Club Team Competition

The Club division is the perfect way for pickleball venues, shops, or trainers/coaches to go head-to-head with other similar entities to prove their program’s superiority. The APBA’s unique team competition format provides a truly level playing field allowing these entities to not only compete with their competitors, but create awareness of what they have to offer.

This competition provides major promotional value – amateur players have a distinct affect on influencing other players in their buying decisions -all at a much lower investment than pro players. Amateurs, nearly exclusively, are the customers that Clubs, Shops, and Coaches have a distinct need to reach.

For Pickleball Clubs/Venues, the advantage of team competition is the notoriety it will bring to your facility – be known as the club where the best players play.

For Shops, the advantage is the promotional value having their shop’s name on the jerseys of players at these events and associated with the best players.

For coaches, what better way to promote your coaching and training abilities than to have your players win championship while flying your colors in an official way.

Not only can a club, shop or coach promote their athletes season championships, but their successes in individual matches as well. For example, hypothetically, if Coach Brian Davis’ player, Mark Jones, playing in 18-29 Expert singles were to defeat Jeff Smith in the second round of any other tournament, there wouldn’t be much to hype up about it. But in our format, if Coach Brian Davis’ player, Mark Jones (#6 in 18-29 Expert Men’s Singles points) defeated The Hub’s Jeff Smith (#1 in 18-29 Expert Men’s Singles points), now there is absolutely something to brag about on your socials. Our system provides CONTEXT to these common battles and stories from every event. The APBA amateur points series provides a vehicle for these players to not only prove their worth, but gives their sponsors an opportunity and reason to promote these individual athlete’s successes in a much more broad way.

Additionally, our Team regulations require teams to wear matching uniforms. The better the design, coupled with performance, the more attention these uniforms will draw to your individual businesses.

  • Entries are limited to APBA approved and authorized:
    1. Pickleball club venues (physical places i.e. The Hub, Marriott Desert Ridge, Coronado Cays
    Park)
    2. Pickleball Shops/Stores (i.e. Pickleball Central, Dave’s Paddle Store)
    3. Training/coaching groups (LA Pickleball Coaching, ProConnection Camps, Coach Angie’s
    Pickleball Training) )
    4. Others to be approved case-by-case by APBA.  
  • Primary team name MUST be designated as the primary Club/Entity. There may be a secondary designation in the name. The secondary team name can be a Factory. For example: The Hub/Gearbox Paddles.
  • Players on team may be a combination of Intermediates and Experts.

Rosters

Two weeks prior to the first tournament entered for team competition, each competing Club Team must register their team (fee applies) and submit a team roster, including a designated Team Manager. These players will be locked to that roster for the remainder of the season.  No team hopping.  

Club Teams may add un-rostered players at anytime during the season, provided a new roster is submitted a minimum 14 days before the start of the event in which they are to be entered into team competition.

Team Sheets

At each event, each Team Manager will submit a Team Sheet (entry fee applies) to enter Team competition.

Club teams will designate six separate players for Team competition at that event. There is also an optional 7th player that may be added to the Team Sheet, whose score may replace the lowest score of the original six players. 

Two team sheets may be entered per event – the same players may be designated but only once per sheet., and they must be entered in a different class.  For example, Tiffany James may be entered in Singles on Team Sheet 1, but cannot be entered in Singles on Team Sheet 2.

Format

Each player on each Team Sheet will earn points based on finish position and number of players in their respective class.  Only the top 6 Club Team scores on each sheet will be counted towards a total score. If two team sheets are entered, only the top scoring sheet at each event will be used for rankings. The other sheet and its score will be discarded.

Each Club Team Sheet MUST include at least two female players and MUST also include at least two youth (17 and under) players.

The top Team Sheet score from each event will be totaled at season’s end to determine a Series Champion.  Scores from the Championship Final event will be doubled.

Points

Team Sheet Points, All Divisions:
1st – 50 points, plus 1 point for every player entered in the class
2nd- 45 Points, plus 1 point for every player entered in the class
3rd – 40 Points, plus 1 point for every player entered in the class
4th – 35 Points, plus 1 point for every player entered in the class
5th+ – 1 point for every player entered in the class
Plus:
2 points for each Intermediate score not dropped on Team Sheet
3 points for each Expert score not dropped on Team Sheet
5 points for each Open Class score not dropped on Team Sheet

Tie Breakers:
Ties ARE allowed at each individual event.
Tie breakers will be enforced ONLY in season-end points as follows:
in descending order,
1. Most points at the Championship Final Event,
2. Most First Place finishes on Team Sheet at the Championship Final Event,
3. Most Second Place Finishes on Team Sheet at the Championship Final Event,
4. Most Third Place finishes on Team Sheet at the Championship Final Event,
5. Most Fourth Place Finishes on Team Sheet at the Championship Final Event,
6. Most Experts on Team Sheet at the Championship Final Event,
7. Most Intermediates on Team Sheet at the Championship Final Event,
8. Most Novices on Team Sheet at the Championship Final Event,
9. Winner of one Skinny Singles game to 7 OR, if BOTH Team Managers agree, by coin flip – at tournament director’s discretion.

Uniforms

  • Each team must wear matching uniforms at each event (same solid color shirt/jersey, at a minimum).
  • For Club teams, the team name must be clearly identified on the jersey and as close to identical across all team shirts as possible – failure to comply could result in player disqualification from team competition at that event. 
  • The aim is to look as professional and uniform as possible, with each team being clearly identifiable. That said, be creative and have fun with it!

Fees

Club Team One-time Season Registration: $100 per team

Register a Team

Each Club Team Sheet per event:  $100

Purchase Team Sheets