EPIC World Championship and DUPR Coach today announced a transformative global partnership that will redefine the pathway into international amateur competition.
This is more than a collaboration; it’s infrastructure for the future of competitive pickleball. As the sport expands worldwide, DUPR continues to serve as the universal rating system connecting players across levels and regions, helping build a shared competitive language. EPIC provides the destination stage, while DUPR Coach and Coach-Assigned DUPRs help guide players along the journey. Together, they are shaping one of the first true global amateur performance pipelines in pickleball.
Through this partnership, DUPR Coaches at select EPIC World Championship partner clubs in Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond will activate non-rated players, turning grassroots participation into Coach-Assigned DUPR ratings and opening the door to competitive play at every level. These ratings serve as an anchor, giving players an accurate starting point to join leagues and tournaments at the level that matches their skill. From there, they can log matches, compete in tournament qualifications, and earn their placement through performance. This ensures every player begins their EPIC qualifications at the correct level and can progress through a structured competitive pathway. EPIC World Championship then becomes the aspirational pinnacle, bringing these players together on a global stage.
“DUPR and EPIC World Championship already share an incredible partnership, ensuring every match at EPIC is verified and meaningful,” said Victor Cui, Founding Partner of EPIC World Championship. “Now, with DUPR Coaches spread across our partner clubs, we’re creating greater accessibility and scale within the DUPR ecosystem. Coach-Assigned DUPRs will enable more players to enter the competitive pathway, grow participation at EPIC, and continue advancing pickleball worldwide.”
“This partnership strengthens the competitive foundation of amateur pickleball,” said Yui See Lau, Co-founder and Chief Competition Officer at EPIC. "By integrating DUPR Coaches into our partner clubs, we can ensure players are rated accurately, compete at the right level, and experience fair, meaningful matches at every stage. It raises the standard of competition, fosters international credibility, and ensures that the EPIC World Championship remains the pinnacle of amateur play worldwide.”
The partnership also enables clubs and coaches to expand the DUPR ecosystem, grow their communities, generate revenue through rating and improvement sessions, and provide a clear pathway into competitive play. Players of all levels gain access to credentialed DUPR Coaches and Coach-Assigned DUPRs, which place them at the appropriate competitive level from the start. This allows partner clubs to support their entire pickleball community, from social and recreational players to emerging competitors, ensuring everyone can join the right open plays, enjoy fair and meaningful competition, and progress toward their goals. It’s a program that meets players where they are while providing a structured pathway to achieve their highest potential.
Katie Nimitz, President of DUPR Coach, added, “Millions of pickleball players worldwide still don’t have DUPRs, which limits their access to fair competition and meaningful progression. This partnership with EPIC World Championship changes that. It creates a global pathway that connects everyone, from beginners and recreational players in open plays to elite competitors aiming for the EPIC World Championship, into the DUPR ecosystem. Through DUPR Coaches, clubs can guide players, run rating sessions, support skill development, track match progress, and provide a clear route to compete at the appropriate level. This is more than a partnership; it is a scalable system that empowers players, strengthens clubs, and grows the sport at every level.”
