If you have been selected, you will be entered into the Event on Pickleball Brackets.
You are required to complete your registration by paying the registration fee by 5pm, Friday 27/03/26.
If you fail to complete your registration, your position may be offered to another player.
Included in your registration:
Team Shirt - Size to be confirmed by 1/4/26
Onsite Breakfast BBQ and Fresh Fruit options Saturday and Sunday - No Coffee on site (but available close by).
Grill'd Slider Lunch Saturday
Team Event Dinner Saturday Night - Drinks not included.
Sunday Onsite Grazing Table Lunch
Each Member of the Winning State will receive a Championship Ring at the presentation on Sunday.
Accommodation Partner - Quest Appointments in Albury and Quest on Townsend offer exclusive reduced rates to participants and officials (and their partners). Pleasze call and Quote "SneakyCat" to be eligible for these discounted Rates.
Travel between Melbourne and Albury via V-Line is less than $20 each way.
Travel between Sydney and Albury via Train is approx. $60 each way.
Uber available in Albury for transfers to/from the venue.
Sneaky Cat – Battle of the Border BOTB26_RULES_V2
Official Tournament Rules & Format
The Sneaky Cat Battle of the Border is an interstate team event between Victoria and New South Wales, showcasing the best selected players from each state, hosted by Sneaky Cat on the Vic/NSW Border each year.
Shape
1. STATE TEAM COMPOSITION
Each state will field:
24 Men
24 Women
Divisions
Players will be divided into two skill-based divisions:
Division 1: DUPR 3.50 – 3.99 (COMB <8 DUPR)
Premier Division: DUPR 4.0+ (COMB 8+ DUPR)
Doubles Team Structure (Per State)
For each division:
6 Men’s Doubles teams (2 players per team)
6 Women’s Doubles teams (2 players per team)
Following gender doubles, divisions will compete in:
12 Mixed Doubles teams per division
1 man + 1 woman per team
2. MINIMUM MATCH GUARANTEE
Each player will compete in a minimum of six (6) matches per division, across:
Men’s or Women’s Doubles
Mixed Doubles
3. ORDER OF PLAY (TEAM MATCH FORMAT)
Play will start on Saturday 25th April
8am – 10.15am - Men’s 3.5-3.99 DUPR Doubles
10.30am – 12.45pm Women’s 3.5-3.99 DUPR Doubles
1pm-3.30pm – Women’s 4.0+ DUPR Doubles
3.45pm – 6pm - Men’s 4.0+ DUPR Doubles
Sunday 26th April
8am – 11.30am Mixed 3.5-3.99 DUPR Doubles
12noon – 3.30pm Mixed 4.0+ DUPR Doubles
4pm - Presentation
The Team Managers from each state control the order of play.
Gender Doubles will be a round roibin - Each State team will play every other opposing State team in each DUPR division once.
To start the order of play for Mixed Doubles, a Team Manager will nominate a team to “step up”.
The opposing Team Manager selects a team to oppose them.
Team selection by Managers will then alternate for each “step up” for the remainder of the tournament.
As NSW currently holds the Golden Paddle, they select first “step up” of the event.
Each Team from each State in each division must play a minimum of 6 matches.
This applies to:
Men’s Doubles
Women’s Doubles
Mixed Doubles
Both divisions
This format continues throughout the Mixed Doubles Bracket of the event.
4. MATCH FORMAT
All matches (Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Doubles) follow:
Game to 11 points
Win by 2
Traditional scoring
20-minute time cap – all matches are capped to 20 minutes.
Time is controlled and monitored by the Tournament Director.
2 × 1-minute timeouts per team per game (not added to playing time).
Time out freeze within last 3 minutes of any match will apply.
Time Cap Rule
If one team reaches or exceeds 11 points with a 2-point advantage before time expires:
A WIN is recorded for that state.
At 20 minutes, play stops when the point in play ends.
Scores are recorded as they stand.
If the match is unfinished (no team has won to 11 by 2):
No win is recorded.
Points scored by both teams are added to their respective state’s points total.
All scores are recorded at the Tournament Desk.
Medical Time Out
If during a match, a player is injured, a Medical Time Out can be called.
The medical Time out will allow the match to cease at its current score, and the remaining time (22 minute time cap) is to be noted by the Tournament Director.
If the remaining time for that match exceeds 12 minutes, the game will be suspended for the remaining time allocation, and resumed at the next available court allocation, with only the remaining time to be played or if the game is finished by traditional scoring method.
If the remaining time for that match is less than 12 minutes, the match may be suspended, and the game will be recommenced in the next available match slot after an injury time has expired, with only the remaining time to be played or the game is finished by traditional scoring method.
A substitute player can complete the match for the injured player from the re-start of the match.
The injured player, if withdrawn from a match, will be required to withdraw from the remainder of the bracket.
