Court Utilization

"Share the courts."

1. A venue can accommodate many players with proper preparation, rotation policy and particpant cooperation.

2. The average pickleball game lasts about 13 minutes, thus courts can become available rather quickly.

3. Unless a court, section or venue has been reserved, play is open for "drop-in" or "pick-up" recreational activity.

4. For maximum utilization, recreational play consists of doubles format, playing to eleven points and winning by two.

5. Upon winning the final point, the court becomes available for the next player(s) waiting.

6. It is common practice for recreational players to rotate off and on a court after completion of a game.

7. A rotation system allows for new arrivals and visitors to access the courts.

8. A brief rest break between games aids player stamina.

9. Plan or schedule singles play, skill development, drills, training, lessons, or demonstrations during periods of low demand for court resources.

10. Follow the venue’s queuing system and respect everyone’s place in line.

11. A discussion of queuing systems appears below.

12. Organizing and combining a social activity with pickleball usually requires a reservation for the venue and a posted announcement.

13. A sense of community is just as important as the sport itself to many who play the game.

14. A large venue may have designated areas and/or times for open, beginner, intermediate, advanced, low intensity or organized play.

15. Only join a queing system when you are physically present on the courts.

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Recreational Play

Practice/"Warm-Up"

Players go through a physical range-of-motion activity that mimics upcoming play. They exchange volleys, deliver ground strokes and place drop shots. The objective is to hone ball handing skills or prepare the mind and body for a game. When courts are crowded, players should limit warm-up exercise to 5 minutes.

Open

Players of mixed abilities come together and hone their skills. Families, beginners, intermediate and advanced players interact and create a cooperative competitive playing experience following the USA Pickleball rule book.

Novice

Also known as a "beginner". People orienting to the sport. Players come together to learn and apply USA Pickleball rules, court etiquette, safety practices and basic strategy. They are in the process of developing ball placement and handling skills yet exhibit more unforced errors than not.

Intermediate

Players come together that know, can explain and apply USA Pickleball rules, safety practices and court etiquette. They understand basic strategies, know techniques to serve and return a ball and have less unforced errors than so.

Advanced

Players come together that know USA Pickleball rules, court etiquette, and understand competitive strategies. They demonstrate consistency and control, can change pace and placement of the ball, and have few unforced errors.

Low Intensity

Players of limited mobility, ability or agility come together with the primary purpose of having fun and competing in an environment where aggressive play is keep at a minimum.

Organized Play

Social

Players of mixed abilities comes together with the primary purpose of having fun. Keeping score is secondary. Social play allows for variations from the USA Pickleball rule book. Gatherings revolve around celebrations, food, charity support, festivals, picnics, etc.. A venue should be reserved for a social event.

Workshop/clinic

Group education, training sessions and/or lectures designed to increase the level and understand of the participants. There is usually a defined agenda and players strive to meet the objectives

Skills and drills

Meet-ups planned to practice a specified set of abilities, plays, serves, returns, drop shots, dinks, etc. Players often find an empty court and set up with a mentor, coach or another player to try and work on an element of their technique.

Leagues

A series of competitions in which a determined group of players compete with each other in matches scheduled as meet-ups over a timeline. Event organizers keep track of cumulative points achieving a dynamic ranking of player skill levels.

Tournament

A event scheduled and organized as a collection of competitive matches designed to measure, challenge and reward varying skill levels of players.

Exhibition

A event designed to show an audience specific innovations, skills and strategies usually conducted by an industry leader or vendor. Attendees may be exposed to a collection of lectures, exhibits and presentations.

"Mind your place in line and respect that of others."

Queuing Systems

1. When a venue exceeds the player compacity for the number of court positions, players implement a queuing system for fair rotation and maximum utilization.

2. A technique is established to plan foursomes for courts that become available when a game is complete.

3. Be prepared to navigate to the next available court. Avoid walking through or near a game that is in progress.

4. Players may simply stand and wait in line with their paddles. Some venues use a white board and write names to build foursomes.

5. Paddles placed in a rack, "saddle", container, on a bench or against a fence facilitate the most common queuing techniques.