The collaboration will offer exclusive credentialing opportunities and discounted DUPR Coach certifications for EPIC participants, alongside in-person activations at the EPIC World Championship, seamlessly integrating player rating and coach credentialing into the event experience.
As pickleball continues its rapid global expansion, this alliance creates the missing link between mass participation and elite amateur competition. EPIC is not just a destination event; it is both a driver and the pinnacle of a year-round global development ecosystem that connects and grows pickleball communities and players at every level worldwide. DUPR Coach is not simply a credentialing program; it is the official gateway that strengthens clubs and communities, guides players to the right local open plays, and provides a clear pathway to compete on the world stage.
Together, EPIC World Championship and DUPR Coach are not just supporting the growth of pickleball; they are building the system that will sustain it.
The EPIC World Championship is an international pickleball festival and elite amateur competition bringing together players, spectators, and global partners in one of Asia’s most vibrant destinations, Singapore. Combining world-class hospitality, cultural experiences, entertainment, and high-level tournament play, EPIC delivers an unmatched championship atmosphere. With multiple competitive divisions and a growing prize purse, EPIC is designed to showcase the sport’s top talent and celebrate pickleball on a global stage.
DUPR Coach is a program designed to empower pickleball coaches to launch Coach-Assigned DUPR ratings for the 34 million non-rated players worldwide. Powered by MyJourney Pickleball, DUPR Coach helps coaches provide valuable insights into players’ skill levels and supports the growth of pickleball through more competitive, enjoyable play. Coaches interested in becoming DUPR Coaches can visit duprcoach.com/coach-cert to sign up and learn more.
DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system and technology platform, trusted by the world's leading clubs, tournaments, leagues, and players. DUPR's dynamic rating system unifies pickleball across age, gender, and location by analyzing match results to accurately evaluate all players across a 2.000 - 8.000 scale. DUPR is the official pickleball rating of leagues, tournaments and clubs around the world, including United Pickleball Association (UPA), Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), Major League Pickleball (MLP), Pickleball.com, Life Time, The Picklr, National Team Pickleball League, National Pickleball League. It also owns and operates Minor League Pickleball and Collegiate Pickleball, two of the biggest amateur leagues in the sport. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.
The first Indiana College & High School Pickleball Super Regional at The Picklr – Noblesville brought together one of the deepest Midwest fields of the season. With 188 players competing across 39 MLP teams and 16 Challenger teams, the weekend served as both a proving ground for Nationals contenders and a look at how quickly the region continues to grow.
Many of the programs highlighted ahead of the event on this blog, including Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, and Ohio State, entered with strong lineups and several existing bids already secured. Early results followed expectations, where favorites lead the way. Higher-seeded teams advanced cleanly through the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals, with outcomes closely matching DUPR team averages.
The later rounds told a different story.

