You can test any number of teams in the Simulator even before registration opens. Simply enter a projected team count and run the schedule to see how it fits in your timeframe.
The Simulator in Pickleball Tournaments (PT) is a planning tool that lets you test different team counts and match formats to estimate how long your tournament will take and how many players your courts can hold. Once you've found a schedule that works, you can copy those settings directly into your live events.
Use the Simulator to find the right team count for each event before opening registration.
On the Schedule preview, each court's timeline shows T: (total matches remaining) and W: (matches waiting). A few matches waiting is normal when courts are set to Next available. If you're using Designated courts, keep an eye on W: so events assigned to the same courts aren't overlapping.
WarningCheck each event's designated courts before running the Simulator. If an event has been restricted to specific courts (under Manage Events), and you then run the Simulator using courts that event isn't allowed to use, no matches will generate on those excluded courts — which can look like the preview isn't generating at all. Make sure the courts you're testing in the Simulator match the courts each event is actually assigned to.
RecommendedPlan at least 5 extra minutes per match for 4.5+ brackets, and a bit more for 50+ and 60+ age groups — they typically run longer. Games to 11 or 15 are more time-predictable than best 2-of-3 formats. Keep notes from each tournament so you can fine-tune timing estimates for future events.
NoteThe Simulator also works with team events, either on their own or alongside regular tournament events. You can restrict a team event group to specific courts the same way you would a regular event — for example, testing a group on every court except one that's reserved for something else.
| Format | Suggested time per match |
|---|---|
| Best 2-of-3 to 11, win by 2 | ~50 minutes (add 10-20 min for 4.5+, 50+, 60+) |
| Game to 15, win by 2 | ~25 minutes |
| Game to 11, win by 2 | ~20 minutes |
Once you're satisfied with your Simulator projections, you can push those start times and settings directly to your live events:
Only events with Copy settings to the live event set to Yes will have their settings copied. If an event is missing its start time after copying, confirm that toggle is turned on for that event.
WarningCopy to Live only updates each event's start times and match settings. It does not update court settings — manage those separately in Manage Court Counts and Start Times, or under the event's own Priority Courts tab.
Back on the Simulator, you can also use the Start time settings tab to bulk-adjust start times across events, and Print start times to print a copy of the schedule.
You can test any number of teams in the Simulator even before registration opens. Simply enter a projected team count and run the schedule to see how it fits in your timeframe.
Toggle Copy settings to the live event to Yes for the events you want to update, then click Copy to Live. This pushes the Simulator's start times and settings into your actual events without needing to manually update each one.
Run the Simulator again with your updated team count and re-copy the settings to your live events. You can run the Simulator as many times as needed.
This is usually a mismatch between an event's designated courts and the courts you're testing in the Simulator. If you told an event it can only use specific courts, then try to generate a schedule using different courts, the Simulator won't produce matches on courts that event isn't allowed to use. Check the event's court assignment under Manage Events to confirm it matches what you're simulating.
Questions about the Simulator? Email support@pickleball.com.