The MiLP Format is an innovative gameplay format that brings men and women together on a level playing court. In the MiLP Format, team matches consist of four 21-point matches: the first is women’s doubles, the second is men’s doubles, and the final two are mixed doubles. If the two teams playing the Matchup are tied 2-2 after the matches and mixed doubles matches, a singles DreambreakerTM will be played. DreamBreakerTM is one match to 21. This unique dynamic means teamwork is as critical as speed or technique on the court and is a big part of the sport's community aspect.
All rules of The Dink Minor League Pickleball competition are governed by the most current UPA-A rules, except for those outlined in the Official Minor League Pickleball Rules Guide. The Dink Minor League Pickleball continually monitors UPA-A standards and will make adjustments as needed.
PLAYERS
Each team will consist of four players, two (2) females and two (2) males.
TEAM UNIFORMS
We HIGHLY encourage teams to get creative and coordinate! It’s all part of the The Dink Minor League Pickleball fun!
Terminology Clarification: MiLP has moved from “games in a match” to “matches in a matchup.” Teams will play x number of matches in a matchup. This aligns with the pickleball.com software terminology.
In traditional MiLP, one game is a match. A matchup consists of 4 or 5 matches.
In MiLP v3, one game is a match. A matchup consists of 2 or 3 matches.
The format of play: Teams compete against each other in Matchups. A matchup consists of four matches. The first two matches are one women’s doubles match and one men’s doubles match, and then two mixed doubles matches. If the two teams are tied after these four matches, the “DreamBreakerTM” is played, with a rotational system involving all four players. Teams first play each other in group or round-robin play, and then the top teams square off in a playoff bracket format. A matchup will determine the 3rd-place team. Regardless of outcome, all four matches will be played in a matchup during round robin/group play. During bracket play, teams will not play the 4th match if one team has won the matchup with 3 consecutive match wins.
After the round robin/group play is completed, top teams will play a bracket playoff. Because of multiple round-robin and bracket-play scenarios, the Tournament Director for each event will announce the bracket-play format.
Pool Standings: Seeding order after pool play is as follows:
#1 Matchup Win Percentage (includes DreamBreakersTM),
#2 Head-to-Head Matchup Win % (only if all teams that are tied played against each other)
#3 Game Point Differential Percentage. Point differential is the difference between points earned (scored) vs points against (scored against). PE-PA = PD. PA is the points scored by the other team. (In this example, games are also considered matches)
#4 Total Match Win % (in this example, matches are also considered games)
#5 and #6 Additional tiebreaker options are available based on the event format. Refer to the individual tournament event for additional tiebreakers.
Playoff Seeding: If Round Robin has multiple pools, order for bracket playoffs is as follows:
#1 Matchup Win Percentage (includes DreamBreakersTM),
#2 Total Game Point Differential Percentage. Point differential is the difference between points earned (scored) vs points against (scored against). PE-PA = PD. PA is the points scored by the other team. (In this example, games are also considered matches)
#3 Total Match Win % (in this example, matches are also considered games)
#4, #5 and #6 Additional tiebreaker options are available based on the event format. Refer to the individual tournament event for additional tiebreakers.
A point is earned after every rally, whether it was won by the serving or receiving team. However, a team must win by two on their serve; therefore, a temporary “freeze” can happen if the rally is won by the non-serving team (their winning point would not count, as they must serve to win). Trailing teams never freeze and continue rally scoring. If the score is tied at 20 or higher, rally scoring is in effect. To win, a team must win by two and must have served to win.
The schedule of play will be published in advance prior to the start of the competition, including the round-robin matchups. One of the key features everyone loves about The Dink Minor League Pickleball is how many games/matches you play without all the waiting of a standard tournament format. Once both teams have arrived on the court, players have 5 minutes TOTAL to warm up, figure out the home/away team, and START the first match. Players must understand that once the matchup STARTS, there are only 2 minutes between all remaining matches. One key way to keep the tournament moving is for players to take their breaks, get water, use the restroom, etc., while they are not playing. Court monitors will keep track and ask players to keep the games moving. There are NO additional warm-up times in between matches. When a match ends, the next match starts within 2 minutes. (Players can use the 2 minutes in between matches to warm up, but must be ready to play and in their positions at the 2-minute mark.) If a player is not ready to play at the 2-minute mark, that team will forfeit their time out for that match. For DreamBreakersTM - you will have 1 minute for the HOME team to designate their full lineup. The AWAY team will then have 1 minute to designate their full lineup. The time allotted between the final mixed match and the start of DreambreakerTM is 5 minutes.