After a predictable start, the semifinals and finals flipped the direction of the bracket. Every deciding match from the semifinal stage onward went against the higher seed, reshaping what initially looked like a straightforward path to the title.
Ohio State ultimately capitalized on that shift, putting together one of the strongest runs of the weekend.

Ohio State defeated the top two teams by DUPR average on its way to the championship, continuing a stretch of strong regional performances that includes a win at the 2025 Ohio Super Regional.
Their lineup adjusted well as matches tightened late in the bracket, closing out the final against Indiana 1 to secure the title.

Indiana programs made a strong showing in front of local supporters, with three teams reaching the quarterfinals. The turnout reflected the growing interest around both college and high school pickleball in the region, with parents and fans consistently filling the venue throughout the weekend.
Purdue’s depth also stood out, following up on the preview storyline of seven entered teams by placing multiple lineups into competitive positions across the brackets.

Illinois, Ohio State, and Kentucky secured bids through their finishes in Indiana, adding to a growing list of programs positioning themselves for Nationals.

Alongside the college competition, high school teams competed throughout the weekend, reinforcing the connection between developing junior players and future college programs. The inclusion of high school brackets continues to expand the pathway into college pickleball, something that was visible throughout the event.

Super Regional players, the Indiana SR photos are live! 📸 We’ve uploaded a shareable album with highlights from the weekend — team shots, action moments, and some of the best plays from the event. You can view and download your photos here.
Password: IndiSR
Feel free to share with your teammates, post on social, and tag DUPR at @duprpb when you do!
The college pickleball growth isn’t just coming from new programs joining the scene; established schools continue to expand their depth at a rapid pace. Indiana, Notre Dame, and Purdue each brought at least five teams to the Indiana Super Regional, marking the first time three programs have reached that level of participation at a single event.
With just six weeks remaining until Nationals, the focus now shifts toward final preparations as teams continue to test lineups,establish DUPR rankings, build experience, and position themselves for what will once again be the largest college pickleball event in history.
If you’re a 5.0+ DUPR player and still getting countered at the kitchen line, it’s probably not your technique.
It’s your predictability.
At higher levels of pickleball, everyone can dink, reset, and counter. What separates top-tier players in pickleball rankings is their ability to disguise shots, control tempo, and keep opponents guessing.
In DUPR’s Beyond The Baseline YouTube Series, we break down two simple but deadly ways to add variety to your kitchen game without swinging harder or forcing shots.
Let’s get into it.
When you speed up from the kitchen, most players think about where they’re attacking.
But elite players focus on how fast.
When defending a speed-up, the hardest thing for your opponent to read isn’t direction, it's timing.
If every speed-up comes at the same pace:
By varying pace, you force hesitation and hesitation wins points.
That split-second misread is often the difference between a clean counter and a pop-up you can finish.
Pro takeaway:
Changing pace doesn’t mean hitting weaker shots, it means disrupting expectations.

Want to instantly level up your kitchen game?
Hold the ball on your side just a fraction longer.
When you rush contact:
By delaying contact, you force your opponent to anticipate instead of react and that’s where mistakes happen.
Holding the ball allows you to:
Your opponent commits early… and suddenly they’re wrong-footed.
Kitchen truth:
Disguise beats power every time at higher DUPR levels.

Adding pace variation and disguise to your game makes you:
And that translates directly to stronger pickleball ratings and rankings.
Improving your kitchen game is step one.
Proving it on the court is step two.
Use the DUPR app to:
Then take what you’ve learned, add variety in the kitchen, and let your results do the talking.
See you on the baseline and in the kitchen 🏓
The college pickleball season continues this weekend with the Indiana Super Regional at The Picklr – Noblesville. It’s the first time a Super Regional has been held in Indiana, and the field reflects how much the Midwest has grown as a college pickleball hub.
A total of 188 players will compete across 39 MLP teams and 16 Challenger teams, with programs from across the country making the trip, including Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan, Stanford, Notre Dame, WashU, Butler, and more.


Several programs arrive already holding bids, including Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, GVSU, Purdue, and Stanford. For those teams, the weekend becomes more about building consistency and testing lineups ahead of Nationals.
Wisconsin enters with strong momentum after finishing third at College Worlds in November, while Indiana and Ohio State bring some of the highest-rated players in the college game right now.
On the men’s side, Kallan Arledge (Ohio State) and Carter Maris (Indiana) currently sit as the top two players in college pickleball by DUPR rating, which adds an interesting dynamic if those lineups cross paths during the weekend.
For the women, Wisconsin’s Sara Sowinski and Keena Cheng continue to anchor one of the deeper rosters in the field.

One of the more notable details heading into Indiana is Purdue’s participation. The program is bringing seven teams, the highest number ever entered by a single school at a Super Regional. Notre Dame and Indiana are also showing strong depth, each fielding five teams.
That kind of internal growth has become a trend across college pickleball with fewer single-lineup programs, more full rosters competing at multiple levels.
Alongside the college competition, several high school teams will also be on court this weekend, highlighting the early growth of the high school pipeline feeding into college pickleball. One player to watch is Cole Brownell, who enters the event with a 4.961 DUPR rating and is likely to draw attention from college programs.

You can follow all the action from the Indiana College & High School Super Regional live on DUPR’s YouTube channel, where matches, key moments, and featured matchups will be streamed throughout the weekend. Whether you’re tracking your school, scouting Nationals contenders, or just keeping up with the college scene, the live broadcast is the best way to stay connected to everything happening on court.

