The Kings' Court Tournament
It's like lightning: 12 teams. 90 minutes. Done.
What will you do with the rest of your weekend?
It's like lightning: 12 teams. 90 minutes. Done.
What will you do with the rest of your weekend?
Who Has Time To Spend Three Days At A Pickleball Tournament?
Pickleball OSC regularly hosts Kings' Court Lightning tournaments. These 90-minute competitions are a refreshing alternative to the protracted three-day sanctioned competitions that many pickleball players are more familiar with. Participants in Lightning Tournaments benefit from the smaller demands these streamlined competitions place on their already busy schedules.
tournaments wrap up in exactly 90 minutes - every single time
pickleball "ratings numbers" (which are notoriously subjective) are not required for the proper functioning of these competitions
these events automatically sort competing teams according to their skill-levels
each of the 12 teams enjoy 90 minutes of continuous play
these events produce a clear ranking of teams from first-place through twelfth-place
doubles teammates never "split up" during the competition
teams are never eliminated from a tournament just because they are performing poorly
these events do not require the reporting of scores to a drawmaster
participants never cool-down between games because breaks are only minutes long
participants never accidentally miss their next game because they incorrectly read the draw sheet or because they failed to hear the drawmaster's announcement
these competitions can be organized spontaneously with very little planning
it is entirely reasonable to "advertise" a Lightning Tournament as few as seven days prior to the proposed event date
the rally point system is used to score all games
games are not won by reaching the "cap" score (a score of 15 in the rally point system or a score of 11 in the traditional hand-out system)
games are timed and those games are won only when the 10-minute buzzer rings
scores for individual games in a Kings' Court tournament may reach numbers in the upper-teens (and perhaps twenties) prior to the buzzer ringing
when the buzzer sounds, there is no need to record game scores or to report to a drawmaster
at the buzzer, the team with the most points moves toward the Kings' Court while the team with the least points moves in the opposite direction toward the Jesters' Court
teams do not need to win by two points; these are win-by-one-point events
after 90 minutes of this "up and down" moving, the best teams will have made their way to the Kings' Court and the least skillful teams will have made their way to the Jesters' Court
Why Does Pickleball OSC Host Kings' Court Lightning Tournaments?
Pickleball OSC has been working to develop and refine the sport of pickleball in the Okotoks/Calgary region. This goal is being accomplished by familiarizing regional pickleball players with new and engaging ways to approach the game. These 90-minute rally point tournaments allow players from all over the region to meet, compete, and share a few laughs. Competitors benefit from the smaller demands these streamlined competitions place on their already busy schedules.
If you are interested in viewing player results and tournament photographs, navigate to the Past Events page of this website by clicking here.
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