Pickled

Rules

League rules

Cork Club League pilot. Scoring standard and how standings are calculated.

Scoring standard
  • 1.Each fixture has four doubles: Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles 1 and Mixed Doubles 2.
  • 2.League fixtures (17 October): each game is a single game to 21, win by 1, rally scoring, no freeze. A completed game has a winning score of exactly 21 and a losing score from 0 to 20.
  • 3.Semi-finals and finals (24 October): each match is a best of 3 games to 15, win by 1, rally scoring, no freeze. A completed game has a winning score of exactly 15 and a losing score from 0 to 14. Game 3 is only played at 1-1, and teams switch ends when the first team reaches 8 in each game.
  • 4.In league fixtures, all four games are always completed, even when a team leads 3-0. In semi-finals and finals, the fixture ends once a team wins 3 matches, so a 3-0 result does not play the 4th match.
  • 5.On finals day, each team has 1 timeout per game, up to 1 minute.
  • 6.If the matches split 2-2, a Super Doubles Dreambreaker decides the fixture. It is one game to 21, win by 1, rally scoring, no freeze. The Dreambreaker winner takes the fixture 3-2.
  • 7.Standings game difference and points difference are calculated using only the four regular doubles games from league fixtures. Dreambreaker games and points, and finals-day results, are excluded.
  • 8.Forfeited games are recorded as 21–0 by the organiser. Retirements through injury follow the injury rule.
  • 9.Standings are ranked on fixture wins, using approved league stage results only. Playoff results are kept separate.
Standings tiebreaker procedure

Teams are ranked by total fixture wins. When two or more teams are level on fixture wins, they are separated in this order, top to bottom. If a step only partly separates a tied group, the resolved positions are kept and the procedure restarts for the teams still level. Game and points differences use the four regular doubles games only, excluding the Super Doubles Dreambreaker. Positions that remain level after every step are marked Awaiting organiser draw.

  1. 1
    Fixture wins
  2. 2
    Head-to-head between the two tied teams, or fixture wins among the tied teams when three or more are level. Partially separated groups keep their resolved positions and the tiebreak restarts for the remaining teams.
  3. 3
    Game difference across all league fixtures (the Dreambreaker counts as a game won/lost when one is played).
  4. 4
    Points difference across all league fixtures (the four regular doubles games only; Dreambreaker points are excluded).
  5. 5
    If every criterion is still equal, the positions are marked Awaiting organiser draw.
Cork Pilot League rules

SQUADS AND LINE-UPS

  1. 1.Squads – 4 to 6 players, at least 2 women and 2 men, all 18+. A player can only be on one team. Squad changes after Wednesday 14 October need Peter’s approval.
  2. 2.Line-ups – All squad players (up to 6) can play in a fixture. Before each fixture, the captain tells Peter who is playing each game: women’s doubles, men’s doubles and both mixed doubles. Games run two at a time, so a player can play at most one doubles game and one mixed game per fixture. Name your DreamBreaker 2 women and 2 men at the same time. Line-ups can change for the next fixture.
  3. 3.Late arrival – There’s a 15-minute grace period after the published start time. After that, the fixture is forfeited 4–0.

FORMAT AND SCORING

  1. 4.Format – Women’s and men’s doubles are played at the same time, then both mixed doubles. League fixtures play all 4 games. Semi-finals and finals: each of the 4 matches is a best of 3, games to 15, and the fixture ends once a team wins 3 matches.
  2. 5.Scoring – League games are to 21, finals-day games to 15, rally scoring, win by 1, no freeze.
  3. 6.Warm-up and first serve – Up to 3 minutes’ warm-up on court before each fixture. Then pick one of the usual ways to decide: spin a paddle (logo up or down), guess which hand the ball is in, or guess the number behind the paddle. Whoever wins chooses to serve, receive or pick an end.
  4. 7.Switching ends – Teams switch ends when the first team reaches 11 in league games and the DreamBreaker, and when the first team reaches 8 in each finals-day game. Timeouts are for the finals only: 1 per team per game, up to 1 minute.
  5. 8.DreamBreaker – DreamBreaker – Each team names its DreamBreaker 2 women and 2 men with the line-up, from anywhere in the 6-player squad, including players who didn’t play a game. If it goes 2–2, those 4 play it in pairs of the team’s choosing, changing pairs every 6 total points. No changes once the fixture starts, except for injury. To 21, win by 1. The DreamBreaker winner takes the fixture 3–2, and it doesn’t count towards game or points difference.

ON COURT

  1. 9.Line calls – League fixtures and semi-finals are self-refereed. Each team calls the lines on its own side. If you can’t call a ball out, it’s in and the point goes to your opponents, unless both teams agree to replay it.
  2. 10.Own faults – Players call their own kitchen and foot faults. Opponents can query a call, but the player who made it has the final say.
  3. 11.Net serves – A serve that clips the net and lands in is played. There are no lets.
  4. 12.Score disputes – If teams disagree on the score, go back to the last score both teams agree on and play on.
  5. 13.Ball from another court – Call "ball on court" and replay the rally.
  6. 14.Ceiling and obstructions – A ball that hits the ceiling, a basketball hoop, a wall or any fixture is a fault against the player who hit it.
  7. 15.Referees – The Championship Final has a referee on each court, and the Bronze Final will too where volunteers allow. Referees call the score, service and kitchen faults, and settle any disputed line call. Peter has the final say on any dispute.

INJURY, FORFEITS AND RESULTS

  1. 16.Injury – An injured player can take up to 5 minutes. After that, a squad reserve of the same gender can come on mid-game and the score carries on. The injured player can’t return in that fixture, and the reserve can play in the DreamBreaker. If no reserve is available, the remaining game is conceded.
  2. 17.No-shows and short teams – A team that can’t field a side loses 4–0, with each game recorded as 21–0. A team short of a player plays the games it can field and forfeits the rest 21–0.
  3. 18.Results – One captain enters the scores in the Captain Portal after the fixture, and the other captain confirms them. If you can’t get into the app, note the scores on your phone and show or WhatsApp them to Peter, who’ll enter them.
  4. 19.Ranking – Fixture wins, then head-to-head (mini-league if 3+ teams are level), then game difference, then points difference, then organiser draw.
  5. 20.Medals – Players who played on court for a podium team, including a reserve who came on for an injury.

KIT AND CONDUCT

  1. 21.Kit – Any standard pickleball paddle. Non-marking indoor shoes only. We play with orange (Premier/Challenger) and red (Development) balls, so please avoid orange or red tops so the ball is easy to see.
  2. 22.Conduct – Play in a friendly spirit. No abuse of opponents, referees or volunteers. Peter can award a game or fixture against a team for serious misconduct.
  3. 23.Photos – Pickled may take photos and video for social media. Tell Peter if you’d rather not be in them.
Questions: info@pickledsports.ie or WhatsApp Peter on 085 729 0448

How it works

Mixed squads of 4 to 6

Each game is doubles, and squads of up to 6 can share the games across a fixture.

Four doubles per fixture

Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles, and two Mixed Doubles. League games are single games to 21; on finals day each match is a best of 3 games to 15. Win three to take the fixture.

Super Doubles DreamBreaker

Super Doubles DreamBreaker – At 2–2, each team’s named 4 (any mixed pairs from the 6-player squad) play it. Pairs switch every 6 points, first to 21, win by 1.

FAQ