More young players than ever are discovering pickleball, and one of the first steps in their journey is getting a DUPR rating. A DUPR rating establishes a player's starting point and tracks their progress throughout their pickleball journey. If your child is under 13, the signup process looks a little different, and that's by design. 

DUPR takes online privacy for kids seriously. Here's what that means and how to get your child set up the right way.

What is COPPA and why does it matter?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a federal law that helps protect the privacy of children under 13 online. It requires companies to obtain verifiable parental consent before creating an account for a child under 13. 

Like many online platforms, DUPR has a different account creation process for children under 13. A parent or legal guardian is involved from the very beginning to help protect your child's privacy.

Why you can't just sign your child up directly

If you try to create a DUPR account for a child under 13, you'll see a message letting you know the standard signup process isn't available.. That's not a glitch. It's COPPA doing its job.

Instead of a normal signup, you'll be pointed to a simple form built specifically for this situation.

One tip that saves everyone time: don't try to work around this by entering an incorrect birthdate just to get through signup. It might seem faster, but it actually creates more back and forth later when the account needs to be corrected. Filling out the form the right way the first time gets your child playing faster.

How to sign your child up for DUPR (step by step)

1. Fill out the parental consent form. You can find it here. This tells our team you're ready to set up an account for your child.
2. Someone from our team will be in touch with you within 24–48 hours. A DUPR support agent will follow up with you directly.
3. Sign the consent document.. This confirms that you, as the parent or legal guardian, authorize the creation of your child's DUPR account. You'll also share some additional details about you and your child so we can properly verify and approve the account.
4. Get your child's credentials. Once your form is approved, our support team will reach out with everything your child needs to log in and begin their pickleball journey with DUPR.

Got questions along the way? You can drop them right in the description section of the form, and our team will address them when they reach out.

‍The bottom line

Getting your child set up on DUPR takes a few extra steps compared to a standard adult account, and that's a good thing. The process is designed to protect your child's privacy while making sure a parent or legal guardian is involved every step of the way.

If your young player is ready to get rated and start climbing the ranks, start the parental consent form here and our team will take it from there.

Have more questions about the process? Submit a request and our support team will help you out.