This is a guest post from my playmates and friends at SCPC.
Updated, July 18, 2018. Our efforts to find the easiest and fairest system for managing play at the 3 town courts has been ongoing for some time. Our numbers have grown again this year and we recognize we have a large group of players and not enough designated court times. In addition, many vacationers join us just for a few weeks or months in the summer.
We are hoping to add additional court times in the future. Our overall goal for SCPC is that all members feel welcome to join in daily play, have fun playing with fellow members and also have the opportunity to play with members of similar ability.
During the past 2 years, we’ve looked at several systems of managing the court play including Rally scoring, Shortening the game to 9, Grouping paddles in front of each court, and other ideas. We’ve tried several but no system is perfect for everyone. The consensus seems to be that placing paddles in a “queue” is the easiest and fairest system to implement.
That is why now, we are advising everyone to bring their own pickleball paddle. If you do not have one as of the moment, please take some time to read this best paddles for pickleball guide here!
– After play has begun on all 4 courts, the next person to arrive starts the queue in front of the tennis net nearest the entry to the courts.
– As more players arrive continue adding paddles until there is a first group of 4 paddles.
– Others then stack their paddles in additional groups of 4 paddles.
– When a court opens, pick up the group of 4 paddles closest to the tennis net, gather together and go to the open court. Please be aware when it is your turn to play.
– If there are only 1,2 or 3 paddles in the “Next Open Court” group, (i.e. group of paddles closest to the tennis net), pick up the paddle(s) and ask for anyone who would like to join you and go to the open court. Anyone can join this group.
– If you do not want to play in a group remove your paddle and place it at the end of the queue. Or place your paddle in any group that has less than 4 paddles.
– If you would like to play with a certain player or group put your paddles together and place them at the end of the queue.
– You may remove your own paddle at any time but, Please DO NOT move anyone’s paddle out of a group without their permission. The first team to reach 11 wins. You do not have to win by two. This also helps keep the games moving. Players leave the court after each match unless no one is waiting.
It will also help if members write their names on their paddles. Often play must stop while members of a group look for an unknown owner of a paddle in their group.