League Rules
This page focuses on the rules of play.
Gameplay Format
The gameplay format for the East Bay Team Pickleball League is based on a gameplay format originally created by Major League Pickleball, and then adopted with some variations by The Dink Minor League, and others. These two organizations — both relatively new — have continued to tweak their rules each season, searching for the right mix of rules that will keep pickleball the fastest growing sport in the world. Links to the websites of these and other team-based pickleball organizations can be found in the Resources section of this website.
The gameplay format for the East Bay Team Pickleball League borrows from the still-evolving rules of both these organizations, but includes some rules unique to this league. As with these other organizations, it should be expected that our local rules will undergo change with experience and growth.
And like Major League Pickleball and The Dink Minor League, our rules of competition will be governed by the most current rules of USA Pickleball and UPA standards, except for those outlined in this website.
The Match
Regular Game Format
The lineup for each team must include 2 women and 2 men. No substitutions allowed except in the case of an injury during the match.
Each match will include 8 regular games: 2 women's doubles, 2 men's doubles, and 4 mixed doubles games, in this order:
- Game 1: Women's Doubles
- Game 2: Men's Doubles
- Game 3. Women's Doubles
- Game 4: Men's Doubles
- Game 5: Mixed Doubles (first male/first female pair declared 24 hours in in advance)
- Game 6: Mixed Doubles (second male/second female declared 24 hours in advance)
- Game 7: Mixed Doubles (same as first or reversed, declared 24 hours in in advance)
- Game 8: Mixed Doubles (same as second or reversed, declared 24 hours in in advance)
Tiebreaker game format
The same four players for each team play in the tiebreaker. No substitutions allowed.
Unlike the MLP Dreambreaker, the tiebreaker is a doubles game, not a singles game.
Scoring for the tiebreaker will be rally scoring to 21, win by 2 on serve.
Just like the Dreakbreaker, players cycle through in 4 point intervals:
- Points 1-4: Women's Doubles
- Points 5-8: Men's Doubles
- Points 9-12: Mixed Doubles (Captain's choice)
- Away team (or Coin Toss loser) must disclose choice to Home Team (or Coin Toss winner) first.
- Points 13-16: Mixed Doubles (Second Pair)
- Cycle repeats until win. Mixed Doubles pairing decided by Captain's choice in first cycle does not change for remaining cycles.
- Total match time is 2.5 hours (150 minutes)
- 5 minute warmup per team at match start time.
- 13 minutes per regular game.
- Two 1 minute timeouts (one per team) per game.
- 1 minute transition time between games.
- No timeouts.
- No time limit, but game must end at end of match time.
Time limits
Due to the fact that all 8 regular games and the tiebreaker if needed must be completed in 2.5 hours, regular games must be limited to 13 minutes. The tiebreaker will not have a fixed time limit, but must end when time expires on the 2.5 hour match time.
Due to court reservation restrictions, games played in the afternoon time slot (12:30 pm to 3 pm) at Ocean View Park will not be available for warming up before 12:30 pm.
For all regular games at both venues, the following time limits will be enforced during the match:
For tiebreaker games when required:
Scoring
Traditional/side-out scoring will be used for the regular games in each match, and rally scoring will be used for the tiebreaker.
Regular games
Side-out scoring to 11, win by 2.
If time is called on a regular game and the score is tied, the game continues with one rally point to win, irrespective of serve.
Tiebreaker
Scoring for the tiebreaker will be rally scoring to 21, win by 2 on serve.
If match time ends during a tiebreaker and the score is tied, the game continues with one rally point to win, irrespective of serve.
Start of Game
Regular games
For divisions playing a double round robin, meaning every team plays every other team twice in one or more brackets, teams will be designated Home for one match and Away for the other match. Home team may choose one of these options:
- Choose to start each game serving or receiving
- Choose which end of the court to start women's doubles
The Away team chooses the other option.
For divisions playing a single round robin, meaning every team plays every other team once, a Coin Toss (or similar random selection) will take the place of Home and Away designations.
Winner of the coin toss chooses between the two options noted above and the loser makes their choice of the remaining option.
If you choose to serve, your team will start every game serving. Vice versa if you choose to receive.
If you choose the end, you will start women's doubles on that end. You will switch sides at 6 for each game. Do not switch ends of the court between games. Which end of the court a team finishes a game is the same side they will start the next game.
Tiebreaker
The tiebreaker continues with the same pattern establised at the beginning of the regular games whether decided by Home/Away or Coin toss.
Switch of Sides/Ends of Court
Regular games
Server switches sides on won point.
Switch ends of court at 6.
Tiebreaker
Players do not change sides.
Right side player serves on even score (0,2,4,etc.)
Left side player serves on odd score (1,3,5, etc.)
Switch ends of court at 11.
Regular games
Tiebreaker
Other Rules
Team uniforms are highly encouraged but not required.
All on-court communications should be between team captains. If a team captain or co-captain is not present, a match captain must be assigned and communicated to the opposing team before the start of the match.
A non-playing team member should be assigned as time keeper for each game.
Non-playing team members must not congregate near the net. When courtside space is limited, non-playing members should be off court or in the corners of the court.
Published code of conduct must be observed. It is the responsibility of team or match captains to remind all players of the code of conduct when a possible violation occurs. Repeated violation of the code of conduct by a team or team member will be grounds for forfeit and expulsion of the team or team member from the league.