{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"72000643052","tenantuid":"45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903","projectuid":"4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919","title":"Getting Started with Pickleball Tournaments (PT): Complete Setup Overview","slug":"72000643052-tournament--guide","html":"\u003Cp\u003EPickleball Tournaments (PT) is Pickleball.com\u0027s platform for creating, managing, and running pickleball tournaments. This guide walks you through the complete PT workflow from account setup through post-tournament wrap-up, with links to the detailed how-to articles for each step along the way.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022before_you_begin\u0022\u003EBefore You Begin\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou need two things before you can create a tournament in PT:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA Pickleball.com player account.\u003C/b\u003E This is your personal login. If you don\u0027t have one, create it at pickleball.com.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA Club.\u003C/b\u003E Every tournament in PT must be associated with a Club. The Club is the organizing entity responsible for the tournament. If you don\u0027t have a Club yet, you\u0027ll need to create one before setting up your first tournament.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ccite class=\u0022recommended\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022title\u0022\u003ENote\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou don\u0027t need to run an ongoing club membership program to use the Club feature in PT. A Club in this context is simply the organizational account that owns and manages your tournaments. Many tournament directors create a Club specifically for this purpose.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/cite\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_1_create_your_tournament\u0022\u003EStep 1: Create Your Tournament\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELog in to Pickleball.com and click the \u003Cb\u003ETournaments\u003C/b\u003E tab. You\u0027ll be redirected to Pickleballtournaments.com, where all PT management lives. Click \u003Cb\u003ECreate a Tournament\u003C/b\u003E and you\u0027ll be prompted to:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESelect the Club the tournament is for (this lists all Clubs you manage)\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESelect your Country\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChoose to start from a blank template or use one of PT\u0027s pre-built templates\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESee also: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000645106-how-to-use-premade-templates-to-create-tournaments\u0022\u003EHow to Use Premade Templates\u003C/a\u003E \u2014 if you want to start from a pre-configured structure rather than building from scratch.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_2_tournament_setup\u0022\u003EStep 2: Tournament Setup\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce your Club is selected, you\u0027ll work through the tournament setup tabs. Each tab controls a different part of your tournament configuration:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 style=\u0022border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\u003Cthead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Cth\u003ESetup tab\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003EWhat it controls\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003ELearn more\u003C/th\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/thead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EBasic Information\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ETournament name, dates, registration window, public visibility\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000633355-tournament-creation---basic-info-section\u0022\u003ETournament Creation: Basic Info\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ERegistration Costs\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EPer-player registration fee charged at checkout\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615226-how-to-set-up-registration-costs\u0022\u003EHow to Set Up Registration Costs\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ECheckout Options\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EHow players pay \u2014 Stripe, Pay Onsite, Pay Later, or Auto Redirect\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000633369-checkout-options\u0022\u003ECheckout Options\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ELogo / Flyer / Waiver\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EUpload your event branding and required waivers\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615250-how-to-upload-a-logo-flyer-waiver\u0022\u003EHow to Upload a Logo, Flyer, or Waiver\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EDiscount Codes\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ECreate and manage player registration discounts\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615251-how-to-create-and-apply-a-discount-code\u0022\u003EHow to Create and Apply a Discount Code\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ESponsors\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAdd sponsor logos and information to your tournament listing\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615252-how-to-add-sponsor-logos-information\u0022\u003EHow to Add Sponsor Logos\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EVenue\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ESet the tournament location (pulls from your Club by default)\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000633376-venues\u0022\u003EVenues\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAmenities\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAdd hotel, rental car, or airline discount partnerships for traveling players\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615257-how-to-add-an-amenity\u0022\u003EHow to Add an Amenity\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EManagers\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EAdd additional staff who need tournament management access\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615258-how-to-add-or-disable-managers\u0022\u003EHow to Add or Disable Managers\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/table\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_3_create_events\u0022\u003EStep 3: Create Events\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt least one event is required before you can complete tournament setup. Events are the individual competitive divisions players register for \u2014 for example, Men\u0027s Doubles 3.5, Women\u0027s Doubles 4.0, or Mixed Doubles Open.