OPEN & TEAM FORMAT

TEAM Tournament: Clash of the Continents
Club Med Cancun
December 16 – 20th

🌎 Format

Each country submits 2 national teams:

• Under 50: Min. 4 players (2 men + 2 women), Max. 9
• 50+ Division: Same format

🌎 Events

• Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles
• Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles

🌎 League System

• North America League: Canada, USA, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean
• South America League: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.

🌎 Game Structure

• Side-out scoring to 11 (win by 2)
• Best of 5 format: Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles ×2
• Game 5 – Dreambreaker: Rotating singles up to 21, rally scoring, substitutions every 4 points

🌎 Tournament Progression

1. Round-Robin: Country vs Country
2. League Finals: Top 2 teams per league
3. Grand Final: League champs face off for continental title

🌎 Rules & Policies

• 1 timeout per game
• 1 medical timeout per match (max 15 mins)
• Walkover if no-show after 10–15 mins
• Substitutions allowed between matches

OPEN Tournament: All Players Welcome

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Categories (Men & Women)

• Beginners (13–49)
• Intermediate (13–49)
• Advanced (13–49)
• Masters Beginners (50+)
• Masters Intermediate (50+)
• Masters Advanced (50+)

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Team Rating Formula

(M1 + M2 + W1 + W2) / 4

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Pool Distribution (16 Teams)

• Pool A: 1, 8, 9, 16
• Pool B: 2, 7, 10, 15
• Pool C: 3, 6, 11, 14
• Pool D: 4, 5, 12, 13

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Format

1. Step 1: Round-Robin
2. Step 2: Single-Elimination

Scoring: Side-out scoring up to 15 (11 for beginners). Finals are best-of-3 games to 11.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Open Tournament Regulations

• USA Pickleball rules apply (view rules)
• Under 18? Parental permission required
• Substitutions up to 30 mins before start
• Trophies for 1st, 2nd, 3rd places

🥈 Daily Medal Count

Olympic-style medal tally updated daily to showcase country performance across TEAM 🌎 and OPEN 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 events.

📌 General Guidelines (All Participants)

• Arrive 40 mins before your match
• Deflected balls due to court defects are valid
• No alcohol during active tournament play
• Protective eyewear and court shoes recommended
• Players are responsible for travel, lodging, and meals
• Refunds: Allowed within 7 days of registration (before event)

📌 Term of Responsibility

By registering, players accept full responsibility for their health and participation. PFA is not liable for injury or costs related to travel or participation.

📌 Image & Audio Release

Participants authorize PFA and its sponsors to use their image/voice for marketing across all media, indefinitely, without compensation.

✈️ PFA Travel Subsidy Criteria for National Teams

Our goal as a community is to make sure all country teams are represented in Cancun. To support equitable participation in PFA-sanctioned events, the Pickleball Federation of the Americas (PFA) offers travel subsidies under the following conditions:

1. Dollar-for-Dollar Matching:
   PFA will match travel expenses up to 50% of total costs incurred by the national federation or team, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, based on submitted and verified receipts.
2. No Overlapping Travel Funding:
   Participating federations must not be receiving or allocating other funds (governmental, private, or internal) for the same travel expenses being subsidized by the PFA.
3. Statement of Need:
   Each country must submit a brief justification explaining:
   • Why travel support is needed
   • What financial barriers exist
   • How the support will impact national team development and participation
4. Eligible Events:
   Subsidies apply only to official PFA tournaments or training programs (e.g., Americas Pickleball Cup, Development Camps, or sanctioned regional qualifiers).
5. Reporting Requirement:
   Recipient countries must submit a short post-event report outlining how the funds were used, accompanied by proof of expenses (invoices, boarding passes, etc.).