Super Regionals tend to shift momentum as the season moves toward Nationals. Some teams are looking to confirm their place among the top programs, while others are trying to close the gap.
With a deep Midwest field, strong individual talent, and the first Indiana stop on the calendar, this weekend should give a clearer picture of where several programs stand heading into the next phase of the season.
To learn more about college pickleball check out this page, and to stay up to date on high school pickleball events, follow @highschoolpickleball on Instagram.
Pickle Pro Tour, único circuito oficial nacional de pickleball de la Real Federación Española de Tenis (RFET), ha firmado un acuerdo estratégico con Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) para convertir su sistema en el rating oficial del circuito.
El acuerdo ha sido suscrito por César Clemente García, Vicepresidente de Ingresos de DUPR y por Finuco Martínez, CEO de B3 Sportainment, compañía propietaria del Pickle Pro Tour.
“Para DUPR, esta alianza con el Pickle Pro Tour representa un paso estratégico en nuestra expansión europea. Integrar el circuito oficial de la RFET en nuestro sistema significa conectar el talento español con el ecosistema global del pickleball, bajo un estándar común, transparente y basado en datos.” — César Clemente García, Vicepresidente de Ingresos, DUPR
A partir de ahora, todos los partidos oficiales del PPT computarán en el sistema DUPR, modelo internacional que clasifica a los jugadores en una escala global de 2.000 a 8.000. Esto permitirá que los deportistas que compiten en España estén integrados dentro del ecosistema global del pickleball.
El rating DUPR no sustituye al ranking nacional de la RFET.
Ambos sistemas convivirán, aportando estructura nacional y visibilidad global.
El Pickle Pro Tour no solo está orientado al alto rendimiento. El circuito integra categorías profesionales y amateurs, siendo estos últimos la base estructural del crecimiento del deporte en España.
La incorporación de DUPR aporta un valor añadido especialmente relevante para el jugador amateur, que podrá:
El carácter internacional del circuito es ya una realidad. En la pasada temporada participaron atletas de 27 nacionalidades diferentes, consolidando al PPT como un entorno competitivo abierto y conectado más allá del mercado nacional.
Con este acuerdo, el Pickle Pro Tour refuerza su posicionamiento como plataforma oficial de competición, alineada con la RFET y conectada con los estándares internacionales, en un momento clave para el desarrollo del pickleball en Europa.
DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) es el principal sistema de clasificación y plataforma tecnológica mundial de pickleball, en el que confían los clubes, torneos, ligas y jugadores más importantes del mundo. El sistema de clasificación dinámico de DUPR unifica el pickleball independientemente de la edad, el sexo y la ubicación, analizando los resultados de los partidos para evaluar con precisión a todos los jugadores en una escala de 2,000 a 8,000. DUPR es la clasificación oficial de pickleball de ligas, torneos y clubes de todo el mundo, incluyendo la United Pickleball Association (UPA), la Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), la Major League Pickleball (MLP), Pickleball.com, Life Time, The Picklr, la National Team Pickleball League y la National Pickleball League. También es propietaria y gestiona la Minor League Pickleball y la Collegiate Pickleball, dos de las ligas amateurs más importantes de este deporte. Los jugadores y operadores pueden visitar www.dupr.com para registrarse y obtener más información.
Insights From DUPR Referee Lydia Blackman at the 2025 The Dink Minor League Pickleball National Championship
Most players know there’s a time limit between points in pickleball.
What many don’t fully understand is how the 10-second serve clock actually works and what happens when the score is restated.
According to the official pickleball rules, once the score is called, whether by a referee or by the server in non-officiated play, the server has 10 seconds to begin the serve.
If the serve is not initiated within that window, it can be ruled a fault and the serve is lost.
But there’s one important detail that creates confusion at every level of play.
The purpose of the rule is not to rush players; it’s to ensure clarity and readiness before the next point begins.
If a player asks the referee, “What’s the score?”, the referee will restate it.
When the score is called again, the 10-second count restarts from that new call.
This applies even if the referee already announced the score moments earlier.
The key takeaway:
The clock is tied to the most recent score call, not the first one.
This isn’t a trick or workaround; it’s simply how the timing rule is applied during officiated matches.

In competitive play, there are many legitimate reasons a player may need the score repeated:
Asking for the score is not considered slowing the game. It’s part of maintaining fairness and ensuring both sides are ready.