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor each event you\u0027ll configure: skill level, format (round robin, single elimination, double elimination), age groups, registration capacity, event-specific fees, and more.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESee: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000633417-how-to-set-up-my-event-in-a-tournament\u0022\u003EHow to Set Up My Event in a Tournament\u003C/a\u003E for the full event configuration walkthrough.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_4_complete_setup_and_pay_the_setup_fee\u0022\u003EStep 4: Complete Setup and Pay the Setup Fee\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce all events are configured, click \u003Cb\u003EComplete Setup\u003C/b\u003E. This finalizes your tournament structure and makes it ready to be listed publicly. You\u0027ll then pay the tournament setup fee from the Tournament Dashboard.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESee: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000649071-tournament-dashboard---what-each-option-means\u0022\u003EUnderstanding Your Tournament Dashboard\u003C/a\u003E for a full breakdown of the dashboard, fees, and financial reporting.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_5_open_registration\u0022\u003EStep 5: Open Registration\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce setup is complete and your tournament is visible, players can register. Common tasks during the registration period:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000630284-how-to-move-a-player-to-the-waitlist\u0022\u003EMove a player to the waitlist\u003C/a\u003E from the main draw\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000617780-changing-a-players-event\u0022\u003EChange a player\u0027s event\u003C/a\u003E after they\u0027ve registered\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EManually add a player who is having trouble registering via the green \u003Cb\u003EAdd New Attendee\u003C/b\u003E button in the Attendees tab\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000633574-how-to-use-the-messages-tab-to-email-players\u0022\u003EMessage players\u003C/a\u003E with updates or announcements\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_6_after_registration_closes\u0022\u003EStep 6: After Registration Closes\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce registration closes, prepare your brackets and schedule before event day:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EReview for players without partners.\u003C/b\u003E Players without a listed partner can\u0027t participate. Withdraw them or move them to the waitlist if they haven\u0027t found a partner. See: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000630283-how-to-withdraw-a-player-from-the-tournament\u0022\u003EHow to Withdraw a Player\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMerge events with low registration.\u003C/b\u003E If an event doesn\u0027t have enough teams, merge it with an adjacent event. See: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615514-how-to-merge-unmerge-events\u0022\u003EHow to Merge/Unmerge Events\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EVerify brackets.\u003C/b\u003E Once pools and brackets are finalized, verify them in the Live Console. See: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000617752-how-to-verify-my-brackets-in-live-console\u0022\u003EHow to Verify Brackets\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESet start times.\u003C/b\u003E Use the Daily Planner to assign court times and send schedule notifications to players. See: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000617751-how-to-set-starting-times-using-daily-planner\u0022\u003EHow to Set Starting Times\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ol\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_7_tournament_day\u0022\u003EStep 7: Tournament Day\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn event day, the Live Console is your operational hub:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000617863-how-to-start-an-event\u0022\u003EStart your events\u003C/a\u003E to move them to the Running tab and enable scoring.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000617878-how-to-use-court-desk\u0022\u003EUse Court Desk\u003C/a\u003E to assign players to courts and send court notifications.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000617873-how-to-manually-print-score-sheets\u0022\u003EPrint scoresheets\u003C/a\u003E or use Court Desk for digital score entry.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000634754-how-to-enter-scores-in-your-event-from-live-console\u0022\u003EEnter scores\u003C/a\u003E as matches complete.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000617885-how-to-close-lock-unlock-a-bracket\u0022\u003EClose and lock brackets\u003C/a\u003E once all results are in.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022step_8_finalize_and_pay\u0022\u003EStep 8: Finalize and Pay\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce all events are marked complete, your tournament finalizes automatically. Your tournament will lock 5 days after the last event day, at which point a final invoice is generated. Any outstanding service fees or player text fees not covered by Stripe payments will be due at this time.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESee: \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000646226-how-and-when-a-tournament-is-charged\u0022\u003EHow and When a Tournament Is Charged\u003C/a\u003E for the full billing timeline.