Pickleball tournament formats explained: brackets, round robin and pool play
Short answer: USA Pickleball approves six formats for sanctioned tournaments: single elimination with consolation, double elimination, round robin, pool play, non-pool play and team play. The tournament director normally chooses the format.
Before you enter a sanctioned event, check the format. It decides how many matches you play and what a loss costs you. USA Pickleball's approved formats guide lists the options.
The six formats
- Single elimination with consolation
- Double elimination
- Round robin
- Pool play
- Non-pool play
- Team play
The guide says the format is typically the choice of the tournament sponsor or director. For detailed rules on each, USA Pickleball points to its rulebook.
Scoring options
The recommended option is best two of three games to 11, win by two. Alternatives are best three of five games to 11, one game to 15, or one game to 21, all win by two. A round robin bracket with six or more teams may use one game to 11. Directors may approve games to 7 in bad weather. Rally scoring is a provisional option in some formats.
Age and rating rules
There are three broad age groups: juniors (18 and under), adults (19 and over) and seniors (50 and over). Age for the whole tournament year is set by your age on 31 December of that year. In a rated event you may not play in a division rated lower than your rating, but you may play higher.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides the format?
Typically the tournament sponsor or tournament director, according to USA Pickleball.
Sources
Sources checked 14 Oct 2026. Header photo: A player in a pickleball match, shown mid-stroke, by EasonChou0621, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