At the start of each matchup, there will be a coin toss (or similar random selection). The winner will make a choice between these three options:
● Choose to be either the Home or the Away team
● Choose to start each match (game) serving or receiving
● Choose which end of the court to start Women’s Doubles
After the winner makes a choice, the loser chooses between the two remaining options. After the loser makes their choice, the winner will choose the last remaining option.
Example: Team A wins the coin toss. Team A chooses to be the Home team. Team B chooses to start each match receiving. Team A chooses an end of the court to start Women’s Doubles.
HOME:
The Home team will react to the AWAY team’s mixed doubles lineup. The home team must declare their lineup first if the singles Dreambreaker match takes place.
AWAY:
The Away team must declare their mixed doubles teams first, but gets to react to the Home team’s singles Dreambreaker lineup.
Coin Toss Review:
If you choose the serve during the coin toss, your team will start every match in the matchup serving. Vice versa if you choose to receive. If you choose the end, you will start Women’s Doubles on that end. Your team will only switch ends once 11 points are reached by a team in a match. Do not switch ends of the court between matches, like between Women’s and Men’s Doubles. Whichever end of the court a team finishes a match on is the same end they will start the next match on.
During MiLP rally scoring, players do not switch sides after winning points. Player A starts on the right side and serves when the score is even, and Player B serves from the left side when the score is odd. Player A and B must also receive serves on their respective side. A team may choose to switch player sides during end change when the first team reaches 11 points OR during any timeouts. Teams must announce they are making the change before play resumes.
Teams will each be allotted 1 time-out per match. This is in addition to the allotted 1-minute time-out during change of ends when the first team reaches 11 points.
If two teams playing a Matchup are tied 2-2 after the doubles and mixed doubles matches, a singles DreambreakerTM will be played. DreamBreakerTM is a Match to 21 (win by 2) with rally scoring, where each team must rotate their players. Each player plays 4 rallies(4 points) in a set order until the DreamBreakerTM is completed. Immediately following the completion of the second and final mixed doubles match, the Home Team will have 1 minute to designate their FULL LINEUP. The Away Team will then have 1 minute to designate its opposing FULL LINEUP. The DreamBreakerTM will use the same rally scoring used in matches as described above. All team members will rotate in 4-rally rotations until the DreamBreakerTM is concluded (Player 1 plays 4rallies, then Player 2 plays 4 rallies, then Player 3 plays 4 rallies, then Player 4 plays 4 rallies, and then the rotation repeats in the same order). In terms of sides, singles players will serve from the side (left/right) of the court, based on their team score, as is typical in singles. The player will serve on the right side when that player’s team score is even, and when the team score is odd, the player on that team will serve from the left side of the court. During the DreamBreakerTM, each team will be allotted one time-out. Teams will change ends when one team reaches 11.
All teams must designate a Team Captain, who will be responsible for various captain duties including communicating with the event’s tournament director and tournament desk, the coin toss, mixed doubles team designations, and singles tiebreaker rotations. Team Captains will also communicate with referees if questions arise or concerns need to be communicated. *If a match has an officiating referee, then any player can communicate with the ref. Each team captain will meet for the coin toss prior to each matchup. The Team Captain must be a player and must be present for all matches. If a Team Captain is unable to fulfill his/her duties, the Team must designate a substitute captain. Team captains are also responsible for all team’s player communication.
Teams have the option to name a team manager. Team Managers are not players in the team. Team Managers have the ability to input scores/lineups. Team Managers must be named within the software to be officially recognized.
Team Managers are useful for teams where all four players are under 18 years of age and want an adult representative.
