--- title: Quick Start: How to Set Up a Tournament in PT last_updated: 2026-08-24 description: Create and publish a basic pickleball tournament quickly with our step-by-step guide covering setup, registration, events, pricing, and communications. url: https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000645449-tournament-simple-setup---basic-information --- # Quick Start: How to Set Up a Tournament in PT This quick-start guide walks you through the essential steps to create and publish a basic tournament on Pickleball Tournaments (PT). If you're setting up a straightforward event — standard formats, simple pricing, no advanced features — this is the fastest path to getting [your tournament](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000638853-how-to-locate-your-managed-tournament-on-pickleballtournaments.com) live. Each section links to a detailed article if you need more information on a specific step. ## What you'll need before you start - A Pickleball.com Play Provider account with a club set up - A payment method on file (credit card or ACH) — see [How Tournament Billing Works in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-tournament-billing-works-in-pt) - Your tournament details ready: name, dates, location, events, and pricing ## Step 1: Create your tournament From your club dashboard, click **Create Tournament**. You can start from scratch or use a premade template to save time. Templates pre-fill common settings based on tournament type and size. For details on using templates, see [How to Use Premade Templates to Create a Tournament in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000645106-using-premade-templates-to-create-tournaments). ## Step 2: Configure basic tournament info Fill in the essential fields in the **Basic Info** section of [your tournament](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000633355-tournament-creation---basic-info-section) setup: - **Tournament name** and **URL** - **Dates** — tournament start/end dates - **Location** — venue name and address - **Time zone** - **Description** — what players need to know about your event - **Registration open/close dates** For a full breakdown of every field in this section, see [How to Configure Basic Tournament Info in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-configure-basic-tournament-info-in-pt). ## Step 3: Set up registration settings Configure how players register for your tournament: - Set the **registration open and close dates** - Choose whether to require player **profile completion** or **USAP membership** - Set **event limits** per player if needed For detailed registration configuration, see [How to Configure Tournament Registration Settings in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-configure-tournament-registration-settings-in-pt). ## Step 4: Create your events Events are the individual brackets within your tournament (e.g., Men's Doubles 3.5, Mixed Doubles 4.0). For each event, you'll set: - **Format** — round robin, single elimination, double elimination - **Skill level** — and under, and above, only, or a range - **Age requirements** (if applicable) - **Event cost** (if charging per event beyond the base registration) For details on skill level configuration, see [Tournament Event Skill Setup: What Each Selection Means](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000647133-tournament-event-skill-setup---which-each-selection-means). ## Step 5: Set up pricing and payments Configure how much players pay and how you collect payment: - **Registration cost** — the base price for entering the tournament - **Events included** — how many events are covered by the registration cost - **Checkout options** — Stripe, on-site payment, pay later, or custom For the full pricing and checkout setup walkthrough, see [How to Set Up Registration Costs](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615226-how-to-set-up-registration-costs) and [Checkout Options](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000633369-checkout-options). ## Step 6: Configure communications Set up how you'll communicate with registered players: - Enable **player text messaging** for court assignments and score notifications - Set **email notification** preferences - Add **contact information** so players know who to reach For details, see [How to Configure Tournament Communication and Contacts in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-configure-tournament-communication-and-contacts-in-pt). ## Step 7: Pay the setup fee and go live 1. Review all your settings using the **preview link** to see how your tournament page appears to players. 2. Pay the **tournament setup fee** from your dashboard. This is required before your tournament goes live. 3. Set your **Show Public Date** so the tournament becomes visible to players. 4. Verify your **registration open date** is correct — players can begin registering once this date passes. > **Warning:** If the setup fee is not paid, your tournament will be automatically deleted after 5 days. Pay the fee as soon as your settings are finalized to avoid losing your work. ## What to do after your tournament is live Once your tournament is published and registration is open, you'll want to: - **Monitor registrations** from your tournament dashboard - **Manage player communications** using the messaging templates - **Handle withdrawals and refunds** as they come in - **Verify brackets** after registration closes to prepare for tournament day ## Detailed setup guides This quick-start guide covers the essentials. For deeper configuration on any step, see these detailed articles: - [How to Configure Basic Tournament Info in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-configure-basic-tournament-info-in-pt) — every field in the Basic Info section - [How to Configure Tournament Registration Settings in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-configure-tournament-registration-settings-in-pt) — registration dates, player requirements, event limits - [How to Configure Tournament Communication and Contacts in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-configure-tournament-communication-and-contacts-in-pt) — text, email, and contact routing - [How to Configure Tournament Display and Scoring Settings in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/article/how-to-configure-tournament-display-and-scoring-settings-in-pt) — draw visibility, scorecard, and scoring format options - [How to Use Premade Templates to Create a Tournament in PT](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000645106-using-premade-templates-to-create-tournaments) — skip manual setup with templates - [Tournament Event Skill Setup: What Each Selection Means](https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000647133-tournament-event-skill-setup---which-each-selection-means) — skill level options explained Need more help? Try our live chat, browse our FAQs, or [submit a ticket](https://pickleball.freshdesk.com/en/support/tickets/new) and we'll get back to you. You can also email us at support@pickleball.com.