PLAYER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
A. Governing Rules
All league / event participants are governed by the Panhandle Pickleball Club (PPBC) League Rules and the current USA Pickleball (USAP) Official Rulebook. Situations not specifically addressed in these rules will be decided by the PPBC Leadership Team and/or Board of Directors. In the event of a conflict between these rules and USAP rules, the PPBC League Rules shall prevail unless otherwise determined by the Board.
B. Eligibility
PPBC leagues are open to men and women competing in their respective Men's, Women's, and Mixed divisions. Players must be:
- 18 years of age or older, or
- 14–17 years old with a parent or legal guardian present.
C. Age Divisions
PPBC offers the following age divisions. Teams are not age-restricted, but players must meet the age requirement for the division in which they compete.
- 14+ Division: Players must be at least 14 years old by the league start date.
- 50+ Division: Players must be 50 years old, or turn 50 during the calendar year in which the league ends.
- 65+ Division: Players must be 65 years old, or turn 65 during the calendar year in which the league ends.
D. Multiple League Participation
Players may compete in multiple age divisions and/or regions during select seasons.
If a player qualifies for the Championship with more than one team in the same division, they must notify all affected team captains of the team they will represent at least three (3) days before the Championship.
E. Minimum Teams Required
A division must have a minimum of three (3) teams to operate as a standalone division. If this requirement is not met, PPBC may combine age groups and/or skill levels.
- Combined divisions will play and score all matches normally.
- PPBC may choose not to record combined-division results in the rating system if competitive equity could be affected.
- Combined divisions remain eligible for league standings, playoff qualification, and Championship eligibility unless otherwise announced.
- Any exceptions require approval from the PPBC Executive Committee or Board of Directors.
A. Registration Fee
All players must pay the required registration fee for each team they participate on before competing in any PPBC league.
B. Waiver of Liability
All players must complete and accept the PPBC Waiver and Release of Liability prior to participating each league season.
C. Division Eligibility
Team rosters must consist of players whose ratings fall within the eligibility requirements for the division in which they are competing.
- PPBC Rating
A player's official PPBC rating will be used whenever available and will supersede all other ratings. PPBC ratings are considered the player's official league rating and may only be appealed under exceptional circumstances, such as a significant medical condition that has materially affected the player's ability. - DUPR Rating
New players with an established DUPR rating will use that rating as their starting league rating if the player has been active within the previous 12 months. If the DUPR reliability score is below 60, the player may submit a rating appeal before registering. Only approved appeals will be accepted - Certified Rating
Players without a PPBC rating may submit a rating from a recognized certified rating specialist (VAIRified) for consideration through the PPBC rating appeal process. - Player Competition
Players have the opportunity to participate in a competitive evaluation match against opponents at the skill level they are seeking to enter. Matches will be organized with current league players to provide a realistic assessment of competitive ability. The purpose of these matches is to help determine player competitiveness, ensure appropriate division placement, and create balanced and enjoyable league play.
D. Playing Up
A captain may request approval for a player to compete above their eligible skill division. All requests must be approved by PPBC before the player participates. Team captains are responsible for ensuring all rostered player ratings are accurate and supportable.
Players without a PPBC rating, DUPR rating, or approved certified rating will be assigned the following provisional ratings for league eligibility:
- 2.5 Division: 2.70
- 3.0 Division: 3.20
- 3.5 Division: 3.70
- 4.0 Division: 4.20
All rating appeals must be submitted during the rating appeals timeframe to be included in the review process.
At all skill levels, teams may contain players within the rating range as long as the average team rating is within the division rating range.
Note: Appeals are valid for one (1) season.
TEAM MEMBERS
- Player eligibility for multiple teams is determined each season. If permitted, a player is eligible to play in more than one age-defined skill level (14+, 50+ or 65+) and/or more than one division (Mixed or Gender Doubles), but cannot be on more than one team in the same division.
- A player who registers for a team may not switch teams within the same division once the season has started.
- Team members are not required to be from any particular club. Captains may recruit players from any location. It is the captain’s responsibility to ensure their roster meets the requirements of their home court venue if there are specified requirements or restrictions defined by the venue.
TEAM NAMES
Captains will submit an initial team name to the league during team registration. It is first come, first served, in case two submittals are identical. Team names can be changed after registration by informing your league coordinator.
ROSTER SIZE
The roster size will be limited to 12 players on the team. Captains should be aware that for the team to participate in the next level of competition ALL players on the team must play a minimum of 2 matches (12 games) to meet the player / team playoff qualification criteria.
ROSTER ADDITIONS
Captains may add players up to 12 until player registration closes. If a player is deemed unable to complete the season due to injury and is the 12th player, a new player may be registered for the team as long as player registration remains open. The injured player will become inactive in the system. The new player must meet the ratings criteria for the division / team average.
TEAM ROSTERS
Team captains are required to submit a complete list of all new players to the League Coordinator before player registration opens. The League Coordinator will assist with the player rating and division eligibility process to help ensure each player is eligible to compete at the intended skill level.
TEAM REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
All teams must have registered online by the published registration deadline.
CAPTAINS
All teams must have a designated captain. Captains shall monitor their rosters as players begin to register for correctness and adherence to league rules.
COURTS, BALLS, PADDLES, STARTING SERVER BANDS- COURTS AND FACILITIES. Each team is required to designate their home court facility. The facility must have the required number of courts necessary for the format of the league and must be approved by the league's venue coordinator prior to use. Indoor venues are acceptable provided they use typical hard outdoor court surfaces. For facility approval contact your League or Venue Coordinator. Courts must be available simultaneously for a minimum of two hours (2.5 hours preferred).
- BALLS. Balls used for all league games must be Franklin X-40 outdoor balls, either new or in good condition, with an enhanced color for visibility like “optic yellow” or “neon green”. Pink, blue and other colors are not allowed. The team listed as the home team supplies the balls. It is recommended that at least six balls be available at each match. The same make, model and color ball must be used for all games in the match.
- PADDLES. Paddles must be USAP approved for tournament play.
- STARTING SERVER BANDS. The home team shall decide whether to use starting server wristbands and provide them for all players if needed.