Pickleball Doubles Tournament (Pro)
Officially PPA Tour Pro Doubles / MLP (Major League Pickleball) Doubles
Elite doubles pickleball tournament format — fastest-growing sport in USA (2020-2025) — governed by PPA Tour + Major League Pickleball; $10M+ prize pools + Netflix docs; APP (Association of Pickleball Players) + IFP (International Federation of Pickleball) sanctioning.
What is Pickleball Doubles Tournament (Pro)?
Pickleball Doubles Tournament (Pro-level) is the elite competitive format of pickleball — the fastest-growing sport in the USA (48.3M+ players 2023 per SFIA) and one of the fastest-growing globally 2020-2025. Governed at pro level by PPA Tour (Professional Pickleball Association, founded 2018) + Major League Pickleball (MLP, founded 2021 by Steve Kuhn — team-format leagues with celebrity/franchise investors incl. Tom Brady, Kevin Durant, Michael B. Jordan, Kim Clijsters, Aaron Rodgers, Naomi Osaka). Also APP (Association of Pickleball Players, founded 2019) + IFP (International Federation of Pickleball, founded 2010 — governs amateur + international). PPA + MLP merged 2024 into United Pickleball Association (UPA) with unified $10M+ combined prize pools. Doubles is the premier format at all levels (Mixed Doubles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles). Game: 11 points win-by-2 (some tournaments 15 or 21 win-by-2). Signature top players: Ben Johns (USA — considered GOAT, 15+ Grand Slam titles), Anna Leigh Waters (USA — 15-year-old prodigy, multi-time #1), Anna Bright, Catherine Parenteau, JW Johnson, Jay Devilliers, Federico Staksrud, Tyson McGuffin, Riley Newman, Zane Navratil, Christian Alshon.
Quick facts
Category
Racket & Paddle Sports
Type
Team sport
Players
4–4
Duration
~30 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Invented 1965 Bainbridge Island, WA by Joel Pritchard + Bill Bell + Barney McCallum; PPA founded 2018; MLP 2021; UPA merger 2024
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
First team to 11 points (win by 2) in best-of-3 games format.
Match structure
Round-robin group play → single-elimination bracket; pro tour Grand Slam events → World Championship.
Rules
Basic rules
11 points win-by-2 (best of 3)
Standard scoring; some tournaments 15 or 21 win-by-2.
Serve underhand + diagonal
Serve must be underhand + arm swing below waist; served diagonally to opponent's service box.
Two-bounce rule at serve
Served ball must bounce once on opponent side, then returned must bounce once on serving side before volleying allowed.
Kitchen (non-volley zone) rule
No volleys from inside 7' non-volley zone; must bounce ball first if inside kitchen.
Only serving team scores (traditional) or rally-scoring (some leagues)
Traditional: only serving team scores. MLP: rally-scoring (either team scores).
Scoring
11-point games (traditional) or rally-scoring (MLP); win by 2.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Point | +1 |
| Ace serve | +1 |
| Missed serve | loss of serve (no point) |
Win condition · First team to 11 pts win-by-2 in best-of-3 games (or MLP round wins).
Equipment
Pickleball paddle (solid graphite / carbon fiber)
Regulated max 24" total length + 17" width; typically composite or carbon-fiber face.
Perforated plastic ball
Yellow perforated ball (indoor lighter, outdoor heavier); regulated by USA Pickleball.
20" × 44" court with 34" middle net
Standard court size (smaller than tennis).
7" kitchen (non-volley zone)
7' non-volley zone on both sides of net ("kitchen") — no volleys from inside.
Positions & roles
Doubles player (backhand + forehand court)
×22 players per team; often specialized as 'left-handed player' + 'right-handed player' for backhand dominance.
Officiating
Chair umpire + line judges at pro events; casual = self-officiated.
- Chair Umpire
- Line Judges (4-8)
- Referee
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Kitchen foot fault
Volleying while touching kitchen line = point to opponent.
Service foot fault
Serving while stepping over baseline = point to opponent.
Strategies
Third-shot drop mastery
Third shot after serve/return should be soft kitchen-drop to force opponent to bend; controls net position.
Aggressive stacking
Left-handed player stacks on right; both team members swap sides for backhand-dominance.
Major competitions
PPA Tour Grand Slams
monthly (~30 events/yr) · USA (rotating) · since 2018
MLP (Major League Pickleball)
3-4 events/yr · USA (rotating) · since 2021
US Open Pickleball Championships
annual · Naples, Florida, USA · since 2016
World Pickleball Championships (IFP)
annual · worldwide (rotating) · since 2015
Where it is played
Governing bodies
United Pickleball Association (UPA — post-2024 merger of PPA + MLP)
Founded 2024 · USA
USA Pickleball (USAP — national body)
Founded 1984 · USA
IFP (International Federation of Pickleball)
Founded 2010 · USA
APP (Association of Pickleball Players)
Founded 2019 · USA
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Ben Johns (USA — considered GOAT, 15+ Grand Slam titles)
- Anna Leigh Waters (USA — teen prodigy #1)
- Anna Bright (USA)
- Catherine Parenteau (CAN → USA)
- JW Johnson
- Jay Devilliers
- Federico Staksrud (ARG)
- Tyson McGuffin
Records
Ben Johns 15+ Grand Slam titles
Ben Johns (USA) — 15+ combined singles + doubles + mixed Grand Slam titles; considered pickleball GOAT (2024)
Anna Leigh Waters teen prodigy
Anna Leigh Waters (USA) — Reached PPA women's #1 as a teenager (age 15); multi-time Grand Slam winner + $1M+ earnings by age 17 (2024)
48.3M+ USA players 2023 SFIA
SFIA — 48.3M+ pickleball players in USA per 2023 SFIA report — fastest-growing sport in USA for 3rd straight year (2023)
UPA merger 2024
United Pickleball Association — PPA + MLP merged into United Pickleball Association in 2024 with combined $10M+ prize pools (2024)
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Pickleball— Wikipedia
- PPA Tour official— PPA Tour