6. Make certain to have a player name or identifiable mark on a paddle.

7. Do not move or relocate a paddle that is not your own.

8. Move the indicator for next up if provided, not the paddles.

9. Avoid the use of placeholder paddles or put more than one paddle in the queuing system.

10. Do not jump the line unless no one in line ahead of you wants to complete the next foursome.

Fair Rotation, Four-Off/Four-On

Fair rotation – four-off/four-on represents the most common method to share a venue’s courts.
Four-off/four-on has proven to be the fastest and most efficient strategy to handle excess capacity.
The system’s goal is to plan foursomes out of unmatched players that are waiting for an available court.
Players need to understand what queuing system applies to what court upon arrival. Some venues have sections, clusters or corrals earmarked for designated play at designated times. For example, intermediate players may be assigned to four courts from the hours of 8am to noon on Wednesdays. Another section may have a queuing system for novice players. Sections can be found at large venues, eight courts or more.
With four-off/four-on, all four players exit the court upon completion of one game. The next four players waiting the longest get access to the open court.
Upon arrival or after completing a game, place your paddle at the end of the queue to rotate into play.
Pull your paddle out of the queue if you need an extended break.
If people are waiting at the front of the queue, you must let them access the next available court.
Understand your foursome. Be ready to go when it’s your turn.
The number of slots in a rack is not infinite. When the slots are filled at the right end of the holder, the line continues with the vacant slots at the left end that have been emptied by players already playing.
It is best practice to mix up players within foursomes over time.
If you want to play with a certain partner, place both paddles in the next two empty slots to the right that are available within a set of four.
If you want to play with three specific players, put all four paddles in the next empty set of 4 slots to the right of the existing filled slots. This may mean that there will be empty slots to the left of your group. Someone then may fill those empty slots to the left of your group to complete a foursome and may begin play before your group gets to play.
When your group goes out to play, move the indicator if provided to the right to designate the next group that will play.
If there is an incomplete foursome next up for a court. An individual player waiting in the queue may jump the line to complete the foursome. A foursome waiting may not jump the line ahead of an incomplete foursome that is next up.
If you do not want to play with a person or within a foursome, go to the end of the queue and wait for an opening in another foursome.
Do not rearrange paddles without player consent.

Challenge Court, Winners remain

A venue may allow for a Challenge Court when there are no players waiting to play.
With a Challenge Court, winners remain after one game and play again as a team against two new opponents. The losing team exits off the court.
A queuing system functions to plan teams of two opponents for the upcoming available games. This rotation achieves two-off/two-on a court. The court may be the next available or designated in a section.
There may be multiple challenge courts running; drawing from the same queue.
Two-off/two-on rotations impact court utilization, accommodating less players over time when compared to four-off/four-on.
The venue may promote a win-by-one Challenge Court to speed things up. Challenge Courts can attract players of equal skill which can extend the length of a game.
Players need to understand what queuing system applies to what court upon arrival. Some venues have sections, clusters or corrals earmarked for designated play at designated times.
A dedicated queue is best for Challenge Courts.
Upon arrival or after completing a game, place your paddle at the end of the queue to rotate into play.
Pull your paddle out of the queue if you need an extended break.
If people are waiting at the front of the queue, you must let them access the next available game.
Identify your partner and understand your position in the queue. Be ready to go when it’s your turn.
If you do not want to play with the person that is next up, go to the end of the queue.
When winners no longer want to play, all four players exit the court after the game and the next four start a new Challenge Court.
Do not rearrange paddles in a queue without player consent.

Rotation, Two off / Two on, Winners Split

A venue may allow for rotation of two new players onto a court after losers exit. Winners stay and split their team. This method is applied when there are no players waiting to play.
With this version of rotation, winners remain after one game and play again on separate ends of the court. Two opponents join for the next game and team up with the winners.
Players make an attempt to balance skill levels of the teams before beginning play.
A queuing system functions to select two opponents to join the winners. This rotation achieves two-off/two-on for a court. The court may be the next available or designated in a section.
There may be multiple courts running this rotation, drawing from the same queue.
Two-off/two-on rotations impact court utilization, accommodating less players over time when compared to four-off/four-on.
The venue may promote a court to win-by-one to speed things up.
Players need to understand what queuing system applies to what court upon arrival. Some venues have sections, clusters or corrals earmarked for designated play at designated times.
A dedicated queue is best for running this version of rotation.
Upon arrival or after completing a game, place your paddle at the end of the queue to rotate into play.
Pull your paddle out of the queue if you need an extended break.
If people are waiting at the front of the queue, you must let them access the next available game.
Understand your position in the queue. Be ready to go when it’s your turn.
If you do not want to play with the person that is next up, go to the end of the queue.
When winners no longer want to play, all four players exit the court after the game and the next four start a new rotation for the court.
Do not rearrange paddles in a queue without player consent.

NEXTuP Paddle System

The NEXTuP paddle rack can be found throughout the Valley. It contains color coded segments with slots for four paddles. The goal is to build a foursome within the segment. Paddles are placed in the rack left to right. The rack comes with an indicator that is used to identify the next four players that go to the next available court. The indicator moves to the right. When players retrieve their paddles to go out, they move the indicator to the next foursome.

"Share the courts."