Imagine this situation:
The referee calls the score.
You’re bouncing the ball before serving, and it clips your foot and rolls away.
Suddenly you feel rushed because the clock is already running.
Instead of scrambling, you can retrieve the ball and calmly ask:
“Ref, what’s the score?”
Once the referee repeats it:
Many players hesitate to ask for the score because they assume:
In reality, referees expect players to confirm the score whenever needed.
The rule exists to promote clarity and readiness, not to pressure players into serving before they’re prepared, especially in pickleball tournaments that affect your DUPR pickleball ratings.
At higher levels, especially in structured tournaments and official DUPR matches, small details matter.
Knowing how timing works can help players:
Smart play isn’t just about shot selection. It’s also about understanding how the rules support fair competition.

The 10-second rule isn’t meant to catch players off guard; it’s there to keep the game flowing while giving both sides a clear starting point for every rally.
Understanding when the clock starts and when it resets helps players compete calmly and within the structure of the game.
Because in pickleball, confidence often comes from knowing exactly how the rules work, not just how to hit the next shot.
Read this article to learn more about serving pickleball rules
Test your knowledge on pickleball rules by doing this quiz!
Located at the intersection of competitive play and social connection, Aces Pickleball Bar + Grill has officially joined the growing network of DUPR Verified Clubs, a step that reflects the facility’s vision to expand opportunities for players while strengthening its presence within the regional pickleball community.
Opened in spring 2023, Aces has quickly become a welcoming destination for players of all levels. With both indoor and outdoor courts, a full-service restaurant and bar, and a programming model centered around accessibility and fun, the club has built an environment where beginners feel comfortable stepping on court while experienced players still find meaningful competition.
The club recently welcomed a new pickleball director, who stepped into the role in November 2025 with a clear goal: grow programming, bring more players through the doors, and create pathways for both social and competitive play.
While Aces had already offered lessons, leagues, and clinics, the most popular programming today is its open plays, many of which fill quickly and even develop waitlists. These sessions blend structured and social play, often featuring dedicated courts by skill level while still maintaining a welcoming atmosphere for newcomers.

For the team at Aces, the decision to become DUPR Verified was about visibility and opportunity.
The team aims to attract more regional players, host tournaments that carry greater competitive value, and give local players access to a system that travels with them wherever they play.
“Being a Verified Club helps us connect with a wider community,” the director explains. “We want people to come here, have fun, compete, and experience what Aces is all about. It’s about creating opportunities, not just for our club, but for the players around us.” said Sebastian Bromley, Club Director.
As more clubs adopt DUPR as a competitive framework, Aces sees verified programming as a way to help players build match history, find the right level of play, and participate confidently when traveling to new events.

Aces stands out in a crowded market thanks to its unique combination of sport and social experience. The facility offers a beginner-friendly environment while still building pathways for intermediate and advanced players through leagues, open plays, and future tournaments.
The club’s programming philosophy centers on accessibility, helping new players learn the game without feeling intimidated, while still giving returning members opportunities to improve and compete.
This approach reflects a broader trend in pickleball growth: creating spaces where players can both develop their skills and build lasting connections off the court.

As a newly Verified Club, Aces has ambitious plans for the upcoming year. The focus includes expanding open plays and leagues, introducing more instructional clinics, and hosting tournaments that bring in players from across the region.
DUPR integration will also play a larger role in programming, with plans to incorporate verified open plays, match reporting through leagues, and more structured opportunities for players to establish or improve their ratings.
Beyond competition, the club hopes to continue growing as a community hub, offering social events, member activities, and a welcoming environment for anyone discovering pickleball for the first time.
With a strong beginner-to-intermediate player base and a majority of members participating through its Platinum membership tier, Aces Pickleball Bar + Grill is positioning itself as a destination where players can start their journey and continue to grow within the sport.
As the DUPR Verified Club network expands, facilities like Aces highlight how structured competition and inclusive programming can work hand in hand, helping players build confidence, track progress, and stay connected to a larger pickleball ecosystem.
Interested in becoming a DUPR Verified Club? Click here to apply.