We hope to be able to answer your frequently asked questions regarding the Williamsburg Pickleball Spring League below.
Q. When do league matches take place?
Advanced division matches are on Sundays, 2-4pm, from April 23-May 21.
Intermediate division matches are on Saturdays, noon-2pm, from April 15-May 27.
Emerging division matches are on Saturdays, 2-4pm, from April 15-May 13.
Q. Where are league matches played?
All scheduled league matches take place at Veterans Park on reserved courts in cooperation with James City County Parks and Recreation Department. The address is 3793 Ironbound Road, Williamsburg, Virginia.
Q. What if my team wants to play at a different day, time or place?
If your scheduled opponent’s team captain agrees to play your team on a different day, time or place than that’s fine, as long as you notify the league organizers ahead of the scheduled match. If for example, two teams want to book a cruise and play their scheduled match aboard ship, that’s great. The match must be completed within the scheduled calendar duration of the league. You must report the match results and player names to the league using the template available here.
Q. What if I can’t play for a scheduled match?
Notify your team captain of any dates that you will not be available, in order for the league to arrange a substitute for your team with your team captain.
Q. What’s the minimum number of players my team needs to play?
Advanced and Intermediate division teams need two women and two men to play their women’s doubles, mixed doubles and men’s doubles matches.
Emerging division teams need two women to play their women’s doubles, mixed doubles and open doubles matches. If an emerging team does not have a man on their team, or no man on their available, the team can use two women for mixed doubles.
Q. How does my team arrange for substitutes?
Each team captain is responsible for making sure their team has enough players available to play the scheduled matches. If substitutes are needed, the team captain must email the league coordinators to arrange for substitutes as early as possible. Substitutes are assigned to a team by the league, not chosen by the team or team captains.
Q. Who can be a substitute?
All players on teams as well as substitutes are required to be registered for the league. We have many substitutes for the advanced and intermediate divisions and very few for the emerging division.
Q. How will the league choose the substitutes to assign?
When the league is notified that a team needs a substitute, we send out an email to all the substitutes on the list, and the substitutes are assigned based on the order of the responses. The league will not assign the same substitute to a team two weeks in a row,
Q. What pickleball rules will be used in league matches?
All league matches use the current USAPA rules (i.e. rally scoring is not allowed.) The full list of rules is available here.
Q. Who supplies the pickleballs?
All teams must supply their own pickleballs.
Q. What brand of pickleballs can be used?
Team captains must agree on which brand of pickleball will be used for a match. Details about how to handle the situation if teams don’t agree is available here.
Q. What do I need to bring to my league matches?
Each player needs to bring their own water or hydration and their own paddle. Team captains must also bring pickleballs. Players should consider bringing their own sunscreen and hat, and if desired, a folding chair.