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022frequently_asked_questions\u0022\u003EFrequently Asked Questions\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDo I need a Club to run a tournament?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA Club is the organizational account that owns your tournament in PT. It doesn\u0027t require an active membership program \u2014 many tournament directors create a Club purely to serve as the organizing entity for their events. You must have a Club before you can create a tournament.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EHow many events do I need to create before I can publish my tournament?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt least one event is required to complete tournament setup. You can add more events at any point before registration closes, though adding events after players have already registered requires care to avoid scheduling conflicts.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhat does it cost to run a tournament in PT?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPT charges a one-time setup fee when you complete initial tournament setup, plus per-player service fees ($5 per event, up to $10 per player) collected at registration. Optional player text messaging is charged separately at $0.25 per player (US/Canada/Mexico). See \u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615191-tournament-pricing\u0022\u003ETournament Pricing\u003C/a\u003E for full details.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhen does my tournament lock and when are fees due?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour tournament locks automatically 5 days after the last event day. Once locked, the final invoice is generated. Any outstanding balance not covered by Stripe service fee collection will appear as a Balance Due in your Tournament Dashboard.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022related_resources\u0022\u003ERelated Resources\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000638853-how-to-find-your-managed-tournament\u0022\u003EHow to Find Your Managed Tournament in PT\u003C/a\u003E \u2014 navigating to your tournament dashboard\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000649071-tournament-dashboard---what-each-option-means\u0022\u003EUnderstanding Your Tournament Dashboard\u003C/a\u003E \u2014 financial reporting and dashboard sections explained\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000615191-tournament-pricing\u0022\u003ETournament Pricing\u003C/a\u003E \u2014 setup fees, service fees, and billing details\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://pickleball.com/docs/en/72000646226-how-and-when-a-tournament-is-charged\u0022\u003EHow and When a Tournament Is Charged\u003C/a\u003E \u2014 billing timeline\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Chr\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHave questions about getting started with PT? Reach out to our support team at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:support@pickleball.com\u0022\u003Esupport@pickleball.com\u003C/a\u003E \u2014 we\u0027re happy to help.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\u003Cscript type=\u0022application/ld\u002Bjson\u0022\u003E\r\n{\r\n  \u0022@context\u0022: \u0022https://schema.org\u0022,\r\n  \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022FAQPage\u0022,\r\n  \u0022mainEntity\u0022: [\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022Do I need a Club to run a tournament?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022A Club is the organizational account that owns your tournament in PT. It doesn\u0027t require an active membership program \u2014 many tournament directors create a Club purely to serve as the organizing entity for their events. You must have a Club before you can create a tournament.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022How many events do I need to create before I can publish my tournament?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022At least one event is required to complete tournament setup. You can add more events at any point before registration closes, though adding events after players have already registered requires care to avoid scheduling conflicts.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022What does it cost to run a tournament in PT?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022PT charges a one-time setup fee when you complete initial tournament setup, plus per-player service fees ($5 per event, up to $10 per player) collected at registration. Optional player text messaging is charged separately at $0.25 per player (US/Canada/Mexico). See Tournament Pricing for full details.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022When does my tournament lock and when are fees due?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022Your tournament locks automatically 5 days after the last event day. Once locked, the final invoice is generated. Any outstanding balance not covered by Stripe service fee collection will appear as a Balance Due in your Tournament Dashboard.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n}\r\n    ]\r\n}\r\n\u003C/script\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","author":{"authoruid":"42b786ed-5ff2-467c-9593-d828908ee6d2","name":"Christy Cook","url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/","photo_url":"https://graffiti-auf7e6dwhxhcbwek.z03.azurefd.net/45a0010e-ec76-43e9-9914-4376bfa80903/4025e8c9-71ea-4557-850d-662c78598919/4fd2cf59-047a-4a00-8a6d-2d9c6c9f91fe.jpg?v=1114665229","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/christy-cook-texas/"},"featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Pickleball Tournaments (PT) guide: step-by-step workflow for creating, managing, and running pickleball tournaments with setup, events, registration, and fees.","keywords":"pickleball tournaments; tournament setup; event creation; registration management; bracket verification; tournament day operations; tournament fees; club management; live console; player registration","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"sort_order":0,"total_views":196,"date_stale":"2027-02-15T00:00:00","date_published":"2025-06-15T00:00:00","date_updated":"2026-08-17T14:15:15.017","date_created":"2026-02-28T20:26:39.367"}}}