Official UPL Rules- Powered by VAIR

WHAT IS UPL PLAYER FORMAT?

UPL is an innovative gameplay team format that brings men and women together on a level playing court. In this exclusive to UPL format, team matches are composed of six 21-point games with sudden death scoring, with the first being women’s doubles, then men’s doubles, and the final four games consisting of mixed doubles. This unique dynamic means that teamwork as a skill is just as critical as speed or technique on the court and a big part of the community aspect of the sport!

SKILL LEVEL & PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:

A team is formed by a team captain who organizes players and registers the team with the League for a skill level (intermediate/advanced etc) and division (location).

DO WE NEED TEAM UNIFORMS?

Yes teams unleash their creativity and synchronize their attire! Building a solid sense of teamwork is key! We advise all potential teams to connect and explore potential sponsorship opportunities with local businesses!

WHAT ARE THE RULES OF PLAY?

The game schedule will be released in advance before the competition commences. One of the standout aspects that fans admire about the Xtreme Pickleball League is the abundance of games/matches played without the typical delays of standard tournaments. Upon receiving the scoresheet, players are allowed a total of 5 minutes to warm up, determine the home/away teams, and COMMENCE the first game. It is crucial for players to grasp that once a match BEGINS, there will be only a 2-minute interval between all subsequent games. A key strategy to maintain the momentum of the games is for players to utilize their breaks efficiently by getting water, using the restroom, and so forth while they are not actively participating. Court monitors will monitor and remind players to maintain the pace of the games. There will be NO extra warm-up periods between games. Upon the conclusion of a game, the subsequent game will commence within 2 minutes. During this intermission, players may utilize the time for warm-up activities, ensuring they are prepared to play and positioned by the end of the 2-minute period. Failure to be ready for play at the 2-minute mark will result in the team forfeiting their timeout for that game. In the Tiebreaker round, the HOME team will have 1 minute to select their complete lineup, followed by the AWAY team with their 1-minute lineup designation. There will be a total of 5 minutes from the conclusion of the final mixed game to the commencement of the Tiebreaker.

WHAT IS HYBRID RALLY SCORING?

Unlike traditional scoring, where a team can only score points when they are on the serving side, in hybrid rally scoring, a point is earned after every rally, whether it was won by the serving or receiving team. However, a team can't score points on a rally unless it has first scored on its serve. In other words, a team must earn a point while serving before it can accumulate rally points during the game. The first team to reach twenty points reverts back to the traditional format and the final point may only be won when serving. (games to 21, win by one point). Rally scoring in pickleball benefits fans by providing faster-paced games, increased intensity, easier-to-follow scoring, and enhanced suspense, making the sport more enjoyable and engaging for spectators. More in-depth breakdown follows below.

Determine which team will serve, receive, pick the end of the court, or defer using any fair method (e.g., pick a 1 or 2, coin flip, rock-paper-scissors, etc.). Each partner on a team determines which side of the pickleball court (the left side or the right side) to start on. Then, each partner remains in those respective sides throughout the entire game. (However, a team may switch sides of the pickleball court on a timeout or end change.)

The team that serves first will start the game. The player on the right-hand side of the court will serve first (serving crosscourt).

If the serving team wins the rally, then they will win a point and continue to serve. However, the partner on the left-hand side of the court will serve (but, remember, the players will stay on their respective sides of the court). The serve alternates between the players on the left- and right-hand side of the court (without the players changing positions) until they lose a rally.

If the serving team loses the rally, then the receiving team will win a point (Note: Only if they have already secured a point on one of their previous serves before that point.) and the receiving team will win the serve. To note, there is no second server (so the score will only be two numbers—the serving team score and the receiving team score—and there will be no third number for the server number). A point is scored on every rally, regardless of who has served (except the final point, which the final point may only be won when serving).

Which player will serve on a team is determined by the score of the serving team. If the score is even, then the player on the right-hand side of the court will serve. If the score is odd, then the player on the left-hand side of the court will serve. So, for example, if the score is 0-0, and the receiving team wins the rally, then the receiving team will win a point and the right to serve. The score will now be 1-0, so the player on the left-side of the receiving team will serve next.

Again, players will remain on their respective sides (the left side and the right side) for the entire game, unless there is a time out or an end change (in which case the players on a team could change sides).

The teams will change ends of the pickleball court when a team reaches 11 points.

The first team to 21 points wins which the final point may only be won when serving. (win by 1 point). When the score reaches a tie at 20 points, it transitions into a sudden death point, which can only be earned by the serving team.

WHAT IS SUDDEN DEATH SCORING?

This feature is exclusive to XPL. Once the score is tied at 20 points, it enters sudden death mode, with the serving team being the only one eligible to earn the winning point.

WHAT IS A TIEBREAKER?

If both teams are tied at 3-3 after the 6 games played, they’ll go to a Tiebreaker! In this Tiebreaker, two mixed player teams from each side will face off against the other team's mixed player teams, taking turns every five rallies until one team hits 21 points and secures the winning point on their serve. To level up the stakes, the home team has to present its doubles teams line-up first then the away team gets the chance to counter that with their own configuration of their lineup to match and counter each player’s skills!

WHAT ARE THE SUPER SEASON FINALS?

On final event of the season the top four ranked teams in each level will face off against each other in the Super Finals for the title of Season Champ!

CAPTAINS

Every team is required to appoint a Team Captain, tasked with fulfilling a range of duties such as liaising with the event's director, conducting the coin toss, assigning mixed doubles teams, and overseeing tiebreaker rotations. Team Captains will also be in charge of liaising with referees in case of any queries or issues that need to be addressed. In matches where there is an official referee, any player on the field may communicate with the referee. Before every match, team captains will convene for the coin toss. The team captain, who can be a non-player, must be in attendance for all matches. In the event that a team captain is unable to fulfill their responsibilities, the team must appoint a substitute captain. Team captains are also tasked with handling all player communication for the team.

SUBSTITUTES/INJURY

Ultimate Pickleball League events provide the opportunity for teams to substitute a player post initial registration, given that the player holds a VAIR rating that does not elevate the team to a higher VAIR aggregate. In cases of substituting an injured player during the event, the substitute must remain in play for the entirety of the event. Once a player is substituted out, they cannot be re-entered later in the day. If a team is unable to field the required number of players for any reason during league play on a given day, the game is considered a forfeit with a score of 21-0. In the event of a player sustaining an injury mid-game and being unable to finish, the team must forfeit that particular game. The forfeiting team retains their score while the winning team is automatically awarded a score of 21 to secure victory. Forfeited games are counted towards wins and point percentage. Forfeited or withdrawn games that are not played, or where both teams score less than 7 points, will not be factored into the VAIR.

COACHING/LINE CALLS

Non-playing team members are permitted to provide coaching at any given moment when the ball is out of play, as long as it does not impede the flow of the game or unfairly affect the opposing team. It is recommended that non-playing team members position themselves along the court's edge or bench with their team. Only the four players actively participating in the game are authorized to make decisions on line calls and faults without being influenced by other players or spectators.