How to Run a Successful Tournament on Main Court
Step 1: Create Your Tournament
Start by pressing the “+” button on the bottom toolbar of the app. Then press “Tournaments” and “New.” Fill out the required tournament details, such as name, type, location, date, time and if you want others in the area to see your tournament.
After inputting this information, upload an event image. Main Court will review this image to ensure it meets the platform’s quality standards, typically within 4 business hours. Once your tournament is approved, you can set up your divisions and invite players.
Set your tournament to “Open” so that all Main Court users can see it. If you do not set your tournament to “Open” you will be required to have enough “friends” or “groups” in the app to fill your divisions.
Step 2: Add Divisions
Press the “+” in the bottom toolbar of the app, then “Tournaments,” then “Existing.” Click on the tournament you want to add divisions to. For “Enter Title of Tournament” you will enter the division title. We recommend adding the gender of division, event type (singles, doubles, mixed) and level, e.g. “Men’s Doubles 4.5+.” Continue entering the division information and press “next.” To add more divisions, repeat this process.
Important Note: Players on Main Court can register for tournaments at or above their skill level but not below. This feature ensures fair competition within divisions and maintains the integrity of skill-based matchmaking.
Step 3: Invite Players
Use Main Court’s filters to invite players by skill level. You can select players from your friends list, groups, or network.
Invites are sent via app notifications and emails. Ensure your players know where to find the invites under the notification area of the app. The email will include your event poster along with any notes you put into the division notes, so be sure to make these notes as interesting as possible.
Managing Your Tournament
Step 4: Pairing & Unpairing Players
Players can pair themselves when signing up by paying for their partner (if they are on the Main Court app). Players can also pair themselves if they both separately enroll for the tournament by clicking this button. Organizers can use the same button to create pairs as well. Click on your tournament and scroll down to “confirmed players.” Then click on the “bookmark” icon of the player you want to pair with another player. Main Court will then allow you to choose the 2nd player you want to pair the 1st player with. Tap on their profile and confirm your selection.
To unpair partners, remain in the “Tournament Details” section and find the “Confirmed Players” title. Above that you will see 2 buttons: “players” and “partner.” Press “partner.” From here you will be able to see which players are partnered. To unpair these players, click the trash icon. Main Court will ask you to confirm that you want to unpair the players. If no players are listed in this section, it means there are no partnerships currently formed.
Step 5: Reinvite Players
Seven days after sending your initial invites, you can reinvite players or invite new ones who have downloaded the app since your first invite. Use the “View Invited” section to manage invites. To invite new players, press the “+” button in the upper right-hand corner.
Step 6: Use Email for Tournament Communication
Regular communication with players via email is key. Inform them about your tournament and any updates leading up to the event.
Send reminder emails to confirmed players and ask them to invite others to join. Emailing past tournament participants is also an effective way to engage experienced players.
Step 7: Export Tournament Data
Use the export function to get an email with Excel worksheets detailing player information, partners, divisions, and payments. This helps manage check-ins and track tournament details efficiently.
Step 8: Promote Your Tournament
Click on “Tournaments,” on your home page. Swipe to “scheduled” and press the tournament you want to promote.
From here, you can press the share button in the upper right-hand corner, which will share the entire tournament. You can also share a specific division by pressing that division and then pressing “Share to Social Media.”
You can share the event through any normal means on your phone (e.g., email, SMS, or WhatsApp) by pressing “more.” The share option will provide an image and the tournament URL.
For Instagram or Facebook: After selecting the social media platform, the event link is automatically copied. Be sure to paste the link into the text area on your social media post.
Tagging: Tag @maincourtpickleball on Instagram and @maincourt on Facebook to increase visibility.
Sending to Main Court: Send the event image to the Main Court team via DM or to info@maincourt.com so we can post and promote it for you. Additionally, send a short description of your tournament so we can add it to our email newsletter. Please include any vendors or partners that you would like Main Court to highlight.
Step 9: Manage Payments and Refunds
Players pay through Main Court’s integrated payment system, which handles all fees transparently. Organizers receive full registration fees, while players cover the platform and Stripe fees. Organizer payments are released 15 minutes prior to the tournament starting and organizers should expect to see funds in their bank accounts between 5 and 10 days according to Stripe (though most of the time it is between 2-4 days).
Refunds are processed automatically if a player cancels more than 24 hours before the event.
Step 10: Use the Waitlist
Utilize the waitlist feature when a division is full to manage overflow. Communicate proactively with players on the waitlist to keep them informed if spots open up.
When you accept a player from the waitlist for a paid tournament, the player will get notified that they have been added from the Waitlist. However until the register and pay they will not be added to the division and other players accepted from the waitlist may register sooner so encourage people to register quickly.
Step 11: Thank Participants and Notify Them of Upcoming Tournaments
We recommend going to your past tournaments and sending an email to your participants thanking them for attending and notifying them of your upcoming tournaments.
Common Questions
1. What if a player can’t register for a division?
If a player is unable to register, check the division’s skill level requirements. Players can’t register if their skill level exceeds or falls below the set range for the division. Ensure their skill level fits within the division’s parameters.
2. Can players play above/below their rating in a tournament?
Players CAN play above their rating and CANNOT play below their rating. This is to ensure integrity in Main Court tournaments, while simultaneously giving players the opportunity to level up.
3. How do players update their skill level?
Players can request a skill level change through the support option in the app:
Go to the “My Account” section by clicking their profile picture.
Scroll down to “Support” and request a rating change.
4. Why can’t players find their partners?
If a player cannot find their partner in the registration process, check both players’ skill levels. Both partners need to fall within the division’s skill range.
5. What should I do if players cannot register for gender-specific events?
Ensure that both players have correctly set their gender in their Main Court profile. If there’s an issue, contact the Main Court support team to make the necessary updates.
6. How often can I send tournament invites?
Invites can be sent every seven days. This prevents oversaturation and keeps your players engaged without feeling overwhelmed.
7. How do I manage refunds?
Main Court handles refunds automatically for cancellations made more than 24 hours before the event. For last-minute cancellations, organizers must handle refunds manually if they choose to offer them.