How the pro tours work
Professional pickleball includes individual tours with singles, doubles and mixed events, plus team league play. Learn the main formats, how players qualify and how to watch.
From backyard to pro
Pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and spent decades as a recreational game. As participation grew rapidly in the 2010s and 2020s, a professional scene developed with prize money, sponsorships and television coverage. See history for the early story.
The main pro properties
Several organizations run professional events in the United States. The landscape changes quickly, so check each organization's website for the current schedule.
| Organization | Format | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| PPA Tour | Individual tour events | Men's and women's singles and doubles, plus mixed doubles, at events across the US and beyond |
| Major League Pickleball (MLP) | Team league | Teams of players compete in team matches made up of doubles games, with a dreambreaker tiebreaker |
| APP Tour | Individual tour events | Pro and amateur events, often alongside each other |
In 2024 the PPA Tour and MLP came under a common parent organization, which coordinated their schedules and player contracts. Details of contracts and event structures change from season to season.
Event formats
- Singles: one versus one. See singles rules.
- Gender doubles: men's and women's doubles.
- Mixed doubles: one man and one woman per team.
- Team format: mixed and gender doubles games combine into a team score.
- Dreambreaker: a team tiebreaker in MLP where players rotate in singles points, using rally scoring.
Scoring varies. Some pro events use rally scoring, others use side-out scoring. Format sheets explain the rules for each event.
Amateur events at pro tournaments
Many pro tournaments also host amateur brackets by age and skill. This means you can play at the same venue as the pros. Brackets are often based on ratings such as DUPR.
How players qualify
Players qualify through rankings, contracts, wildcard spots and qualifying events. Top players may sign contracts with a tour, while others enter as qualifiers or wildcards. Rules about which tours a contracted player may enter have changed over time.
Watching the pros
- Pro matches are streamed online and some appear on TV networks.
- Full-match replays are often available on official channels.
- Watching pros is a great way to learn positioning, stacking and patience.
What amateurs can learn from pros
- Patience: pros dink for a long time before attacking.
- Positioning: watch how pros move together. See doubles positioning.
- Stacking: pro teams often stack. See stacking.
- Resets: pros reset hard balls rather than swinging wildly. See the reset.
Pro pickleball is changing quickly. Organizations, partnerships and formats may differ from what is described here, so check current official sources for the latest.