The Path to Nationals!
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 <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://usapickleball.org/tps">Tiered Point System (TPS)</a></span>.
<b>Location</b>
Center Court Pickleball – Glendale, Arizona
Check them out: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.centercourtpickleball.com/locations/glendale">https://www.centercourtpickleball.com/locations/glendale</a></span>
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<strong>PLAYER REQUIREMENTS</strong>
<b>Please make sure you read the notes below as you register. It is the responsibility of each player to read and understand the following information.</b>
All players must have a USA Pickleball membership at the Challenger or Champion level. You will need to include your membership number as part of the registration process.
Join or renew at: <span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://usapickleball.org/">https://usapickleball.org</a></span>
This tournament is sanctioned by USA Pickleball at the MMP level. Referees will be present for all pre-medal and medal matches. In 2025, USA Pickleball successfully refereed all matches at all USA Pickleball-operated Golden Ticket tournaments!
<strong>REGISTRATION POLICY</strong>
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<li style="margin-left: 30px;"> Maximum team counts may be adjusted during registration as needed. </li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;"> Players may only play in one (1) division per day. </li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;"> Players can change skill level or age group until registration closes. No changes after that time.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;"> Please have your tournament profile connected to your own DUPR account. </li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;"> If players are signed up for a bracket <b>BELOW their DUPR at the time of registration, they will be moved to the correct skill bracket.</b></li>
</ul>
<b>Singles Registration</b>
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<li style="margin-left: 30px;">For players in a singles bracket, it means you have REGISTERED and PAID the fees.
<li style="margin-left: 30px;">It is the players’ responsibility to know if they have signed up for Singles. Please check your registration receipt after checkout.
<li style="margin-left: 30px;">Refunds for Singles events will not be given after the withdrawal deadline.
</ul>
<b>Doubles Registration</b>
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<li style="margin-left: 30px;">Your spot in a bracket is <b>NOT</b> considered complete until both players are registered, paid, and paired for the event. </li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;">If you are Needing a Partner, it is your responsibility to find a partner. This is <b>NOT</b> done by the Tournament.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;">Before selecting a player as your partner, you <b>MUST</b> have communicated with that player and agreed to play together.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;">Agreement to player is between partners.</li>
</ul.
<b>Schedule:</b>
The tournament schedule will be posted approximately one (1) week before the event begins.
<strong>PARTNER REPLACEMENT POLICY</strong.
Any registered player who loses a partner after registration has closed; they must replace that partner with an already registered player. This responsibility rests with the players.
Replacements can be found on the players needing partners list, which can be found on the tournament page. Please make sure you have spoken with the player and there is an agreement to partner between you both. We would appreciate one email with your partner included to confirm the partnership.
The replacement player must:
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<li style="margin-left: 30px;">have a USA Pickleball membership (Challenger or Champions) and a PickleballTournaments.com profile.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;">meet the skill/age requirements. </li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;"> pay any related fees for tournament/software fees. Fees are non-transferable.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 30px;">Be able to play the scheduled day of the event.</li>
</ul>
Please email new partner information to <span style="color: blue;"><a href="mailto: tournaments@usapickleball.org">Tournaments@usapickleball.org</a></span> no later than 4pm the day before you are scheduled to play. Approved partner changes will receive an email confirmation.
<strong>RULES & EQUIPMENT POLICY</strong>
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
