
APP’s New Amateur Format: Innovative or Unnecessary?
As the pickleball community prepares for the 2024 season, the APP (Association of Pickleball Players) has unveiled a revamped tournament format for its amateur players. The changes aim to enhance the player experience with both positive and negative aspects to consider.
The Pros:
1. Increased Play: With a shift to round-robin format, players are guaranteed at least four games total. This change provides participants with more play and more bang for their buck.
2. Streamlined Scheduling: The new format emphasizes minimal downtime between games, where each match during round robin play is only one game to 15, which also makes match length more reliable.
3. Enhanced Spectator Experience: By keeping players on designated blocks of courts, friends and family will find it easier to watch and follow their athletes during competition.
4. Adaptation to Player Feedback: The APP says it has implemented format changes based on player input, demonstrating its commitment to the pickleball community.
The Cons:
1. Scoring Changes: The game format during round-robin play could affect match outcomes as one game to 15 often goes very quick and the better players do not always win. This also means warmups become more important (and are often impossible to get at a tournament where court utilization is generally maxed out).
2. Backdraw Elimination: the round robin format essentially flips traditional scoring on its head, putting “backdraw-esque” matches first during the game to 15, then switching over to best 2/3 games to 11 once top teams progress to the playoffs.
3. Increased Court Utilization: More matches means more court time needed and playoffs may still run behind if matches go long.
4. Less Traditional: The shift from a double-elimination format to a round-robin format may not sit well with players who are familiar with the original system. It can also be confusing to follow whether you’re winning or losing overall during round-robin play.
Interesting times. Overall, we like seeing the APP experiment with new formats to see what shakes out as being most effective and fun for amateur players. Play on, picklers!
Related articles

An inside look: Ben Johns' passion for fantasy literature
There's more to this pickleball rockstar than meets the eye.
an hour ago
- Victoria Radnothy

ROKNE Pickleball: Where style, quality, and technology meet
It all started in 2020 when co-founder Elise Ivy was introduced to the sport.
5 hours ago
- Victoria Radnothy

Eight-year-old Lily Fudge is youngest player ever to win APP gold
Megan Fudge couldn't be prouder of her daughter.
a day ago
- Victoria Radnothy

MLP Playoffs recap: SoCal Hard Eights make history in Challenger Level, Chicago Slice won’t be denied Premier crown
The pickleball season came to a dramatic conclusion on Tuesday in San Clemente.
2 days ago
- Will Daughton