The Path to Nationals

Golden Ticket Tournaments provide a path for amateur players to play in the USA Pickleball National Championships, the premier tournament in the sport of pickleball. Whether you’re chasing championship glory, the ultimate competitive challenge, or simply unforgettable moments on the court, Golden Ticket Tournaments are where your Nationals journey begins.

Golden Ticket Tournaments offer participants an unrivaled player experience and the opportunity to compete at some of the best pickleball venues across the country. Only at these tournaments will gold medal winners receive a “Golden Ticket,” granting them priority registration for the USA Pickleball Nationals. Players that play in Golden Ticket Tournaments, but do not win gold will then be eligible for the USA Pickleball National Championships through our Tiered Point System (TPS).

LOCATION: Sideout Tsunami Pickleball Center

Check them out at: https://sideouttsunami.com

REQUIREMENTS: All players must have a USA Pickleball membership at the Challenger or Champion level. Please visit https://usapickleball.org/ to join or renew your membership.

This tournament is sanctioned by USA Pickleball at the MMP level. Referees will be on all pre-medal and medal matches. We will do our very best to referee as many matches as possible.

All USA Pickleball rules will be followed. You may find the official USA Pickleball Rule Book here: https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/official-rules/

It is the player’s responsibility to know if their paddle is on the Approved Equipment List: https://equipment.usapickleball.org/

Players signing up for any Doubles events will have five (5) days to have their partner register for the same event before they are moved to the Waitlist. They may be moved back to the Main Draw after both players are registered and paid if there is still room in the Main Draw. Maximum number of teams may be adjusted during the open registration period as the Tournament determines is necessary.

Players will have up until the close of registration to change skill level or age groups. No changes after registration has closed.

If your partner becomes injured and unable to compete after the close of registration, players looking to add a new partner will need to contact the tournament at Mike@pickleballisgreat.com no later than 4pm the day before your event is scheduled to begin. Replacement players are subject to approval and must be USA Pickleball members who have PickleballTournaments.com profiles already created. They must also meet all skill level and age group requirements for the event that you are registered for. Any requested changes are not approved until you receive an email confirmation.

Schedule will be posted approximately one (1) week before the tournament starts.

We reserve the right to refuse service at anytime.

We will have Men’s/Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Men’s/Women’s Singles

All events will be a Round Robin leading into playoff brackets. USA Pickleball offers 5 skill levels, from 3.0 to 5.0 in age groups from 19-80+.

Side out scoring will be used. (No Rally Scoring)

Medals in events with combined skill or age groups will be awarded to the original registered event.

Round Robin matches will be 1 game to 15 points, win by 2.

Playoff matches are also 1 game to 15 points, win by 2.

Bronze and Gold medal matches will be best 2 out of 3 games to 11 points, win by 2.

Events

4 Teams = Round Robin with all 4 Teams going to Playoffs

5-7 Teams = Round Robin with top 4 Teams going to Playoffs

8-9 Teams = Pool Play with all teams going to playoffs

10+ Teams = Pool Play with top 2 teams from each Pool going to Playoffs

Last date to withdraw and request a refund is June 30, 2026. Refunds will be minus all pickleballtournaments.com fees and a $20 withdraw fee.

No refunds after June 30, 2026.

Software service fees are not refundable, even if the tournament/event is cancelled.