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Home Overview System Limits Quick Start (5 min) Step 1: Create League Step 2: Create Tournament Step 3: Add Players Step 4: Create Groups Step 5: Add Teams Step 6: Generate Matches Step 7: Start Tournament Tips & Best Practices Standings Calculation Methods League Demo Guide Player Guide

League Manager Guide

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Overview

Welcome to the Pickleball League Hub Management System! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to set up and run successful tournaments.

Quick Setup

Get your first tournament running in under 10 minutes

Easy Player Management

Add players quickly with our Quick Add feature

Automated Scheduling

Generate round-robin matches automatically

System Limits

To ensure optimal performance and prevent abuse, the system enforces the following limits:

Category Limit Default Description
League Members 500 max 200 Maximum active members per league
Tournament Players per Skill Level 80 max 50 Players per skill level in a tournament (0 = use default)
Groups per Bracket 4 max - Groups per skill level/category combination
Teams per Group 10 max - Recommended: 3-6 teams for manageable pool play
How Limits Work Together

The 80-player limit per skill level is calculated from:
4 groups x 10 teams x 2 players = 80 players

Over Capacity?

Players registered beyond the limit will be automatically waitlisted and can be approved as spots open up.

Quick Start - Get Running in 5 Minutes!

Follow these steps to set up your first tournament quickly:

1
Create a League (if you don't have one)

Go to Leagues > Create League

2
Create a Tournament

From your league page, click "Create Tournament" and select skill levels

3
Add Players to League

Use "Bulk Import" to upload an Excel file, or "Bulk Approve" pending requests, or "Quick Add" individually

4
Add Players to Tournament

Use "Bulk Add Players" to add multiple league members at once, or add them individually

5
Create Groups & Teams

Go to Manage Groups > Create Group, then "Add Team / Players"

6
Generate Matches

Click "Generate Matches" to automatically create round-robin match schedule

That's it! Your tournament is ready. Players can now see their matches and you can record scores.

Step 1Create Your League

A league is the top-level container for your tournaments. You can have multiple tournaments under one league.

How to Create a League:
  1. Click "Leagues" in the navigation menu
  2. Click the "Create League" button
  3. Fill in the details:
    • League Name: e.g., "Sunday Funday Pickleball"
    • Description: Brief description of your league
    • Location: Country, State, Zip Code
    • Private: Check if you want invitation-only access
  4. Click "Create League"
Tip: You're automatically the owner of leagues you create and can manage all aspects of them.

Step 2Create a Tournament

Tournaments are where the actual competition happens. Each tournament has its own players, groups, and matches.

How to Create a Tournament:
  1. Go to your league's details page
  2. Click "Create Tournament"
  3. Fill in the basic information:
    • Tournament Name: e.g., "Spring Championship 2025"
    • Description: Tournament details and rules
    • Start/End Date: When the tournament runs
    • Private: Tournaments in a private league are always private. In a public league you can choose public or private.
  4. Configure game rules:
    • Match Format: Single Game or Best of 3
    • Points to Win: 11, 15, or 21 points
    • Win By: Win by 2 or Win by 1
  5. Select Team Categories: Check which doubles formats will be offered (Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, Mixed Doubles)
  6. Select Skill Levels: Check which skill levels will compete (2.5, 3.0, 3.5, etc.) and optionally set a max players per level
  7. Click "Create Tournament"
Important: Make sure to select at least one skill level. These determine which groups you can create later.

Step 3Add Players to Tournament

You have multiple ways to add players to your league and tournament:

Adding Members to Your League
Bulk Import from Excel

Best for: Adding 10+ members at once

  1. Go to League > "Manage Members"
  2. Click "Bulk Import"
  3. Download the template file
  4. Fill in your spreadsheet with:
    • Column A: Last Name
    • Column B: First Name
    • Column C: Email
    • Column D: Gender (M or F, required)
    • Column E: Phone (optional)
  5. Upload the .xlsx file
  6. Review results
All imported members are automatically approved!
Quick Add Member

Best for: Adding 1-10 members one at a time

  1. Go to League Details
  2. Click "Quick Add Member"
  3. Enter player's name, email, location
  4. Account is created and auto-approved

New members can use "Forgot Password" to set their password.

