The Autumn Equinox is an outdoor tournament in September, but we have secured indoor courts for rain-contingency.
Registration numbers are running low in several brackets, so if you've been on the fence, now's the time to sign up. Every additional player helps us keep events running as scheduled with full pools and great competition.
Registration Basics
All events are doubles, and each member of a team must register separately — there is no combined team registration.
You may register without a partner; you'll be listed as looking for one. Finding and connecting with a partner is your responsibility. If you register with a partner and they don't register within four days, you will both be automatically moved to the waitlist to make room for complete teams. Make sure your partner registers promptly so you don't lose your spot.
Registration Timeline
Early-bird and regular registration have closed, but we've waived the usual late registration surcharge — you can still register at regular pricing through September 6. Registration closes six days before the tournament, on Sunday, September 6 at 8:00 AM.
We look forward to seeing you at the tournament, September 12 & 13.
Schedule
This is an approximation of our expected schedule and times are subject to change until registration has closed.
Note: events are listed by skill level, but we may split or combine brackets to optimize the player experience based on registration numbers. For example, if there are many 3.0 players and many 3.4 players registered, we may split the field into 3.0-3.25 and 3.25-3.49 brackets.
Saturday, September 12
8:00 — Men's doubles 4.0 / Women's doubles 2.5
1:00 — Men's doubles 3.5 / Women's doubles 3.0
3:30 — Women's doubles 3.5 / Men's doubles 3.0
Sunday, September 13
8:00 — Mixed doubles 4.0
10:30 — Mixed doubles 3.0
1:00 — Mixed doubles 3.5
3:30 — Mixed doubles 2.5
Two events may run simultaneously, and a player may only register for one event per day.
Other Important Notes
The official tournament ball is the Franklin X-40.
Pickleball Tournaments charges a separate $5 service fee per event. If you want to change events, drop the first event before adding the second. Adding a new event before dropping the old one triggers a non-refundable $5 fee for the new event — this is outside our control.
Player ratings (levels): Levels are based on DUPR. Players without a DUPR account may use a self-rating. A bracket level covers the listed number up to 0.499 above it — for example, a 3.5 event includes players rated 3.500–3.999. If your DUPR is 3.43, you're eligible for the 3.0 bracket, but consider registering at 3.5 to challenge yourself, in keeping with the spirit of the game. Events listed as a specific range (e.g., 3.25–3.499) are restricted to that range. Bellingham Pickleball Club reserves the right to move players who are known to be playing down. Our goal is fun, competitive matches for everyone.
Your DUPR at registration is the primary basis for your bracket placement. If your rating changes afterward and you feel your bracket no longer fits, contact us at tournaments@bellinghampickleball.org. We're more receptive to requests to move up a bracket than down, given the tendency for some players to sandbag.
A minimum of 5 games is guaranteed. Exact game and point counts depend on registration numbers. Our goal is to maximize rallies and variety of opponents while keeping events on schedule. Pool play will be either round-robin (every team plays every other team in the pool) or waterfall (four seeded matches before the medal round).
Events with more than 8 teams will run two pools; events with 8 or fewer teams will run a single pool.
Games use side-out scoring: pool play to 11, win by 1; medal matches to 11, win by 2 (subject to a point cap if needed to stay on schedule).
You may register for up to two events (one per day). Registration includes one event; a second event costs an additional $20 plus the $5 Pickleball.com service fee.
Bellingham Pickleball Club Member Discount*
Verified Bellingham Pickleball Club members get $20 off registration. Three steps must be completed before registering:
Be or become a member of Bellingham Pickleball Club (bellinghampickleball.org/membership).
Create a free account on Pickleball.com, if you don't already have one.
Request membership verification through Pickleball.com: go to pickleballclubs.com, search for Bellingham Pickleball Club, select it, click "Become a member," then "Click Here Complete Your Request." (If you previously did this on Pickleball Brackets, your information has already been transferred.) We'll receive a notification and approve verified requests, usually within 48 hours.
Complete all three steps before registration opens so your discount applies automatically — no need to wait.
