Players FAQ

Table of Contents

What is Turf Wars?

Tournament Schedule

Registration Process
Team Structure

DUPR Ratings
Substitute Policy
Tournament Format
Scoring System
Costs and Payouts
Day-of Tournament Information

Captains' Responsibilities

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What is Turf Wars?

1. What is Turf Wars?

   • Monthly Moneyball "Battles" that Turfs (aka teams) play a minimum of 8 games and compete for cash prizes and bragging rights. There will be Major and Minor divisions with team DUPR caps. A super dope title belt awaits the series champion. Beyond competition, these tournaments offer opportunities to connect with fellow players, fostering friendships and sharing your passion with like-minded enthusiasts.

2. What are Turfs?

   • Turfs can be courts, neighborhoods, businesses or anything the teams decide to put up to say we are the best!

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Tournament Schedule

1. When will the "Battles" be held?

   • They will be held the first Saturday of each month at 8am (Major Division) and at 2pm (Minor Division). In the event of inclement weather our rain day will be the second Saturday of that month. Schedule will be as followed:

     • Major division meeting at 7:30am

     • Major division will begin at 8am

     • Minor division meeting at 1:30pm

     • Minor division will begin at 2:00pm

2. What is the 2025 season schedule?​

   • April 5, 2025

   • May 3, 2025

   • June 7, 2025

   • July 5, 2025

   • August 2, 2025

   • September 6, 2025

   • October 4, 2025

   • November 1, 2025

   • December 6, 2025​

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Registration Process

1. How do I register for the Turf Wars?​

   • Fill out our PLAYER REGISTRATION FORM

2. Who can I register as?

   • Captain - The tip of the spear - Will be responsible for all captain duties. Check out the CAPTAIN FAQ for those.​

   • Player - This will be a more permanent role within the team. A player will only represent 1 team throughout Turf Wars and is a core player on a team.

   • Substitute - This is for players who want to play for multiple teams through out the Turf Wars but may miss some battles and have issues with commitment... :)

3. Do I need a Team or Captain to register?

   • Absolutely not! We will get you a Captain and a team given there are enough free players. This is one of the best things about Turf Wars. Creating new friendships! 

4. I am a Captain and need to register my Teams for the tournament. What should I do?

   • Head over to the CAPTAINS FAQ

5. My team has already registered for the upcoming tournament, can I change the players on my teams after?

   • Yes. Contact the Tournament Director with your changes.

6. When does registration close?

   • Registration closes 1 week prior to the battle.

7. How does registration work?

   • Turf Wars uses a two part registration;

     • The first is the PLAYER REGISTRATION FORM that is designed to get all of the Players/Captains registered.

     • The second is the TEAM REGISTRATION FORM. The Captains will fill this form out to identify each player on their team before each months battle. Team Registration is due 1 week prior to the battle. ​

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Team Structure

1. What are the Major and Minor Divisions?

   • The Major Division is designed for players with a DUPR rating of 4.0 and above. The Minor Division is for players with a DUPR rating of 4.0 and below. This division structure ensures competitive play for players of different skill levels.

2. Can my Team play in the Major division one month and the Minor division the next?

   • Yes, but your scores will not accumulate across different divisions. For example, if in April you play in the Majors and score 80 points, and then in May you play in the Minors and score 160 points, your team DOES NOT have 240 total points. Points are tracked separately per division. The DUPR caps will be strictly enforced in whichever division you decide to play in.

3. What does the team structure look like for Turf Wars?​

   • For both the Major and Minor Divisions, a team will be comprised of 2 males and 2 females. The skill level of the teams will be capped, determined by the cumulative DUPR ratings of each individual player. These are ideal numbers and if you don't meet those, that is ok. As long as the players you have at your disposal do not exceed the point cap for each team, you are good to go! We will be taking everyone's DUPR score to the nearest tenth. E.g., if your DUPR is 4.59, it will be recorded as 4.5.

