<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>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>
<strong>Friday</strong> - Gender Singles
<strong>Saturday</strong> - Gender Doubles
<strong>Sunday</strong> - Mixed Doubles
<strong>Daily Tournament Schedule:</strong>
8AM - Earliest possible start time, NOT all divisions will start at 8AM
<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 $70 after 75 players have registered.
<strong>2. Event Fee</strong> - $30 per event - Singles, 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>4. Referee Fee</strong> - $5
We will not have the exact bracket start times until after registration closes.
DUPR ratings will be used to determine bracket placements.
<strong>We reserve the right to move players/teams into their appropriate skill bracket based on their DUPR rating at the time of the tournament (regardless of rating at the time of registration).</strong>
Scores will be uploaded to DUPR.
<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 11
- Bronze - 1 to 11
- 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.
Rules & Equipment
All USA Pickleball rules apply. Official Rule Book: https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/official-rules/
Players must ensure their paddle is on the Approved Equipment List: https://equipment.usapickleball.org/
