? No, currently only commissioners can make official schedule changes. Captains can only propose changes.

How do we handle weather-related postponements? Commissioners can easily edit match dates, times, and locations when weather impacts play. The system retains the original matchup information while updating the schedule.

What are "schedule groups," and do we need them? Schedule groups are used to bundle multiple matches into a single event, such as a tournament weekend. For regular league play with individual matches, they are not necessary.

Communication

How can we communicate with players and teams? The system includes a messaging function for targeting specific groups (teams, divisions, etc.) and communicating via:

Email campaigns that can be scheduled
Text messages that can be sent

Is there a way for players to indicate their availability? Yes, players can mark their availability on a calendar. Captains can view this for lineup planning. A requested feature will allow captains to send availability calendars to players for them to mark (e.g., green check, black X, yellow question mark).

Can players get notifications about their matches? Yes, players can opt in to receive text message notifications about their matches and other team communications.

Public Website and Player Experience

What information is visible on the public site? The public-facing website displays:

League information.
Team rosters and photos.
Division standings.
Schedules and results.
Venue details.
Sponsor information.

Can we control what's visible to the public? Yes, you can manage visibility settings for your league, seasons, and other content to control what is publicly displayed.

What can players see in the system? Players can view:

Their team's schedule.
Standings across all divisions.
Player statistics (their own and others').
Team rosters and information.

Technical Considerations and Support

Is the software mobile-friendly? Yes, all features, including lineup management, score entry, and schedule viewing, are fully functional and optimized for mobile devices.

Can we import our existing player database? Players need to create their own profiles on the platform. While you can set up teams and divisions, individual players will need to register directly with the system.

How does the software handle multiple seasons throughout the year? You can create separate team leagues for different seasons or playing formats (e.g., Mixed Doubles League for the fall season, Men's Doubles League for the spring season). Each league operates independently with its own seasons, divisions, and teams.

Will there be training resources for captains? Yes, complete documentation and tutorials will be available before the public launch. The system is designed to be intuitive, and comprehensive guides will be provided.

Additional Features

Does the system support playoffs? Yes, the system supports multiple playoff levels, including main playoffs, consolation brackets, and a "toilet bowl" for lower-ranked teams. Visual indicators in the standings show playoff contention status.

How is historical data handled? All statistics are archived by season, allowing for lookups of historical performance.

Does the system handle team ratings? Yes, there is support for team league rating maximums.

Are there any score tracking options? Yes, you can print scorecards for manual score tracking, and tiebreaker functionality is included.