     • Division Caps Examples:​​​​​

       • Major Division - 22.00 Cap - Player 1: 4.8, Player 2: 4.5, Player 3: 4.8, Player 4: 5.0​

       • Minor Division - 15.75 Cap - Player 1: 4.0, Player 2: 4.0, Player 3: 3.5, Player 4: 3.5​​​​​​​​​

4. Who organizes the teams?​​

   • ​Each team will have a Captain assigned to them who will register their teams each month.

5. How is a Tuff Captain selected?

   • By volunteering. If you are interested in being a captain make sure to select that when registering.

6. Can we name our Teams?

   • ABSOLUTELY!! We encourage edgy, funny team names for Turf Wars.

7. How are the Team names determined within the Turfs?

   • Via democracy. Get together with your turfmates and throw some ideas around and come out with a dope ass team name.​

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DUPR Ratings

1. Are official ratings required to participate in Turf Wars?

   • YES - A DUPR rating is required. 

2. ​How do I get a DUPR rating?

   • Head on over to DUPR to find out how to get ranked and download the DUPR App.

3. What if I don't have a DUPR rating and want to play in the Turf Wars?

   • We and our partners will be hosting DUPR nights up until the start of the season and throughout as well. Those announcements will be announced on our social media pages.

4. What if my DUPR score changes during the Turf Wars season?

   • The DUPR rating you have when you register and play in Turf Wars will be your DUPR rating throughout the remaining season. At the beginning of the following season, everyone's DUPR will be updated.

5. Do I need to be part of a DUPR club?

   • YES. ​You will need to join the Sunsets and Dinks Pickleball club. CLICK HERE--->JOIN

6. Will games be reported to DUPR

   • YES. We will report the scores after every tournament conclusion.​​​

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Substitute Policy

1. Will there be substitutes available if I cannot make a battle?

   • Yes. When registering for the Turf Wars you can register as a substitute. More on that can be found in the Registering Section.

2. What is the Substitute Policy?

   • Each team registers with 4 “core players” before the their first Turf Wars event.

   • For each monthly event (a single day of play), a team may use up to 2 substitutes, provided:

     • At least 2 of the original 4 core players are present.

       • The DUPR rating of each substitute (sub) can be any level as long as the division caps are adhered to for the team.

   • Subs can play for a team one month and for a different team another month.

   • "Core" Team members can play as a sub as long as their Team, is not playing in the event.

   • Subs can replace players between matches (not during matches) and only if a player is injured.

   • The sub's share of any winnings will be determined by the Team Captain. We pay out for a team of 4, and distribution is at the Captain's discretion.

3. What are the Substitute Policy Penalties?

   • Excess Subs Penalty: If a team uses more than 2 subs on a given day:

     • A flat 10% penalty is applied to their score for that day’s event, calculated at the end of the day.

   • Penalties are calculated and applied to the day’s score before it’s recorded for the season standings.

4. What if one of my Core players needs to drop out?

   • If a core player drops out permanently, a one-time replacement per team during the season is allowed. 

     • The new core player’s DUPR rating must be equal to or lower than the departing player’s rating at registration. If it is not the DUPR rating penalty will apply. 

     • Replacement must be approved before the next monthly event.​​​

5. As a player do I need to show up at every battle for the whole season?

   • • No. There will be substitutes to fill in for you.

6. Are there incentives if we show up with the same team each month?

   • Yes. Your team will be awarded +5 bonus points to the seasons score for a full core lineup (no subs) to reward consistency.​ This will put you closer to winning the CASH grand prize at the end.

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Tournament Format

1. What will be the match format utilized for the Turf Wars?

   • A unique timed rally scoring system will be utilized. Teams will play to 30 points or for 15 minutes, whichever comes first. At the end of the time or when 30 points is reached, your scores will be recorded. Teams will change ends of the court when one team reaches the score of 13. In the event of a tie in overall points for the day or season, a singles tiebreaker known as DreamBreaker™ will be played to 21 to determine the tournament winner. This will only be conducted for the top 3 places.

2. What will the Match order be?​​

   • Men Doubles 1 (Male1/M2)

   • