columbus's pickleball club teams
COMMISSIONER's welcome letter
Dear Columbus Major League Pickleball Team Captains and Players,
Get ready for some exciting competition! My name is Doug Miller and I'm commissioning a Major League Pickleball (MLP) style tournament, bringing together the vibrant pickleball communities within Columbus. Imagine the thrill of inter-club rivalries and the camaraderie of friendly competition right here in our city! Inspired by the fast-paced and team-oriented format of Major League Pickleball, this tournament aims to elevate our local game and foster connections among players from different clubs.
Here's the proposed structure:
• Team Formation: We envision forming teams representing the participating communities: Cooper Creek, Columbus State University (not official), Country Club of Columbus, Green
Island Country Club, and a Military/Veteran/Dependent/Federal/State Team. This will create natural rivalries and ensure broad participation.
• Team Size and Composition: Each team will consist of seven players, providing ample
opportunity for everyone to participate. To ensure a diverse and inclusive playing environment, each team must have a minimum of two women and two men on its roster.
• Team Captains: Leadership will be key! Each team will elect or appoint a team captain who will be responsible for team organization, communication, and scheduling.
• Weekly Game Schedule: To maximize flexibility and participation, the team captains will collaborate to create a weekly game schedule. This will allow teams to coordinate matches at
times and locations that work best for their players.
• Communication Platform: To streamline communication and coordination among teams, we will use the "Columbus MLP Admin + Captains" GroupMe app for tournament administration and Team Captains only. Players not serving in administrative or Team Captain roles will not have access to the tournament GroupMe. However, teams are encouraged to develop their own method of intra-team communication. This will provide a convenient platform for captains to schedule matches, share results, and foster some friendly banter!
This tournament offers a fantastic opportunity to:
• Elevate our local pickleball scene: By introducing a structured, team-based competition, we can raise the level of play and excitement within our community.
• Foster inter-club connections: This will be a wonderful way to meet and play with fellow
pickleball enthusiasts from different clubs, expanding our local pickleball network.
• Enjoy friendly competition. At its heart, this this tournament is about having fun, enjoying the sport we love, and building lasting relationships.
This Major League Pickleball-inspired tournament has the potential to be a highlight of our local pickleball calendar. I'm eager to hear your thoughts and gauge the interest within our communities. Let's work together to make this exciting vision a reality!
Finally, I designed Columbus's MLP Tournament to be replicable for anyone to freely utilize the files, informational packet, and concept. If this inaugural MLP tournament is successful and popular, I am glad to mentor anyone who might like to commission a similar tournament at any skill level so more Columbus City Pickleballers can enjoy the experience.
Reach out with any questions, suggestions, or expressions of interest. Anyone desiring to be a team captain and assemble a team please contact me. Let the games begin!
Doug Miller
CONCEPT OF COLUMBUS MLP
Major League Pickleball (MLP) tournaments feature a unique team-based format that differs from traditional individual or doubles pickleball competitions. Here's a breakdown of the concept and structure:
Concept:
The core of MLP is to create a dynamic and engaging team environment within pickleball. Instead of individual players competing, teams of seven players (with a minimum of two women and two men) compete against each other in a series of matches. This format emphasizes team strategy, collaboration, and the excitement of both singles and doubles play within a single team matchup.
Structure of a Team Match:
A standard MLP team match consists of the following four games:
1. Women's Doubles (Game 1): Two female players from each team compete against each other.
2. Men's Doubles (Game 2): Two male players from each team compete against each other.
3. Mixed Doubles (Game 3): One male and one female player from each team form a partnership and play against the opposing team's mixed doubles pair.
4. Mixed Doubles (Game 4): The remaining male and female players from each team form a
different mixed doubles partnership and compete.
Scoring:
• Games are played to 11 points (win by two, traditional side-out scoring).
Overall Match Scoring: A total of three standings points are awarded for each regular season match.
• 3 Points: Awarded for a regulation win (3-1 or 4-0; no DreamBreaker needed).
• 2 Points: Awarded for a DreamBreaker win (3-2).
• 1 Point: Awarded for a DreamBreaker loss (2-3).
• 0 Points: Awarded for a regulation loss (1-3 or 0-4; no DreamBreaker needed).
The DreamBreaker (Tiebreaker):
If the team match is tied 2-2 after the four final games, an exciting tiebreaker called the
"DreamBreaker" is played.
Here's how it works: If both teams are tied at 2-2 after the 4 games played, they’ll go to a DreamBreaker! In a DreamBreaker one person from each team plays singles against each other, switching every four points until someone gets to 21 and wins by two points. To level up the stakes, the away team has to present its singles line-up first then the home team gets the chance to counter that with their own configuration of their lineup to match and counter each player’s skills!
1. Scoring: A point is scored on every rally, regardless of which team served the ball.
2. Player Rotation: Each team previously declared a rotation order of their four participating players. After every four points, the players rotate according to the predetermined order.
3. Freeze: The "freeze" rule applies at game point (20-point mark). A team must win the final
point while serving.
4. Each team must put at least one female in the DreamBreaker lineup.
SCHEDULE OF MATCHES
MLP tournaments typically involve multiple teams competing in a round-robin or pool play format, followed by playoffs for the top-ranked teams. Teams earn standings points based on their match wins.
Proposed Eight-Week Schedule for Eight Teams (Round Robin):
To have each of the eight teams play every other team once over seven weeks, we structured a round-robin schedule. Assume one match per week for each team.
How it Works: In this schedule, each team plays one match per week for seven weeks, facing a different opponent each week. By the end of Week 7, every team will have played all seven other teams. Week 8 provides flexibility for any necessary adjustments or a potential final showdown.
Player Substitutions: If a team captain needs to utilize a sub, he/she may pick one from the sub bench. Teams may only use a specific sub player one time during the season. Therefore, if we have sub players A, B, and C, then a team can only sub in player A one-time during the season. But the team can later use sub B and/or sub C. This will allow all teams to utilize the same subs, but not keep playing the best subs.
This structure ensures a balanced and competitive tournament where every team has the opportunity to compete against all others, mirroring the exciting team dynamics of Major League Pickleball.
Upon conclusion of the weekly match, the winning Team Captain will report the score to the Commissioner via email or the GroupMe app.
Location of Matches: Team Captains are responsible for scheduling weekly matches to include the location.
Suggested locations are:
- Country Club of Columbus
- Green Island Country Club
- Cooper Creek Park
- Phenix City Courts
- Opelika Sportsplex
- Auburn’s Lake Wilmore courts
Courts with fees should be coordinated by team captains.
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