How to start an open-play group

Pick courts and a regular time

The same courts at the same time every week is the easiest game to remember. Before you commit, check how the courts work: some parks are walk-on, some take reservations, and recreation centers often run their own open-play hours. Each court's page on Vara Performance says how to play there and links to booking when the venue has it.

• Pick a time when the courts are usually free, or reserve them if your group is big enough to fill them.
• A two-hour window lets people arrive late or leave early and still get several games in.
• Lights matter for evening games outdoors, and indoor courts matter for winter. Both show on court pages when we know them.

Find courts near you →

Decide the level and format

Say who the game is for. “All levels welcome” and “3.0 to 3.5” are both fine; what matters is saying it, so players pick the right session and nobody is surprised. If you aren't sure how levels work, our skill levels guide explains them.

Then pick a format:

• Paddle rack rotation. Classic drop-in play: paddles wait in line and the next four go on the next open court.
• Round robin. Everyone plays with and against different people, with scores and standings. Run a round robin offers more than ten formats, including rotating partners, fixed teams, brackets and pool play.

Set a capacity

Each court takes four players. Decide how many people your courts can handle before the wait between games gets long, and set that as your cap. When you post a session on Vara Performance you can set how many players it takes; once it fills, new players join a waitlist and are told if a spot opens.

Agree on rotation and etiquette

A few house rules, said once at the start, prevent most arguments:

• How rotation works: everyone off after each game, or winners stay for a set number of games.
• Game length: most open play uses games to 11, win by 2.
• Line calls: each side calls the lines on its own side of the net.
• Mixing: newcomers get into games, and nobody holds a court for a private match during open play.

For bigger groups, Run open play live replaces the paddle rack with a queue on everyone's phone: players join, wait their turn and get a “you're up on court 3” alert, with an optional big-screen view of who's on and who's next. It needs a free account: you start the queue from yours, and players join with theirs.

New to the rules yourself? Pickleball in 10 minutes covers scoring, the kitchen and line calls.

Balls and nets

• Check whether the courts have permanent pickleball nets. If they only have tennis nets, or none, bring portable nets.
• Use the right balls: outdoor balls are harder with smaller holes, indoor balls are softer with larger holes.
• Keep a few spare balls in your bag, and ask regulars to take turns bringing new ones.

Plan for rain and cancellations

Decide your rule before you need it, and tell people where to look on the day.

• Pick a cutoff, such as calling it an hour before the start if the courts are wet.
• Have a backup if you can: indoor courts nearby, or a later start.
• Cancel in one place. When you call off a date on Vara Performance and add a reason, players who RSVP'd are told, and the session shows as cancelled on the court's page.

Invite players

• Post your open play. It's free and takes a minute, and your sessions show on the court's page, on the open play page and in the weekly digest.
• Start a group for your regulars. The group gets an invite every week on its own, so you stop chasing replies in a group text.
• Already run a group somewhere else? Move your group here: paste your schedule as you already write it, or bring a calendar or CSV, then invite players with a link, a QR code, a message for Facebook or WhatsApp, or by email.
• Every city's “This week” page has a Copy for Facebook button: the week's games as plain text with a link, ready to paste into your group.

On the day

• Arrive early to set up nets and welcome first-timers.
• Print a roster with check-in boxes so you know who came.
• Start the queue or the round robin, and let the app assign courts so you can play too.

Keep it going

• Mix it up now and then with a round robin night or a session for newer players.
• Give competitive regulars somewhere to go: a ladder lets them challenge each other between sessions.
• Share the work: a co-organizer who can open the courts or call off a rainy day keeps the game alive when you can't make it.
• Ask what people want. Small changes, like a new time or a level split, often bring back players who drifted away.