How to Host a Backyard Pickleball Tournament Like a Pro

Having a backyard pickleball court opens up opportunities to host exceptionally fun pickleball tournaments. 

With proper preparation and organization, your home can become the place for neighborhood fun and excitement centered around pickleball. Because pickleball is easy to learn, everyone of any age can join in on the fun, from beginners to seasoned players.

With help from C&C Courts, you can host the best pickleball tournaments in town. We’ve compiled some tips and tricks for running a smooth backyard tournament, so let’s get down to it! 

Prepare Your Court and Equipment

The first thing to do is make sure your court is clean and prepared for a tournament. Cleaning and regular court maintenance can help keep your court pristine for the next time you play. Use a gentle power wash or broom to clear off any debris from your court and make sure there are no safety hazards like cracks or uneven playing areas. Ensure your boundary lines are clear and well-marked. 

You will also need to ensure you have the right equipment. Not all players may have paddles and balls, so make sure you have extras on hand. 

Some other equipment you might need include: 

• Stopwatch or other timekeeping equipment

• Scoreboards

• Umbrellas or sunshades for spectators

• Chairs/seating for spectators

• A board for rules and code of conduct

Determine Tournament Format

There are several types of tournament formats you can choose from, depending on the number of players you have and how long you want the tournament to last. If you are playing with varied skill levels, you may want to consider playing for a set amount of time rather than playing to a certain score. This can keep the games running at a consistent time. 

Some of the popular tournament styles include: 

• Single Elimination: Losers are out after one loss

• Double Elimination: Players must lose twice before being eliminated

• Round Robin: Every player/team competes against all others, and the best overall record wins

• King of the Court: Winner stays on, challenger rotates in

You can decide on singles or doubles based on the number of players.

Set Rules & Scoring

The easiest method is to use the official USA Pickleball rules. However, if everyone playing is familiar with the rules, you could modify them slightly for a fun approach to the tournament. You will want to determine the game length, such as first to 11 or 15 points, win by 2, or just play for a certain length of time, as we mentioned earlier. 

Before playing, always clarify the serving rules and faults to keep the play consistent. Ensure everyone knows the faults as well. You will also need at least one referee who is very familiar with the rules to keep the games fair. 

Pre-Tournament Planning & Provisions

Once you have a general idea of how many people will attend, be sure to provide hydration and snacks. You can also ask the attendees to help provide some of these items as a potluck or donations. This will ensure everyone stays hydrated and safe throughout the day while seating and spending time out in the sun. 

Other things you can provide or suggest people to bring include: 

• Sunscreen

• Shade

• Chairs

• Snacks or beverages

• Hats/sunglasses

Organize Players and Brackets

You will need to invite more people than you plan on hosting, as not everyone will be able to attend, and some may drop out last minute. Wait until the day of the event to finalize your brackets and teams, which you can do by using online bracket generators. You should also seed players based on skill level as much as possible. 

Using a whiteboard or display board, show the bracket so the players and spectators can track their progress throughout the day. 

Keep Up the Fun

During the tournament, it’s important to keep up the fun! One suggestion is to ask the players to arrive in themed attire or in team outfits. This can make for great photo ops and hilarious entertainment. Consider asking your spectators and other attendees to snap photos and share them in an online-based album so you can have great memories for later. 

In addition, use a bluetooth speaker to pump out energetic music to keep up the fun and entertainment for everyone attending. Choose music that is appropriate for everyone, particularly if there are kids around, and have fun!

Celebrate the Tournament Players

When closing out the tournament, you may want to offer trophies or other prizes to the winners, and maybe even the losers. You can also provide prizes for best dressed, best serve, best score, etc, to make the tournament more fun and spread out the winnings. This will help make everyone feel special and lift up the players who maybe didn’t play as well as others. 

Contact C&C Sports to Build a Backyard Pickleball Court

If you want to host pickleball tournaments in your backyard, then you need a spectacular pickleball court. C&C Courts has been building pickleball courts in backyards throughout Minnesota for over 30 years, and we continue to provide excellent customer service and workmanship. 

Our designers and builders ensure every part of your project is taken care of, and we’ll ensure you’re completely satisfied with your brand-new pickleball court. If you want to see your pickleball court concept come to life, check out our Design a Court feature for a 3D rendering of the court you design. 

Request a quote online today or call us at 952-234-9838 for more information about customizing your own pickleball court.