<strong>The Path to Nationals!</strong>
Golden Ticket Tournaments provide a path for amateur and junior players to play in the USA Pickleball National Championships, the premier tournament in the sport of pickleball. Whether you’re chasing championship glory, seeking the ultimate competitive challenge, or simply looking for unforgettable moments on the court, Golden Ticket Tournaments are where your Nationals journey begins.
Golden Ticket Tournaments offer participants an unrivaled player experience including an exclusive gift at USA Pickleball-operated events and the opportunity to compete at some of the best pickleball venues across the country. Only at these tournaments will gold medal winners receive a “Golden Ticket,” granting them priority registration for the USA Pickleball National Championships. Players who compete but do not win gold will still have a pathway to Nationals through the Tiered Point System (TPS).
<strong>*** PLEASE NOTE: If we brackets are combined at this tournament, Golden Tickets will be awarded to the highest finishers in the bracket they <i>originally</i> registered for.</strong> For example, if three brackets are combined into one, there will be three Golden Tickets awarded based on final standings and original registration.
<strong>Requirements<strong>
All players must have a USA Pickleball membership at the Challenger or Champion level. The Challenger level is only $12 and you receive a free sleeve of balls, so it immediately pays for itself.
Join or renew at: https://usapickleball.org/
This tournament is sanctioned by USA Pickleball at the MMP level. Referees will be present for all pre-medal and medal matches.
<strong>Event Days & Times</strong>
Thursday - Gender Doubles (60+)
Friday - Singles
Saturday - Gender Doubles (59 and under)
Sunday - Mixed Doubles
<strong>We will not have the exact bracket start times until after registration closes.</strong>
<strong>We will not have the exact bracket start times until after registration closes.</strong>
DUPR ratings will be used to determine bracket placements.
Scores will be uploaded to DUPR.
<strong>Tournament Fee Breakdown</strong> - Each player must register and pay separately. Your total fee is comprised of 3 different fees:
<strong>1. Early Registration Fee</strong> - $45 per player - <strong>NOT PER TEAM</strong> - This will increase to $75 after 75 players have registered.
<strong>2. Event Fee</strong> - $30 per event - Gender Doubles and/or Mixed each has a separate fee. If you play in one event, it's $30, two it's $60, three it's $90.
<strong>3. PB Brackets Service Fee</strong> - $5-10 - This is charged by the platform, we have no control over this fee.
<strong>Practice with the official National Pickleball tournament ball for less!</strong>
This tournament uses the Onix Dura Fast 40 Neon.
Thanks to our partnership with Onix, receive get 10% off any order of Onix Dura Fast 40 balls (or other equipment) with promo code <strong>ONIXNTLPKB</strong>!
Order here >> https://www.onixpickleball.com/collections/tournament-balls
<strong>Food!</strong>
There is a full café onsite with breakfast and lunch, delicious food, good prices, and a full bar!!!
<strong>Bracket Formats</strong>
Brackets with 4 or more teams could take 4-6 hours to complete, please plan accordingly
<strong>3 teams/players (only if necessary, we will try to combine any 3 team/player divisions with the closest age division possible)</strong>
- Double-RR, games 1 to 15
- Top 2 teams advanced to Gold Medal match, 2/3 to 11 win by 2
- 3rd place team automatically receives Bronze medal
<strong>4 team bracket</strong>
- Single-RR, games 1 to 15
- Semi-final (all 4 teams) - 1 to 15
- Bronze - 1 to 15
- Gold - 2/3 to 11
<strong>5-7 team bracket</strong>
- Single-RR, games 1 to 15
- Semi-final (top 4 teams) - 1 to 15
- Bronze - 1 to 15
- Gold - 2/3 to 11
<strong>8-9 team team bracket</strong>
- Single-RR, games 1 to 11
- Semi-final (top 4 teams) - 1 to 15
- Bronze - 1 to 15
- Gold - 2/3 to 11
<strong>10-12 team bracket</strong>
- 2 pools, Single-RR, games 1 to 15
- Semi-final (top 2 teams from each pool) - 1 to 15
- Bronze - 1 to 15
- Gold - 2/3 to 11
Format is subject to change at anytime.
If a bracket is unable to finish due to weather and enough matches have been played to determine placements, we will use approved USAP rules to determine placements.
USAP rules will be followed. Only USAP approved paddles permitted.
