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New Player Entry Process 

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Eligibility

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Competitive Round Robins (RR) are limited to:

1. Those on the roster, receiving invitations

2. Evaluation Players, i.e., those being given a trial in order to join the roster permanently

3. Guests who are rostered in a competitive RR one level higher or lower

No other guest players are permitted.

Rostered RR players:

1. Need an email address and internet access, and

2. Must be a PPA member.

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Entry and Evaluation

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An Evaluation Player needs to be matched to an appropriate RR level. This can be done by:

• Self-rating at a level supported by the USAP Player Skills Ratings rubric: https://usapickleball.org/skill-level/

• An evaluation by a PPA instructor to determine their appropriate rating level, see https://www.prescottpickleball.org/instructors.  A fee may be associated with the evaluation and should be discussed with the PPA instructor.  The cost of the evaluation will be the responsibility of the player.

• Use of ratings acquired outside of PPA, such as DUPR.  

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Evaluation players must be a PPA member or must have completed a PPA waiver before the evaluation.  After evaluation, they must be a PPA member to be added to the roster, and maintain membership to remain on the roster.

An Evaluation Player is given a one-week trial in which their performance is assessed based on their scoring average (minimum of 5 games). 

• If their average is between 7.0 and 9.7, they are eligible to be added to the roster.  See rostered player requirements listed above.

• If their average is below 7.0, they will be moved down a level.

• If their average is 9.7 or above, they will be moved up a level.

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After the one-week evaluation period, standard rules apply.  See the Promotion and Demotion Policy below.

   

Description of Levels

 

2.7 and below: This level of PPA RR play is designed to encourage new players to become more serious about the sport and to develop a sense of competition.  It will serve as a bridge between social play and tournament level play.

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3.0 and 3.2: PPA RR play is designed to facilitate a transition to competitive or tournament level play in a safe structured Club environment. This is NOT social play, so expect competing teams/players to develop a court strategy designed to maximize their strengths. 

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3.5 and 3.6: PPA RR play represents competitive or tournament level play for experienced players. 

 

3.7+ Players: generally this level is for players considered low-advanced, who display high consistency, improved court coverage, and strategic point construction.   

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Weekly Sign-up and Cancellations

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Generally, Captains send invitations 5 days prior to the next session. The limit on the number of players who may register is based on:

1. The number of reserved courts,

2. A need for extra players to cover any ‘no-shows’,

3. Maximizing the number of participating players for that session.

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Circumstances may arise that cause a registered player to cancel.  It is expected that this will be done on-line and at least 24 hours in advance of the play session.  Failure to do so is disruptive to play.  Therefore, players who cancel less than 24 hours beforehand and/or do not show when registered twice in four weeks may be removed from the RR invitation for 4 weeks.   Exceptions to this policy can be granted by the Captain for reasons such as illness, injury, family emergency and the like.  PPA Play Group Liaison(s) (currently Ann Steiner and Andrea Schmidlin) will mediate any disputes.

Players are expected to arrive no less than five minutes before the scheduled start of the RR to give the Captain time for check in and grid sheet organization.  Players who arrive late may or may not (at the Captain’s discretion) be permitted to play.

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Game Structure, Scoring, and Tracking

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Play Assignments

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Game day rosters should be random and neither Captains nor players should manipulate the player order to accommodate player requests for byes, or specific player partnerships.

In order to ensure that all players have the opportunity to participate in six games, grid sheets with byes will show seven games.  However, for Championship Week (see below), the Captain may choose to skip the seventh game to manage time constraints. If a player is unable or unwilling to play a 7th game the captain may recruit a volunteer, whose score will not be recorded, to replace them.

 

Game Scoring Format

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Games are played to 11 points, win by one, i.e., first team to 11 points wins.

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Serving Side

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The player whose number is in the upper left of the grid should serve.  Players on either side can select either starting position.

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Switching Sides

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When a team reaches 6 points, the teams will switch sides if ANY of the 4 players requests it. 

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PPA Rally Scoring

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Rally scoring is implemented to speed play under the following conditions: 

When only one court remains with a game in progress and either team has 9 points or fewer, that game will switch to rally scoring with the first serve of the second server. Every serve in rally scoring results in a point, regardless of which side served. This means the receiving side may win the point. Play continues until one team reaches 11 points.

Rally scoring is not used for the last (6th or 7th) regular game, it is played to completion under regular rules (first to 11, win by one) as this last court is not holding up other players. The only exception to this is during championship week. Optionally, using rally play for all 6 or 7 games will help ensure the championship game can be completed in a timely manner.

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Game Completion and Score Tracking

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Players are to record their results for each match played.  As appropriate, the Captain will enter scores into the score tracker to ensure accurate results and fair competition.  