Bulk Approve Requests

Best for: Approving many pending requests

  1. Go to "Manage Members"
  2. Click "Bulk Approve"
  3. Use "Select All" or check individuals
  4. Click "Approve Selected Members"
Much faster than approving one by one!
Adding Players to a Tournament
Bulk Add Players

Best for: Adding many league members

  1. Go to Tournament > Manage Registrations
  2. Click "Bulk Add Players"
  3. Select players (or "Select All")
  4. Choose skill level and categories
  5. Click "Add Selected Players"
Players are auto-approved!
Quick Add New Player

Best for: Players without accounts

  1. Go to Tournament > Manage Registrations
  2. Click "Quick Add New Player"
  3. Enter player details
  4. Select skill level and categories
  5. Click "Create Player & Add"
Add Existing Member

Best for: Single league members

  1. Go to Tournament > Manage Registrations
  2. Click "Add Existing Member"
  3. Select player from dropdown
  4. Choose skill level and categories
  5. Click "Add Player"
Self-Registration

Best for: Open tournaments

  1. Open tournament registration
  2. Players register themselves
  3. Review and approve registrations
Recommended Workflow:
  1. Use Bulk Import to add all your league members from a spreadsheet
  2. Use Bulk Add Players to add them all to a tournament at once
  3. Use Bulk Approve if players self-register and you need to approve many at once

Step 4Create Groups

Groups organize players by skill level and category. Each group will have its own teams and matches.

How to Create Groups:
  1. Go to your tournament's details page
  2. Click "Manage Groups"
  3. Click "Create Group"
  4. Fill in the details:
    • Group Name: e.g., "3.5 Men's Doubles - Pool A"
    • Skill Level: Select from tournament's skill levels
    • Category: Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, or Mixed Doubles
    • Display Order: Order in which groups appear
  5. Click "Create Group"
Common Group Structures:
Tournament Size Recommended Structure
Small (4-8 teams) 1 group per skill level/category (round-robin)
Medium (8-16 teams) 2 pools per skill level, then playoffs
Large (16+ teams) Multiple pools with bracket playoffs

Step 5Add Teams to Groups

Teams are pairs of players (for doubles) who compete together in a group.

How to Add Teams:
  1. Go to the group's details page (click on the group name)
  2. Click the big green "Add Team / Players" button
  3. Enter a Team Name (e.g., "Dynamic Duo", "The Picklers")
  4. Select Player 1 from the dropdown (shows registered players)
  5. Select Player 2 from the dropdown
  6. Click "Create Team"
  7. Repeat for all teams in the group
Note: Only players who are registered for the tournament will appear in the dropdown. If a player is missing, go to Manage Registrations first.

Step 6Generate Matches

Once you have teams in a group, you can automatically generate a round-robin match schedule.

How to Generate Matches:
  1. Go to the group's details page
  2. Make sure you have at least 2 teams added
  3. Click the "Generate Matches" button
  4. Confirm when prompted
  5. The system will create matches so each team plays every other team once
Number of Matches Generated:
Teams in Group Matches Generated Formula
33n x (n-1) / 2
46
510
615
828
Setup complete! Now proceed to close registration and start the tournament.

Step 7Close Registration & Start Tournament

Once all players are registered and teams are set up, you need to close registration and officially start the tournament.

Tournament Status Flow

Every tournament progresses through these statuses:

Draft Registration Open Registration Closed In Progress Completed
Status What It Means What You Can Do
Draft Tournament created but not yet open Edit tournament details, add skill levels. Click "Open Registration" when ready.
Registration Open Players can register for the tournament Add players, approve registrations, create groups and teams. Click "Close Registration" when all players are in.
Registration Closed No new players can register Finalize teams and groups. Click "Start Tournament" to begin competition.
In Progress Tournament is actively running Record match scores, view standings. Click "Complete Tournament" when all matches are done.
Completed Tournament is finished View final results and standings. Tournament is archived.
How to Close Registration & Start:
  1. Go to your Tournament Details page
  2. Click the yellow "Close Registration" button
    • This prevents new player registrations
    • You can still manage existing players and teams
  3. Make sure all groups have teams and matches generated
  4. Click the blue "Start Tournament" button
    • This officially begins the competition
    • You can now record match scores
Tip: You can still add teams and generate matches while in "Registration Closed" status. Just make sure everything is ready before clicking "Start Tournament".
You're done! Your tournament is now running. Players can see their matches, and you can record scores as games are played.