The injured player can compete in the next bracket (Mixed) if they are able.
5. TEAM SCORING SYSTEM
The overall winner is determined by:
Total Match Wins (Primary Decider)
Total Points Won (Tie-Breaker)
The state with the most match wins at the completion of all divisions will be crowned:
Battle of the Border Champions
In the event of a tie for wins, and tie for points, the reigning State Champion will regain the Golden Paddle and be awarded the Win, to be recorded on the Golden Paddle Shield.
All players, Substitutes and Team Managers of the winning state will receive a Championship Ring
The winning state will hold the title for 12 months or until the next Battle of the Border is held by Sneaky Cat.
6. SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS
Each state will nominate (States can nominate Sneaky Cat to provide local substitutes):
4 Substitute Players
2 Men
2 Women
DUPR range: 3.5 – 4.5
Injury Replacement
If a player is injured, a substitute will replace them.
Substitutes must meet division eligibility requirements where possible.
If Not Required to Substitute
Substitutes will compete in:
1 Men’s Doubles match
1 Women’s Doubles match
1 Mixed Doubles match each
NOTE – If any substitutes are called in to play for any injured player, they may still compete in the Substitute round.
If all substitutes are called in to play for injured players, from both State Teams, then no substitute round will be played.
Total: 4 matches per state
These matches WILL count toward state win and points tallies.
Substitute matches will take place on Sunday morning prior to the Premier (4.0+) Mixed Doubles matches.
7. OFFICIATING & RULES
A referee will be available throughout the event.
A referee may be called to monitor any match upon request from a player or Team Manager.
The referee will remain at the match for as long as they determine necessary.
All matches follow official GPF rules (as followed by Pickleball Australia).
Balls used will be Franklin X-40 Outdoor Balls.
8. RECORDING & ADMINISTRATION
All wins and points are recorded at the Tournament Desk.
Official tallies are maintained on the event spreadsheet.
Timing of all games will be at the Tournament Desk and be controlled by 1 Time Piece per court, set to 22 minutes for each round of matches.
The Tournament Director’s rulings are final in all matters relating to scoring disputes or interpretation of these rules.
9. SPIRIT OF COMPETITION
Battle of the Border is designed to:
Celebrate interstate rivalry.
Showcase high-level competitive pickleball.
Promote sportsmanship and team pride
All players are expected to compete fiercely, fairly, and respectfully.
Glossary of Terms
Bracket / Division – A group of players or teams grouped by skill level or category for competition. In this tournament, players are divided by DUPR rating into Division 1 (3.5–3.99) or Premier Division (4.0+).
DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) – A universal player rating system used to rank skill level in pickleball. DUPR ratings range from beginner to professional level.
Division 1 – Players with DUPR rating 3.50 – 3.99.
Premier Division – Players with DUPR rating 4.0+.
Men’s / Women’s Doubles – A match format where two players of the same gender play together as a team against two opponents.
Mixed Doubles – A match format where a team consists of 1 male and 1 female player, competing against another mixed team.
Team – A pairing of 2 players competing together in a doubles match (Men’s, Women’s, or Mixed). Each state fields multiple teams in each division.
Team Manager – The appointed representative from each state responsible for:
Selecting the order of play for their state’s teams
Nominating a team to step up for each match
Coordinating substitutions and match strategy for the state’s squads
Step Up – When a Team Manager nominates a team to play a match.
Time Cap – The maximum allowed time for a match (22 minutes in this tournament). When the time expires, the point in play is completed and the match ends.
Traditional Scoring – Standard pickleball scoring: each rally can score a point for the serving team; games are played to 11 points, win by 2.
Win by 2 – A team must be ahead by at least 2 points to win the game (e.g., 11–9 is a win; 11–10 continues).
Timeout – A short break requested by a team during a match. Each team is allowed 2 × 1-minute timeouts per game, which do not extend match time.
Medical Time Out – A pause in the match for injury treatment. The Tournament Director records remaining time and resumes the match according to tournament rules.
Substitute Player – A nominated player who can replace an injured participant or compete in designated substitute matches.
Match Win / Points Win –
Match Win: Awarded to a team that reaches 11 points with a 2-point margin before the time cap.
Points Win: Total points scored by a team in matches that are unfinished or completed; used as a tie-breaker in team scoring.
Tournament Desk – Central location where match results, points, and schedules are recorded and monitored.
USAPA Rules – Official rules established by the Global Pickleball Foundation (GPF) rules, which govern all matches in this event.
Franklin X-40 Outdoor Balls – The official pickleball used for all matches in this tournament.
Battle of the Border Champions – The state (Victoria or New South Wales) with the highest total match wins after all divisions have completed play.
Spirit of Competition – Guiding principle emphasizing fair play, respect, and team pride throughout the tournament.
