XPL Rules

Is an innovative pickleball format involving amateur players of mixed genders and/or skill-levels competing as a team against other teams.  Matches are composed of six games (women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and FOUR mixed doubles), with a unique Dreambreaker™ singles tiebreaker.

DREAMBREAKER™

Is a unique singles tiebreaker with rally scoring to 21 win by 1. One team first discloses its 4-person singles rotation order, and then the opposing team with that knowledge counter-designates its singles rotation order. Each player then rotates in for 4 singles points, until the tiebreaker has a winner.
 

RALLY SCORING

Determine which team will serve, receive, pick the end of the court, or defer using any fair method (e.g., pick a 1 or 2, coin flip, rock-paper-scissors, etc.).

Each partner on a team determines which side of the pickleball court (the left side or the right side) to start on. Then, each partner remains in those respective sides throughout the entire game. (However, a team may switch sides of the pickleball court on a timeout or end change.)

The team that serves first will start the game. The player on the right-hand side of the court will serve first (serving crosscourt).

If the serving team wins the rally, then they will win a point and continue to serve. However, the partner on the left-hand side of the court will serve (but, remember, the players will stay on their respective sides of the court). The serve alternates between the players on the left- and right-hand side of the court (without the players changing positions) until they lose a rally.

If the serving team loses the rally, then the receiving team will win a point and the receiving team will win the serve. To note, there is no second server (so the score will only be two numbers—the serving team score and the receiving team score—and there will be no third number for the server number).

Which player will serve on a team is determined by the score of the serving team. If the score is even, then the player on the right-hand side of the court will serve. If the score is odd, then the player on the left-hand side of the court will serve. So, for example, if the score is 0-0, and the receiving team wins the rally, then the receiving team will win a point and the right to serve. The score will now be 1-0, so the player on the left-side of the receiving team will serve next.

The teams will change ends of the pickleball court when a team reaches 11 points.

The first team to 21 points wins (win by 1 point). However, points after the 20th point may only be scored on the serve.

Again, players will remain on their respective sides (the left side and the right side) for the entire game, unless there is a time out or an end change (in which case the players on a team could change sides).

A point is scored on every rally, regardless of who has served (except the final point, which the final point may only be won when serving). Whichever team wins the rally, wins a point. If the serving team wins the point, then the players alternate serves until they lose a rally/point. Then, the serve goes to the receiving team, and the player that serves will be based on the serving team’s score. The final point (after the 20th point) may only be scored on the serve.

First team to 21 points wins!

WHAT IS XPL PLAYER FORMAT?

XPL Play™ is an innovative gameplay format that brings men and women together on a level playing court. In the XPL Play format team matches are composed of six 21-point games, with the first being women’s doubles, then men’s doubles, and the final four games consisting of mixed doubles. This unique dynamic means that teamwork as a skill is just as critical as speed or technique on the court and a big part of the community aspect of the sport!

WHAT IS RALLY SCORING?

Unlike traditional scoring, where a team can only score points when they are on the serving side, in rally scoring, a point is earned after every rally, whether it was won by the serving or receiving team. However, the first team to reach twenty points reverts back to the traditional format and needs to win by one. Rally scoring in pickleball benefits fans by providing faster-paced games, increased intensity, easier-to-follow scoring, and enhanced suspense, making the sport more enjoyable and engaging for spectators.

WHAT ARE THE SUPER SEASON FINALS?

On the Sunday after the final event of the season the top four ranked teams in each level will face off against each other in the season’s Super Finals for the title of Winter Season Champ!

WHAT IS A DREAMBREAKER?

If both teams are tied at 3-3 after the 6 games played, they’ll go to a Dreambreaker! In a Dreambreaker one person from each team plays singles against each other, switching every four points until someone gets to 21 and wins by one point. To level up the stakes, the home team has to present its singles line-up first then the away team gets the chance to counter that with their own configuration of their lineup to match and counter each player’s skills!