Event Operator Guide

1.  Appoint a Tournament Director and/or Co-tournament Directors

• Select management software. 
• Read the USA Pickleball Sanctioning Requirements.
• Choose an approved format and events (WD, MXD, Singles, Age, Skill, etc.)
• Set a tournament date
• Decide on the number of participants in each event (set parameters)
• Set opening/closing due dates for registration. USA Pickleball suggests opening registration no more than 90 days prior to the event.
• Decide on registration fees and refund policy

2.  Choose a Venue

• The number of courts will be a deciding factor on how many players and/or events the tournament can accommodate.
• Permanent nets are preferred most larger or indoor tournaments use temporary courts/nets.
• Check for Wi-Fi availability and electrical outlets
• PA/Sound system
• Lights
• Room for and availability of vendor/sponsor spaces/tables
• Restrooms
• Check with the venue regarding the need for approved food vendors, if any.

3.  Create a Budget

• Decide on compensation, if any, for referees and/or referee management team
• Factor in costs related to the use of tournament management software.
• Court rental
• Medals and/or rewards
• Food, water
• Supplies (tape, scissors, paper, pencils, etc...)
• Prize money (if any)
• Goodie bags, T-shirts (if any)
• Wristbands for first servers
• Order portable nets if needed

4.  Sanction the Tournament or Certify a League

• Submit the sanctioning request form at least 30 days prior to registration opening.
• Complete the Tournament Director Checklist.
• The general liability insurance provided with USA Pickleball sanctioning is in effect when the Tournament Director requests a certificate for proof of insurance. Request Certificate of Insurance at least 30 days before the start of the tournament.
• Familiarize yourself with the Sanctioning requirements and the USA Pickleball Rules Handbook.

5.  Create a Flyer with Complete Tournament Info

(The following are some, but not all items to be listed)

• Tournament title
• Registration and Entry Event fees
• Format USA Pickleball Approved Events
• Date(s) and times of the tournament
• Website where and how to register
• Type of Approved Ball you will be using
• Contact information for questions regarding registrations and tournament info
• Location of and directions to the venue
• Sanctioning logo 
• Rain day plan

6.  Posting on Websites

• After sanctioning has been approved, USA Pickleball will advertise and list tournament info (and flyer) on the USA Pickleball Tournament Calendar.
• Registration information
• Contact information
• Players needing partners
• Players list
• Events
• Directions
• Lodging/Accommodations information
• Cancellation policy
• Rules/format of play
• Any other info pertaining to your tournament
• Activity Release Form

7.  Solicit Volunteers

• Recruit volunteers from your local clubs. You will need an average of 5-6 volunteers/day which is not including referees! USA Pickleball standard-sanctioned tournaments require referees for every match.

Volunteers Needed:

• Front desk/check-in desk/event desk (at least 2)
• Score poster (1)
• Announcer (1)
• Safety/medical (2)
• Food/snack table (1)
• Vendor/sponsor coordinator
• Set up/clean-up crew (2)
• Choose a referee management process/Referee coordinator
• Registrations (someone familiar with the software)
• Bracket committee (preferably people who know a lot of players/different skill levels)
• Somebody to sing the National Anthem
• Volunteer for the USA Pickleball registrations desk

8.  Supplies

• Computers (at least 2)
• Printer
• Referee Clipboards/one for every court
• Stopwatches for referees
• Balls (cost-saving tip: ask manufacturers for a donation)
• Wristbands (cost-saving tip: only give to the first server during check-in)
• Medals (order 2 to 3 months in advance) - for doubles events, make sure to order 2/team
• Snacks for players
• Bottled water
• Paper plates, napkins, forks, knives, plastic cups, utensils
• Pencils/markers/tape
• American/Canadian Flag
• Board to post paper brackets
• Legal-size paper to print brackets
• Ream of paper cut 1/2 to print match score sheets
• Referee board/magnetic name tags
• Medal stand
• USA Pickleball banner (ask your local or Regional Ambassadors)

9.  First Aid Recommendations

• Find and schedule volunteers to work the first aid station (first aid/CPR training preferred).
• If outdoors, establish a covered medical space (tent) and clearly mark it.
• Indoors, establish a medical space near the courts and clearly mark it.
• Have a basic first aid kit (bandages, gauze, medical tape, etc).
• Determine if an AED unit is on the property. If so, make sure the 1st aid team knows where it's located.
• Paramedic or EMT shears (scissors)
• Splinter forceps (tweezers)
• Standard oral thermometer: digital, mercury, or alcohol
• Wooden tongue depressors ("tongue blades")
• Small flashlight (and spare batteries)
• CPR mouth barrier or pocket mask (such as a Microshield X-L Mouth Barrier)
• Sterile (hypoallergenic or latex) surgical gloves (at least 2 pairs); if you are allergic to latex, bring non-latex, synthetic, nonpermeable gloves
• Have cold water on hand (sports drinks with electrolytes are even better)
• Ice bags or instant chemical cold packs
• Ziploc bags (to hold ice for ice packs)
• Rescue blanket
• Cell phone
• For emergencies, call 9-1-1. Also, know the local emergency phone numbers and addresses of the nearest hospital or urgent care facility.
• It is not recommended that you administer medication to players or volunteers. This includes over-the-counter drugs.