Tips & Best Practices

Do's
  • Use Quick Add New Player for fastest setup
  • Create separate groups for different skill levels
  • Use descriptive group names (e.g., "3.5 Mixed - Pool A")
  • Generate matches only after all teams are added
  • Keep group sizes manageable (4-6 teams ideal)
Don'ts
  • Don't skip selecting skill levels when creating tournament
  • Don't generate matches until all teams are finalized
  • Don't put too many teams in one group (>8 = many matches)
  • Don't forget to tell new players to use "Forgot Password" on the login page to set their account password
Common Questions

Yes, but you'll need to create new teams and generate additional matches manually or regenerate all matches for the group.

When you use Quick Add, the player account is created but no password is set. The player must go to the Login page and click "Forgot your password?" to set their own password via a reset email.

The system does not enforce a restriction — a player can technically be added to teams in multiple groups. However, the intended convention is that a player competes in different categories only (e.g., Men's Doubles and Mixed Doubles). Placing the same player in two groups of the same category (e.g., two 3.0 Men's Doubles groups) is not prevented by the system but is not recommended and is the league admin's responsibility to avoid.

Transfer League Ownership

As a league owner you can permanently transfer ownership of your league to another approved member. This is useful when handing off management responsibilities or stepping down from a league.

This action cannot be undone. Once transferred, you will no longer be the league owner and will be redirected to your dashboard.
How to Transfer Ownership:
  1. Go to your League Details page
  2. Scroll down to the Danger Zone section
  3. Click "Transfer Ownership"
  4. In the modal, select the New Owner from the dropdown of approved members
  5. Choose what role you want to keep after the transfer (see options below)
  6. Click "Transfer Ownership" to confirm
No members available? If there are no other approved members in the league yet, the transfer option will be unavailable. Add and approve at least one member first.
Post-Transfer Role Options

After transferring, you choose what happens to your own membership:

Option What It Means
Stay as Co-Manager You remain in the league as a Co-Manager and can still help manage tournaments and members.
Stay as Member You remain in the league as a regular member with no management access.
Leave the League Your membership is removed entirely. You will no longer be part of the league.
What Happens After the Transfer
New Owner Gets
  • Full ownership of the league
  • Ability to edit, delete, or transfer the league
  • Management access to all tournaments and members
  • Ability to add Co-Managers
Previous Owner Loses
  • Ownership rights and the ability to delete the league
  • Ability to transfer ownership again
  • Management access (unless staying as Co-Manager)
Audit Trail: All ownership transfers are recorded in the tournament audit log for accountability. The previous owner, new owner, and transfer timestamp are all logged.

Standings Calculation Methods

When creating a tournament you choose how teams are ranked in their groups. There are two methods available:

Match Wins Default

Teams are ranked purely by how many matches they won, regardless of the score margin.

Team W L PF PA +/- Rank
Team A 8 1 90 60 +30 1st
Team B 7 2 110 40 +70 2nd
Team B dominated on points but still ranks 2nd — only wins count.

Best for: Round-robin group play where consistency matters and every match is equally important.

Point Percentage

Teams are ranked by the percentage of total points scored across all games — PF / (PF + PA).

Team W L PF PA Point % Rank
Team B 7 2 110 40 73% 1st
Team A 8 1 90 60 60% 2nd
Team B jumps to 1st because they outscored opponents by a wider margin, despite having one more loss.

Best for: Shorter tournaments where you want to reward dominant performances, not just win/loss records. Also helps break ties more naturally when groups have few matches.

Which Should I Pick?
Scenario Recommended Method
Standard recreational league, 5+ teams per group Match Wins
Small groups (3–4 teams), few matches per team Point %
You want finer tie-breaking without extra tiebreaker rules Point %
Beginners or casual play where simplicity matters Match Wins
The standings method is set per tournament when creating it and applies to all groups within that tournament. Ties under Match Wins are broken by point differential, then total points scored.

Quick Reference: Setup Checklist

For Super Admin:
For League Admin:
Ready to Get Started?

Use these quick links to begin setting up your tournament:

Create League View My Leagues Go to Dashboard Player Guide