The PPA Tour recently revamped its tournament schedule.

Tournament days typically began around 9 or 10 a.m. and wrapped up by 5 p.m. Now, citing extreme heat warnings and a push for more prime-time exposure, the circuit moved start times to 3 or 5 p.m., with matches sometimes running until 1 a.m. And recently, they reached a happy medium to start times at noon. 

The change has sparked polarizing reactions throughout the pickleball world, with players and fans divided on the matter.

For spectators, spending hours in the hot sun can lead to anything from painful sunburns to severe dehydration. In states like Arizona, Texas and Florida, extreme heat has become a serious concern at outdoor tournaments.

The conditions can be even more dangerous for the pros competing on the court. At the PPA North Carolina event, intense heat forced organizers to adjust the schedule amid an extreme heat advisory, with reported conditions reaching a heat index of 115 degrees and 99% humidity. Those conditions pose a genuine safety risk for athletes pushing their bodies through high-intensity matches.

Ultimately, shifting match times later in the day is about more than television ratings. It's also a measure aimed at protecting the health and safety of players, spectators and tournament staff.

Pro pickleball player Tyler Loong likes the change.  

“Obviously, there’s pros and cons with the new times,” said Loong on the King of the Court Podcast. “But when you’re watching at night time, you’re not watching in the blistering sun. At least for the past few tournaments in Arizona and Vegas, it felt incredible to not be watching and playing in the blistering sun.”

Podcast co-host Jimmy Miller agreed.

“I like the new start times. It’s clear that the pros don’t want 9 a.m. start times,” said Miller. “Early afternoon is when people are at their peak performance, but I like nighttime pickleball. I think it’s fun.”

For fans watching from home, however, the late-night schedule has been a tough adjustment. Seeing a men’s doubles semifinal scheduled to start at 11 p.m. ET is frustrating for viewers who have to get up for work the next morning.

Still, Miller raised a fair point: If East Coast fans are willing to stay up late to watch NFL games, they can do the same for pickleball.

And watching live isn't the only option. Fans can always catch up on the action later, with match replays available on YouTube and Pickleballtv. 

Player and pickleball personality Drew Snediker believes that the new start times will be “massive for the viewership of the sport.”

“People won’t be at work or school anymore during play. They’re going to be able to watch this sport, and I think this is going to help blow up the sport a lot,” said Snediker. “Also, in-person attendance during the week isn’t the greatest. During the weekend, it’s insane, but I think this is going to allow those same crowds to now be able to attend games during the week. On top of that, pros are going to get a lot more rest by not having to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to play their matches. I think this is a huge win for the PPA.”

Bottom line, the health and safety of everyone at a tournament must come first. While the later start times may be inconvenient for East Coast viewers watching from home, it's a small price to pay for protecting the players, fans and staff on site.

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