Teams are able to substitute a player after initial registration as long as the player has a DUPR rating and their rating does not move the team to a higher DUPR aggregate. If a Substitution is made for an injured player during the event, the sub must remain in for the duration of the event. A player who is subbed out cannot be subbed back into play later in the day. If a team is unable to field all required players for any reason during tournament day, that match is a 21-0 forfeit. If a player is injured mid-match and cannot finish, the team retires from that match. The retiring team will keep their score, and the winning team will automatically be given a score of 21 or greater to ensure the match is won by two. Forfeited/Withdrawn/Retired matches count for wins and point percentage. Forfeited/Withdrawn/Retired matches that do not play and/or both teams score less than 7 points will not be entered into DUPR.
DUPR 22 (max aggregate 22.999)
*No maximum individual player rating.
DUPR 20 (max aggregate 20.300 or 20.999 if DUPR 22 is not available.)
*No maximum individual player rating.
DUPR 18 and 18 50+ (max aggregate 18.300)
*Maximum individual player DUPR cannot exceed 5.10 to play in DUPR 18
DUPR 16 and 16 50+ (max aggregate 16.300)
*Maximum individual player DUPR cannot exceed 4.60 to play in DUPR 16
DUPR 14 and 14 50+ (max aggregate 14.300)
*Maximum individual player DUPR cannot exceed 4.10 to play in DUPR 14
DUPR 12 and 12 50+ (max aggregate 12.300)
*Maximum individual player DUPR cannot exceed 3.60 to play in DUPR 12
Example: In a DUPR 20 Division, you could have four players rated 5.00 (5+5+5+5=20) or players rated 6.00, 4.50, 4.50, 5.00 (=20), or any combination thereof that is < 20.999. The same logic applies to DUPR 18, 16, 14, 12 Divisions.
50+ divisions and Juniors are available in select markets.
DUPR 22 is available in specific markets and special events. If DUPR 22 is available, the DUPR 20 max aggregate is 20.300 and DUPR 22 is 22.999. If DUPR 22 is not available, the DUPR 20 max aggregate is 20.999.
Please note, if a division does not meet minimum team requirements (3 teams), the Tournament Director has the right to merge age groups and/or event divisions.
Once a player registers for a team in a The Dink Minor League Pickleball event, their ratings are “locked,” and their DUPR increasing or decreasing will not impact the team’s aggregate or division placement for the event they registered for.
To sign up for any The Dink Minor League Pickleball event, a DUPR account is required at the time of registration.
If you are an NR player, your rating will be set to the average rating of the division you sign up for.
Example A: If you sign up for DUPR 14, you are assigned a 3.500 rating. The appointed rating will impact the team aggregate, and said aggregate must fit within the maximum team total. The remaining 3 players’ total aggregate must be 10.800 or less.
Example B: Player A signs up for DUPR 16. The assigned rating is 4.000. The remaining 3 players’ total aggregate must be a total of 12.300 or less.
NR assignments:
DUPR 12: 3.000
DUPR 14: 3.500
DUPR 16: 4.000
DUPR 18: 4.500
DUPR 20: 5.000
The assigned NR ratings can only be altered with proper information submitted to the event organizer/tournament director. The event organizer/tournament director reserves the right to make the final decision on an NR’s assigned rating.
To sign up for The Dink Minor League event, a DUPR account is required at the time of registration.
All rules of The Dink Minor League Pickleball competition are governed by the most current rules of the UPA-A Rule Book for amateurs, except for the rules outlined in this document, summarized below:
Coaching by non-playing team members is allowed at any time when the ball is NOT IN PLAY if it does not interfere with continuous play or unfairly disrupt the opposing team. Non-playing team members are encouraged to sit/stand along the edge of the court or bench with their team. ONLY the four players playing the match (game) can make line calls and fault calls without the influence of other players/spectators.
Players who register for Minor League Pickleball events are expected to adhere to the DUPR Community Guidelines found at https://www.dupr.com/community-guidelines. In addition, by registering for a Minor League Pickleball event, you agree to the following:
Players must use a paddle brand and model that is on the Official USA Pickleball Approved Paddle List and/or the UPA-A Approved Paddle List. Violations of this rule may result in loss of game/match or matchup. The Tournament Director and Head Referee will make said determination.
