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Wine Country Classic Tournament Rules - October 1, 2, 3, 2021

Centennial Park, Paso Robles, CA

 

*****IMPORTANT MANDATORY READING FOR ALL PLAYERS*****

 

Check-In

  • Thursday check-in available from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - avoid the Friday crowd.

  • No later than 30 minutes prior to the posted start time of your first event.  Show your driver’s license or ID showing your age at check-in.

  • Pick up your Tournament Cap at check-in.

  • Please let all your friends and family know that being a spectator is FREE.

 

Referees

  • On Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday, report to the Referee Table for assignments.

  • Pick up pay at the end of each day at the Referee Table.

 

Food, Health, Safety & Courtesy

  • We anticipate the need to wear masks when not on the court. Please observe social distancing requirements.

  • Bring your own lawn chair(s). Seating available outside side of courts 1-5 and on the converted tennis courts ONLY where designated. Do not disturb play coming/going from tennis courts.

  • No food on the courts.  Snacks and water are available for free. A food vendor is available all day. No alcoholic beverages are allowed in the park at any time. Wine awarded may not be opened in the park.

  • Please remember to hydrate the day before and the day of play. Water is available for free at the snack table. Bring your own bottle to refill.

  • Please be courteous as you pass by or enter a court in play.  Wait for a rally to finish before passing behind or beside the court.  If there is a referee, please ask the referee for permission to pass

 

Schedules

  • Play starts at 8:00 a.m. each day unless otherwise posted. Check times for your bracket. Schedules, court assignments, and bracket results will be posted on our tournament listing “2021 Paso Robles Wine Country Classic” at  https://www.pickleballtournaments.com. 

  • Bracket start times will be posted at least one week before the tournament. 

  • Opening match pairings for each bracket will not be posted until the day of each event.

  • It is the players' responsibility to be on the courts in a timely manner.

  • Brackets may change prior to actual play time.  Please pay attention to the play schedules as events start times may change.

  • Use a smartphone to access to pickleballtournaments.com to show scores, who is playing and where.

 

Starting at Cone Zone Staging Area 

  • When called on the PA, report immediately to the “Cone Zone” staging area that is marked by orange cones near the scoring desk.  

  • Introduce each other and referee (if any).

  • Runner/Ref will ask if you read and understand the pre-match briefing below. If not, the Runner/Ref will go over it with you. You will have 10 minutes from the time your match has been announced until your match begins, so pre-reading the briefing gives you more warm-up time. Not being on the court at the appropriate time will be a forfeit.  

  • Runner/Ref will confirm the format of the match.

  • Runner/Ref will check paddles for compliance.

  • Runner/Ref will flip a coin to determine the winner of the coin toss. That winning team has the first choice of side or whether to serve or receive.  The winner may defer the first choice to the opponent.

  • Runner/Ref will provide wristbands for the first servers.

  • Ref or Player takes scorecard (on a clipboard) to the assigned court. The 10 minutes includes warm-up time. 

  • Balls & pencils are in a basket on the court.

  • At end of play, Ref or WINNING TEAM records the scores of game(s), signs the scorecard, collects wristbands, and PROMPTLY returns the clipboard with scorecard and wristbands to Scoring Desk.

  • Please bring all broken balls back to the event desk. 

 

*****IMPORTANT MANDATORY READING FOR ALL PLAYERS*****

                                                                             

Players Pre-Match Briefing

Formats:

Double elimination format. 

All matches in the winning bracket are 2 out of 3 games played to 11, winning by 2.  Switch sides and initial service at the second game and in the third game to 11 (if any) switch sides when first team reaches 6 points.  Matches in the losing bracket are one game to 15, winning by 2, switch at 8 points. The bronze medal match is 1 game to 15, winning by 2 and changing sides at 8 points.  Gold & Silver medal matches will be played 2 out of 3 games to 11, winning by 2, tie-breaker is one game to 15, winning by 2.

Round Robin format. 

  • There will be two different types of round robins for brackets with 5 teams or less. The correct format will be on the scoresheet provided to the teams.

    • Type one: 2 out of 3 games to 11 winning by 2.

    • Type two: 1 game to 15 winning by 2.

  • Round robin format will have all teams play each other. The winner is determined based on the number of matches won. 

Tied teams: 

  • First tie-breaker: head-to-head matches won. 

  • Second tie-breaker:  point differential of all games played.  (Example:  Team A won first match 11-8, 11-4 so they would have a point differential of +10.  Team A then wins the second match 11-9, 2-11, 11-6.  For this round, they would have a point differential of -2.  This would give them a total for the day of +8). 

  • Third tie-breaker:  head-to-head point differential against next-highest team.  (Example:  If the teams are tied for second, use point differentials against the first-place team).

Other Rules:

  • Serving player must call score loud enough to be heard by all BEFORE starting serving. You have 10 seconds to serve after calling the score. Service motion is defined as, “the server’s arm movement initiating the swing, backward or forward, to contact the ball”.

  • Regardless of which game format being played, each team is allotted 2 time-outs per game.  Each time out is 1 minute in duration. Put the paddles down and leave the ball under the paddle of the player serving next.

  • Players are responsible for line calls on their side of the court.  Lines include the baseline, sidelines, and centerline.  Players must provide an immediate verbal “out” as well as a hand signal. An "out" call must be loud enough to be heard by the referee as well as your opponents. Do NOT say “out” before the ball actually hits the ground out of bounds. If warning your partner, use “watch it” or “drop it” or “no.” 

  • Any errant ball entering the court is considered a valid hinder, as well as, a major safety issue.  Players, as well as, the referee may call a hinder while the ball is in play.

  • The tournament is conducted under the rules contained in the current USAPA & IFP Official Tournament Rulebook.  A copy of which is available for download at USAPA.org.

  • All paddles must have a clearly marked manufacturer brand and model name or model number on the paddle.  Additionally, players are responsible to ensure that any paddle used has been approved by the USAPA.  Listing of approved paddles can be found at USAPA.org.

  • If there is a referee:

  • Players may not start serving motion until the referee has called the complete score (all three elements).

  • A line call can be appealed to the referee who can overrule only if clearly seen.

  • The server may ask the referee if they are the correct server and what is their score. 

  • The referee will call server foot faults, all NVZ infractions including short serves.  

  • Receiving team can only ask the score. The serving team can ask the score and ”Am I the correct server?” but the serving team cannot ask if they are in the correct position. Out of position serving is a fault.

  • Once the score is called, receivers may not become “unready.”

  • The maximum time allowed to switch sides during a game is 1 minute.  During this time, players may communicate with each other, but no third-party coaching is allowed.  The referee will announce a 15-second warning, then call the score after the full one minute and apply the 10-Second Rule even if all players are not on the court and/or not ready to play.

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