Below are the format and rules for The Picklr Williamsburg League. These details may be updated as needed.
The ladder league is not for novice players. If you have played pickleball only a handful of times or you are an emerging level player, there is a separate round robin league for you on Thursday evenings. If you're a beginner, The Picklr has a variety of classes to get you started on your pickleball journey.
 | League Dates. League play starts on the dates below. Ladder League teams are assigned specific opponents, match times and court numbers at The Picklr Williamsburg. League play continues for six weeks through the week of Feb. 16, followed by a championship round for qualifying teams during the week of Feb. 23. Women's Doubles. Weekly starting Monday, Jan. 12, 6:30-8:00PM Men's Doubles. Weekly starting Tuesday, Jan. 13, 6:30-8:45PM Mixed Doubles. Weekly starting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 6:30-8:00PM. This is a DUPR league, so you must register and get a free DUPR ID before the start of the league. All match scores will be automatically reported to DUPR each week. You can get your DUPR ID here. |
 | Rescheduling Matches. If both teams agree to reschedule the match, you may play your match on a different date or time, as long as the match is completed and the scores reported by the day before the next week's scheduled match date. Championship round matches cannot be rescheduled. If after rescheduling, one of the teams can’t play the agreed-upon rescheduled match date/time, the team that can’t make the rescheduled match forfeits. If neither team can make the rescheduled match (due to rainout or other unforeseen circumstances), the match is recorded as a “no match” with neither team forfeiting. |
 | Competitions. There are three categories: Women's Doubles, Men's Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Mixed doubles teams must have one woman and one man.. |
 | Skill Levels. Players of various skill levels from intermediate to advanced compete on the same ladder. For the first week of play, teams are placed on the ladder using the team's average DUPR rating. If players do not have a DUPR rating, initial ladder placement is based on 1.) previous league performance; 2.) known skill level, or 3.) the players' stated skill levels at registration. Teams move up or down the ladder each week based on match results. This method keeps teams playing opponents at comparable skill levels. The league may manually move teams before the Week Two matches to correct initial ranking errors. |
 | Fees. Full members of The Picklr play for free. There is a $20 fee for social members. Non-members may register for $40. |
 | Ladder League Teams: Each team has two players. A player can be on both a mixed doubles team as well as a gender doubles team. Players must commit to playing one match per week on scheduled league play dates. |
 | Replacement Teams. If a team drops out of the competition, or is removed, the league may select a replacement team and that replacement team may assume the ladder position and start with accumulated league points of the departing team. |
 | Injuries and Absences. In the event of injury or other absence of one team member, the absent player's partner has the option to utilize a sub (per the sub rules here), find a permanent replacement, or to forfeit matches for up to two weeks until the absent player is able to return. If a player is replaced with a permanent replacement, that player is removed from the team for the remainder of the league. No player can be replaced or substituted for during a match once the match has started. If a team is unable to compete in half or more of all matches due to an injury or absence, the team will either be replaced by the league or a permanent replacement will be found for the absent player, at the discretion of the league. Any player who replaces an absent player must be of roughly equal skill level of the player being replaced, at the discretion of the league. A team that is competing for the top three ladder or league points positions, will not be allowed to replace or sub for an injured player during the final week of the league, nor in the playoff round, without approval from The Picklr manager. |
 | Substitutes. Complete rules for utilizing substitutes in the Ladder League are detailed on the substitutes page here |
 | Ladder League Format. Teams play one adjacent team on the ladder each week. For example, the team in the #1 position on the ladder will play the team in the #2 position; the team in the #3 position on the ladder will play the team in the #4 position, etc. In order to minimize matches against duplicate opponents, teams may be shifted by the league to play against non-adjacent teams. Teams that have been shifted retain their ladder position regardless of their match position. Ladder positions and schedules for all matchups after the first week are determined by math calculations based on the previous week's performances of all teams. All match schedules are posted on the league website before the scheduled competition date each week. |
 | League Points. Ladder League teams are awarded league points for each match played depending on the results of each match, regardless of any team's ladder position. The math formulas that determine Ladder League point standings are available on the league points page here.. |
 | Ladder Championships. After the final week of competition, the top four teams on each ladder, as well as the two teams on each ladder with the highest league points that are not in the top four positions on the ladder, will face each other in single elimination championship rounds. The results of these matches will determine the final medal positions in the ladder competition. League points are not accumulated during the championship rounds. |
 | Pickleballs. The Picklr supplies pickleballs used for all matches. The match may be played with any ball that both teams agree to use. |
 | Forfeits. A forfeit will occur if: 1.) one of the teams fails to show up for a match within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, or 2.) a team doesn’t arrive with both players ready to compete, or 3.) teams have agreed to reschedule a match, but then one of the teams is unable to play. The forfeited match will be scored as a win for the team that was ready to play. The forfeited match is not reported to DUPR. The non-forfeiting team will receive 100 league points and a league win. If a forfeit occurs after a match has started, as the result of an injury, or for any other reason, the match will be recorded as an official league match. League points will be distributed to each team based on the match scores at the time of the forfeit, with the non-forfeiting team receiving a minimum of eleven points for any games not completed. The match will be reported to DUPR using the current DUPR rules for scoring forfeits, which are complex, and explained here. If neither team is able to play a match, the match is recorded as a "no match" and the two teams evenly split the 100 league points. If a team withdraws from the Ladder League and cannot be replaced with another team by the league, the team that withdraws will remain on the ladder and each of its matches after withdrawing will be treated as a forfeit. |
 | Venue Location. League matches are scheduled on reserved courts at The Picklr Williamsburg. Location: 120 Gristmill Plaza, Williamsburg, VA. |
 | Matches. Ladder League matches are played in a best-of-three-games format, with server-side scoring, and each game winner scoring a minimum of eleven points per game. Winners must win each game by two points. If the same team wins the first and second games, there is no need to play the third game. |
 | Sides and Servers. Teams will switch sides of the court after each game. For all league play, the starting sides and servers will be determined by a coin toss or similar random method, with the coin toss winner picking either the side or the server, and the loser picking the remaining. In the second game, the team that started serve in the first game will be the receiving team. If there is a third game, the team that started serving in the first game will be the starting server in the third game, and teams will switch sides of the court after the first team to score six points. |
 | League Winners. Winners will be declared in each of the three categories based on the teams that finish in the top positions after the championship rounds. |
 | Prizes. Winners in each of the three categories will win prizes, to be announced. |
 | Official Rulebook. The league will follow the most-current version of the USA Pickleball rulebook: USA Pickleball Official Rulebook These rules include, but are not limited to: 3.D. Players must use USA Pickleball approved paddles. 7.E. The serve may clear or touch the net (i.e. a let serve that lands 'in' is played.) 4.A. A team scores points only when serving (i.e. no rally scoring.) 8.A. Players are responsible for calling the lines on their end of the court, including out balls, short serves, service foot faults and all non-volley-zone faults. Strive for accuracy and operate under the principle that all questionable calls must be resolved in favor of the opponent. 21.A. A team is entitled to two time-outs for each 11-point game. Each time-out period may last up to one minute. 21.C.8. Players will be allowed 15 minutes for a medical time-out. |