We expect all players to be honest if their paddle is delaminated and not use it. The Tournament Director reserves the right to make the final decision if a paddle has been flagged by team captain(s).
USAP Paddle List: https://equipment.usapickleball.org/paddle-list/
UPA-A Paddle List: https://upaa.unitedpickleball.com/paddle-testing/#paddle-list
Players who mistreat a fellow player will receive one official verbal warning from the Tournament Director or Match Referee. After they receive one verbal warning, players are subject to ejection from the tournament. Tournament Directors and Referees will refer to the UPA-A Rules Book for player misconduct processes.
The Tournament Director has final authority on any situation that is not specifically covered by this Rules Guide.
By participating in The Dink Minor League Pickleball events, Teams acknowledge these Minor League Pickleball Rules and agree to comply with and be bound by them. The Tournament Director and The Dink Minor League Pickleball have the right to revise these rules periodically at their sole discretion.
v3 Format: The Dink Minor League Pickleball v3 is a 3 person gendered team format and a 3 person mixed team format with a round-robin team competition and guaranteed matchups. In gendered v3, all players are either male or female and will compete in their gender respective divisions. In mixed v3, the team is comprised of 2 males and 1 female. Teams of 3 players are broken into divisions (based on their combined DUPR rating) to compete against each other in three 21-point matches. Top teams will face off in a bracket playoff.
v3 Matchup: 3 matches constitute a matchup. Each player may only play 2 matches in the matchup and may not play with the same partner twice.
Gendered v3 Teams Example:
1st Match: Player 1 and Player 2 from each team play the first match
2nd Match: Player 2 and Player 3 play the second match
3rd Match: Player 1 and Player 3 play the third match
*Players will pick their lineups before the first match starts.
Mixed v3 Teams Matchup:
1st Match: Men’s Doubles (2 males)
2nd Match: Mixed Doubles one
3rd Match: Mixed Doubles two
*Players will pick their lineups after the men’s doubles completes.
One team tosses the dice, the other team calls out “Odd” or “Even”
Whoever wins the coin toss, there are TWO (2) options to choose from. Once the winner of the coin toss makes a choice, the other team will default to the second option.
If it is GENDERED v3: Once the coin toss is complete, the AWAY team must immediately enter their team lineups for all three (3) matches, ensuring each player plays only TWO (2) matches per matchup. The same duo (pairing) can not play twice in a matchup. Once the AWAY team inputs their match lineups, the HOME team will input their match lineups for all three (3) matches, ensuring each player plays only TWO (2) matches per matchup.
If it is MIXED v3: The AWAY team will enter their team lineups for both mixed matches AFTER the men’s doubles match is complete, ensuring each player plays only TWO (2) matches per matchup. The same mixed (pairing) can not play twice in a matchup. Once the AWAY team inputs their match lineups, the HOME team will input their match lineups for all three (3) matches, ensuring each player plays only TWO (2) matches per matchup.
DUPR 13 (The team’s aggregate DUPR must not exceed 13.30)
**Maximum individual player DUPR cannot exceed 4.600 to play in DUPR 13
DUPR 11 (The team’s aggregate DUPR must not exceed 11.30)
**Maximum individual player DUPR cannot exceed 4.100 to play in DUPR 11
DUPR 9 (The team’s aggregate DUPR must not exceed 9.30)
**Maximum individual player DUPR cannot exceed 3.600 to play in DUPR 9
MiLP v3 will follow all rules in the traditional MiLP Rules Guide, except for the ones detailing the MiLP v3 format above.
MiLP v4 follows the same format and rules as Minor League Pickleball 4-person mixed team events. The only exceptions is the obvious gendered teams (either all male or all female) and the coin toss process.
FORMAT: The Dink Minor League Pickleball v4 is a round-robin team competition with guaranteed matches. Gendered teams of 4 players are broken into divisions (based on their combined DUPR rating) to compete against each other in four 21-point matches. Top teams will face off in a bracket playoff.
DIVISIONS and MATCH FORMAT will follow the same format and rules as traditional MiLP mixed teams.