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Dropping Scores (Recording an X)

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The actual score of some games may be omitted, at the player’s discretion, and an X recorded instead.  The dropping of a game score is permitted if your match included, as your partner or opponent:

1. An Evaluation Player,

2. A guest,

3. A promoted player that has not yet been able to move to their new RR (as described below).

The Captain will inform all players before play begins whenever such players will be participating.

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Managing Early Player Departures

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A player may need to leave before the completion of the games due to unforeseen circumstances such as injury, illness, family emergency, and the like.  A bye player, if available, may be used as a substitute.  These games are scored based on the criteria listed previously for rostered vs non-rostered players.  Any games not completed by the departing player should be marked as a bye.  A guest may also fill in but the same rules as described above apply.

When no replacement is available, the grid used for the remaining games should be modified accordingly. For example, change from a 12-player grid to an 11-player grid. It is preferable to adjust the grid early on to avoid excessive repeat combinations. If changes are made late in the round robin, it may be better to use byes instead.  Captain's discretion is used in these situations.

Planned early departures are not permitted.  Players who cannot stay for the full 2-hour session should not register for the event.  If this does occur, the Captain should manage the early departure with the same criteria as described in Weekly Sign-Ups and Cancellations above.

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Returning from Absence

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Players returning from an extended absence (injury, extended vacation, snowbird absence, etc.) can voluntarily move down to a lower-level RR until they feel ready to return to their original higher level of play.  These individuals are not required to meet the standard 4-week, 9.7 promotion rules at the lower rehab level to return to their original RR group.  Captains should make returning players aware of this policy.

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Promotion and Demotion Policy

 

Eligibility Requirements

For a player to be considered for promotion or demotion, they must have completed 4 weeks of play within the previous 8 weeks. There is no requirement for a minimum number of games. 

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Automatic Promotion and Demotion

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Once a player's 4-week average drops below 7.0 or rises to 9.7 or above, they are automatically demoted or promoted with no exceptions.

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Roster Placement After Promotion or Demotion

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If a player is promoted or demoted, and, due to the timing of the events, they cannot be added to the roster for their new level by the following week, they may remain on the invitation list with their current group for one additional week.  Captains should notify the group before play begins that those playing with or against this player have the option to drop their scores by recording an X instead of their score. In addition, this individual’s scores will NOT be recorded in the score tracker.

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Exceptions

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If a promoted player is unable to play on their new RR Day of the week, they may ask the next level up Captain for an evaluation.  The one-week evaluation is to determine suitability for play at that level determined by an average score of 7.0 or better (5 game minimum).  If this occurs, the player is rostered and normal guidelines apply. 

Players who have questions or concerns regarding the management of their RR should contact the PPA Play Group liaison(s) (currently Ann Steiner and Andrea Schmidlin) to discuss their concerns; they can be found in the Member Directory.  

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Monthly Championship Game Participation Policy

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Selection of Players

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Only rostered players may compete in the Monthly Championship game.  Guests, evaluation players, and promoted or demoted players who are staying for one extra week are allowed to participate in the regular games during Championship week. However, they are not eligible to play in the Championship game itself.  Generally, the top four players will play; however, if a player is unable to participate for any reason (injured, exhausted, must leave, etc.), the next player in order plays in the game. The top players are determined by calculating the average score for each player after all regular games are complete (minimum of four).  The top-scoring player is paired with the lowest. One team is selected by chance (ex: flip a coin, pick a number) to choose to either to serve first or select their starting side of the court.    

Scoring and Breaks

This game is played to 15 points, win by 1. Teams switch sides when one team has reached eight points. Two 1-minute breaks may be requested by any player for any reason at any point in the game. 

 

Referee and Line Judges

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The players are responsible for making line calls. The Captain will:

1. Track the score,

2. Monitor time of breaks (one minute maximum)

3. Call foot faults in kitchen or serving line,

4. Indicate when teams are to switch sides,

5. Call the score before each serve, and

6. May make line calls when requested by a player appeal, and may recruit players from the group to assist.

 

Weather Policies and Procedures

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Weather Information Sources

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A web-based weather monitoring station is located near the courts which may be used to determine if play should be canceled. 

https://www.wunderground.com/weather/us/az/prescott/KAZPRESC709 

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Pre-Game Cancellation Policy

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Captains will send a cancellation notice electronically to registered players at least one hour before the start time if any of the following conditions are met:

• Temperature is predicted to be below 40°F, or above 90°F during play

• Winds are predicted to be sustained at over 15 MPH.

• Courts have, or are predicted to have, standing water, snow, or ice.

Captains may use discretion in borderline weather conditions. For example, if temperatures are in the high 30s but it is sunny and calm, play may be considered.

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Safety During Play

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Stop playing immediately if thunder is heard or if conditions become unsafe, such as rain or snow.