How to Organize Pickleball Open Play
Updated
Open Play is how most new players discover pickleball, and how most clubs fill the hours private groups don't book. Done well, it builds a community that comes back every week. Done badly, it's a crowded court, a long wait and a group chat full of complaints. Here is how to run it well.
Pick the right hours
Schedule Open Play where private bookings are thin: weekday mornings and mid-afternoons, or a regular late-evening slot. A fixed weekly time — "Beginners, Tuesdays 6–8pm" — is easier for players to build a habit around than ad-hoc sessions.
Separate by skill level
Mixing complete beginners with experienced players frustrates both. Label sessions — beginner, intermediate, advanced, or by DUPR range if your community uses it — and hold players to them loosely. A dedicated beginners' session is also your best recruiting tool.
Cap the number of players
A doubles court plays four at a time. With rotation, eight to twelve players per court keeps everyone playing most of the session; more than that and players spend more time waiting than playing. Set a cap and stop signups when it's reached.
Charge per head, and collect before the session
Price Open Play per player so one court-hour earns more than a private booking would at that time. Collect payment at signup rather than at the door — it cuts no-shows and means the organiser isn't chasing cash mid-session. Regulars on a membership can get a lower per-head price.
Run a fair rotation
The simplest system is a paddle stack or queue: winners split, losers rotate off, next four on. Whatever you use, make it visible — a whiteboard or a TV showing who's next stops arguments before they start.
Keep the court off the booking calendar
The most common Open Play failure is administrative: a private group books the court that was meant for Open Play. Put the session on the same calendar as your bookings so the court is blocked the moment the session is announced.
On HomeCourt, a published Open Play session holds its court automatically, takes signups with a player cap and member/non-member prices, and can point to an external signup sheet if your players already use one.