Below are the official format and rules for the Williamsburg Pickleball Autumn League, 2022. Note that these details supersede any details that you may have seen or received previously. These rules may be updated as the league develops and situations arise.
League Format
League Dates
The initial league will start in the last week of October and continue for seven weeks ending on Dec. 16.
Competitions
Competitions will be held in two divisions: Intermediate and Advanced. Players will determine for themselves in which category they should be playing.
Competitions will take place in each division in the following categories:
- Mixed Doubles
- Women’s Doubles
- Men’s Doubles
Matches
Matches will be arranged at random at the start of the league. One of the two teams in any given matchup will be designated as the home team on the schedule for all matches.
Teams will be expected to compete in one match each week in each of the competition categories in which they have entered.
To provide maximum flexibility for all players, any match can be played at any time and day during the competition week, as agreed to by the competing teams.
Once the date, time and venue are agreed between the competing teams, if one of the teams cannot make it or fails to show up on the previously agreed to day, time and venue, they will forfeit in any un-played competition categories.
Venue Locations
Keep in mind that reserving courts at Veterans Park requires payment, and since players have not been required to pay to enter this league, courts have not been reserved. All play at Veterans Park or any other of the approved venues must take place when courts are available. Open play hours and court availability must be respected at any selected venue.
If a court venue has been agreed to between the teams in one of the gated communities on the approved venues map, the home team within that community must arrange for gate access and the completion of any required waivers in that community for the visiting team.
Matches may also be scheduled at one of the indoor facilities in the event of inclement weather, if both teams agree, WISC or Quarterpath. Each player will be responsible for paying their own facility fee for those facilities.
Points
Each team will be awarded two league points for winning a match (including winning a match forfeited by their opponents), one league point for losing a match, and zero league points for forfeiting a match. League points will be tallied for each team in each of the competition categories. For example, if a team playing mixed doubles wins their match (2 league points), wins their women’ doubles match (2 league points) and loses men’s doubles (1 league point), that team wins a total of five league points for that competition week.
Matches
Each match will be played in the following format: best of three games with each game played to eleven points, winners must win by two points.
League Winners
Winners will be declared in each of the six competition categories.
Teams having the most league points in each of the six competition categories will be declared the winner of that category. In the event of teams having tying league points in any category, the winner will be determined using the following tie breakers, in order:
1.) the winner of league matches between the two teams. For example, if Team A and Team B are tied and Team A beat Team B during league play, Team A wins; and
2.) the lowest average points scored against them per game by their opponents (calculated by adding the total points scored by their opponents divided by the total number of games played); and
3.) the highest average points scored per game in all their matches (calculated by adding the total points the team scored by the total number of games played).
In the event there is still a tie, both teams will be declared co-champions of the category.
Prizes
We have discussed the option that winners receive new Porsche 911s, however considering the budget, and lack of an entry fee, this idea has been abandoned. Hot Wheels Porsches are still an option.
Rules
The league will follow the current version of the USA Pickleball rulebook, 2022 edition, found here: USA Pickleball Official Rulebook and Rules Summary
Highlights of these rules include:
● 4.A.2. The serve may clear or touch the net (i.e. a let serve that lands ‘in’ is played.)
● 4.F. Scoring. A team scores points only when serving (i.e. no rally scoring.)
ADDITIONAL RULES:
● Substitutions: Players must play as a team on the team on which they signed up as of the October 24 cutoff date. We know that situations will arise requiring creative substitutions. For situations requiring substitutes not on your original team, these substitutions must be agreed to by the opposing team, and the substitutes must be already entered in the league.
● No Substitutions Within a Match: Whichever two players start game one of a best-of-three game match, must be the ones to finish the match. If a player is unable to continue a match it will result in a forfeit of that match.
● Team Commitments: Teams will commit to playing one match per week in each of the events in which they are registered (i.e., if your team has four members consisting of two women and two men, and your team is registered for mixed doubles, women’s doubles and men’s doubles competitions, your team will play three matches that week.)
● Competition Weeks: Teams playing each other in a weekly matchup will have nine days to complete their matches for each competition week. Each “competition week” will start on a Saturday and continue for nine days until the Sunday of the following week. This overlapping weekend format provides every team the opportunity to complete each competition week over four possible weekend days. In situations involving extenuating circumstances such as injuries, illness and scheduling conflicts, grace periods are being allowed to complete matches beyond the nine-day weekly timeframes. All matches must be completed, and the results reported no later than midnight, Sunday December 18 (2022). In the event teams cannot play any scheduled matches before this deadline, both teams will be considered as forfeiting.
● Arranging Match Days/Times: The captains of both competing teams are responsible for arranging with each other the specific day(s) and time(s) to complete their matches.
● Home and Visiting Teams: Teams will be designated as the home and the visiting team for every matchup. The home team will suggest the court venue; however, the visiting team must also agree to the venue. The designated home team is required to provide the balls that will be used.
● Approved Venues: Match locations must be on one of the courts on this map: Williamsburg Area Pickleball Courts – Google My Maps
● Reporting Match Results: The team captain for each team will report their results to the link on this website at the end of each of each weeks’ matches.