10.  Marketing

• Use your email contacts to distribute the flyer.
• Distribute flyers in surrounding pickleball communities.
• Use social media, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
• Post flyer/tournament info on USA Pickleball website or on your tournament website.
• Create sponsorship packages:

1. 1. Determine your needs & goals
   2. Do you need sponsor revenue?
   3. Does the revenue fall to your club, or will some/all offset the event cost?
   4. Cash versus In-Kind donations. Sponsors are more open to donating products.
   5. Examples of goods & services donations: water, player shirts, pickleballs, etc.)
   6. Items for raffle or silent auction

• Contact possible vendors/sponsors. Make sure to have tables and chairs available.
• USA Pickleball Promotes Free Trade and encourages TDs to have a choice of vendors present at the tournament.

11.  Registrations

• When using Pickleball Den, Pickleball Tournaments, UTR Sports, Live Pickleball, Pickleball Manager, Clever Pickleball, players can register online, sign a waiver online, and make a payment.
• After players register, send player confirmations.
• Facilitate partner search.
• Keep emails short and to the point with the correct information.
• Check USA Pickleball Ratings and USA Pickleball Membership, update if needed (many approved tournament software provide the tools to do this)
• When using pickleballtournaments.com software, run the day planner. frequently to give you an idea of the duration of your brackets, how long and how many matches will be played. Management of brackets (entries per event) is important during the registration process to avoid too many/too few players in a bracket, long waits or long days with no referees/line judges left to cover matches. If there are not enough players, you may want to consider Round Robin formats for smaller brackets.
• Keep players informed by email regarding:

1. 1. schedule of events
   2. brackets
   3. payment of registration fees
   4. signing of liability waivers
   5. non-registered partners
   6. registration deadline and more

All of the above is easily managed with approved software.

12.  Bracket Committee/Seeding of Brackets

• This must be done AFTER the due date for registrations.
• Invite a small group of knowledgeable players representing all skill levels.
• Meet a couple of days before the tournament date to create brackets.
• Approved tournament management software provide first-round checks to prevent teams from the same club from having to play each other right away.
• Decide if the chosen format still applies; if not, change formats and inform players before the start of the event.

13.  Day Before the Tournament

• Tape courts if needed (Official Measurements), set up nets, tables for registration, vendors, food, etc.
• Put up any promotional/sponsor banners, if any.
• Post the brackets on the board so participants and spectators can keep track as the tournament progresses.
• Put up signage for check-in, numbers of courts, restrooms, snack table, etc.
• Post the schedule for upcoming events/days.

14.  Day of the Tournament

• Have players check in at least 30 minutes before the start of the brackets.
• Keep hard copies of blank waiver forms available at check-in.
• All registration fees need to be paid before participants can play.
• All participants must have signed the waiver before they are allowed to play.
• Starting 01/2016, all players must be USA Pickleball members (Sanctioning requirements).
• Welcome all players to the tournament.
• Inform players all official USA Pickleball rules apply.
• Instruct referees to check equipment for compliance (List of Approved Paddles).
• Thank all the volunteers and wish good luck to all participants.
• Start the tournament on time.
• Start all available courts with games and keep them occupied throughout the tournament.
• Have warm-up courts available if possible.
• Limit warm-up time to 2 to 3 minutes.
• Let participants who are “on deck” know, so they can start their warm-up and be ready to play when the match is called.
• Award medals to the winners of each event.

15.  During the tournament

• A Standard USA Pickleball-sanctioned tournament requires a referee for every match.
• MMP Sanctioning has a modified referee requirement.
• Make sure brackets run on time, no empty courts.
• Make necessary adjustments to events if there is a time constraint/rain.
• Keep announcements to a minimum.
• Run the tournament and address any and all questions that come up during the event.
• Check in with your vendors/sponsors/players for feedback.
• Have incident reports available in case of serious injuries. If an injury occurs during play, fill out the incident report and pass it on to USA Pickleball.
• Have an updated official USA Pickleball Rulebook available.

16.  After the tournament

• The results will be submitted to tournaments@usapickleball.org within one week of the completion of the tournament by the tournament software so that the results can be verified that all sanctioning requirements have been followed. This information must include USA Pickleball member numbers, expiration dates and completed tournament or round robin brackets. USA Pickleball member numbers must be provided to ensure accurate identification.
• Thank all volunteers, players, vendors and sponsors.