League Guide - Flex Leagues

This guide is meant for our flex league format. These leagues are great for players with dynamic schedules who don’t want to commit to a specific day of the week for matches. In some cities, offer a slightly different format (on-demand), which has it’s own set of guidelines, available here.

League Format

  • Match Structure- Matches are to be played to a best 2 out of 3 games. Each game should be played to 11 and with a win by 2 requirements.
  • Team Composition: This is a doubles league, focused on pairs of players. When forming a team, consider the following:
      • Self-Select: You are welcome to choose your own partner if you have someone in mind.
      • Partner Pairing Assistance: Should you need a partner, you can request our help, and we’ll match you with another player seeking a teammate.
      • Open to All: Our league welcomes teams of any gender combination, supporting a diverse and inclusive environment where anyone can team up with anyone else.
  • Duration- The regular season of the league is 6 weeks long. Championship games will be held during the 2-3 weeks following the season (see below for more details). 
  •  Matchups– You will receive 5-6 matchups for other teams within your division, depending on whether we have an even number of teams or not. Any byes will be scored as 11-6, 11-6 in your favor.
  • Rules- We adhere to the USA Pickleball 2024 Official Rulebook. Matches are self-officiated. As a recreational league, sportsmanship is encouraged and expected. Please do your best to be familiar with and to follow the rules. If you feel another player has exercised poor sportsmanship, please reach out to the league admins for support at [email protected] 
  • Withdrawals – Efforts will be made to replace withdrawing teams if possible. Unreplaced matches are scored as 11-6, 11-6 in your favor.

Match Coordination

  • Scheduling- Each match will be assigned to a certain week of the regular season. It is recommended to try to play the match in the week it is intended for, but you are welcome to play it in any prior or future week if needed to accommodate schedules. 
  • Match Location- Teams will coordinate the best location for the group. We provide a list of recommended locations, but you are welcome to play anywhere that both players agree. If one player lives far outside the league area, they should be willing to commute to a more central location. 
  • Court Fees- Some courts may require fees. No player should be forced to pay court fees if they do not want to. If you would like to play at a private court, but your opponent does not want to, you will have to select a different venue or cover their costs. Paddle Party is not responsible for and will not reimburse court fees.
  • Communication- It is recommended to use Heartbeat (the chat application that we use to organize the league) to communicate with players early and often during the league process. At a minimum, we recommend sending a message the week before to try to align on schedules and then a follow up message the day of as a reminder. When finding times, it is most helpful to list all times you are available during the week, rather than going back and forth. 
  • Inclement Weather– If there is inclement weather preventing the game to be played safely, we ask that you try to work with the other team to reschedule the match as soon as possible. If the match is unable to be rescheduled, it will count as a bye towards playoff rankings. (11-6), (6-11). If a match is in progress when inclement weather begins, you should start the make up match from where you left off. 
  • Unplayed Games- The purpose of the league is for all players to have a good time and we hope that most people are able to play matches without an issue. That said, there may be cases where games are unable to be played. If you have trouble scheduling, please contact the admins. If the match is unable to be scheduled, it will either be defined as a forfeit or a group forfeit: 
    • Forfeit-  Forfeits will be scored as 11-6,11-6 for rankings purposes. The team may request that the other team be forfeited if they:
      • Did not message in the match chat prior to the end of the scheduled week. 
      • Had to cancel a match within 24 hours of the scheduled time
      • Didn’t show up within 15 minutes of the scheduled time
      • Have both been unresponsive for 5 days after the league admins attempted to contact them.
      • Were not engaging in the spirit of the league (at the league manager’s sole discretion). 
    • Group Forfeit- Group forfeits will be scored as 11-6, 6-11 for rankings purposes. These may occur if both teams made reasonable efforts to schedule the match.
      • Any unplayed matches at the end of the season that have not been brought to the admins attention will be considered a group forfeit for ranking purposes. 
    • Substitutions- Players may substitute with anyone else who is within the skill level of the division (or below). This player could be someone else in the league (as long as they aren’t on the opposing team) or someone outside of the league.If there are any conflicts with your opponents subs, please reach out to support and the league admins will review it on a case by case basis. 
      • League approval is required for a sub during the postseason championship matches
  • Non-Responsive Players- Please contact the league admins if you have trouble getting in touch with a player. The fastest way to get support is to email [email protected]. We will do our best to help get in touch with them. If the league administrators aren’t able to get a response from a player, but the other player is available, we recommend using a substitute if possible. If both players from a team are non-responsive, then the match will be counted as a forfeit. 
  • Score Submission- After a match is completed, one team should submit scores. Score reporting can be done through the Paddle Party website (linked within the Heartbeat Application). You can also use this site to view the rankings and the outcomes of other team’s matches. It is up to each team to ensure that the data they see is accurate. If there is an issue, please contact support at [email protected] to make any needed changes.

Skill Divisions

  • Division Selection- Players self-select their division during registration based on their personal opinions about their skill levels. Our standard leagues offer the following divisions*:
    • Beginner
    • Lower Intermediate
    • Upper Intermediate
    • Advanced
  • Mixed Skill Levels- If there are two players that would like to partner together, but are at different levels, we ask that you select the division of the higher player.
  • Changing Divisions- Given the short nature of the season, we are not usually able to accommodate change requests. That said, league admins will evaluate the situation and make adjustments if possible. Please reach out via email to [email protected] if you have any questions. 

*If there are not enough players in a division, we may merge two or more divisions or give players the option on which division they would like to participate in. 

League Ranking and Championships

  • Ranking Criteria: Rankings are based on total won matches. If there are ties, they will be broken first by total won games, then by margin of victory. If there are further ties to be broken, the league admin will make a decision based on head to head, common opponents, or any other relevant data. 
  • Championship Matches- The top 4 teams in each division qualify for a single elimination seeded playoff. These matches will be played in the 2-3 weeks after the season. 
  • Championship Eligibility: Teams must have fewer than 3 forfeits (individual or group) to qualify.

League Adminstration/Support

This is a recreational league and the main objective should be to have a good time. The League Admins are in place to help foster a fun and engaging community for all. If you have any challenges throughout the process, please reach out via email to [email protected]. 

 

If any disputes come up, the league admins will act as the sole decision maker on the outcome that they believe is most fair at their sole discretion. The league admins reserve the right to remove players at their own discretion if the player has received sportsmanship complaints or if the player is expected to be detrimental to the league or any other participants.

 

Additionally, we have detailed the league as best as possible ahead of time, but league admins reserve the right to make adjustments they feel are necessary throughout the season.  

 

As we gear up for an exciting season filled with spirited competition and camaraderie, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each one of you for bringing your enthusiasm, skills, and sportsmanship to our pickleball community. Whether you’re here to sharpen your competitive edge or simply to enjoy the joy of the game with new friends, your participation makes all the difference.

 

Have fun on the court, and here’s to a season of fantastic pickleball, personal bests, and community spirit!

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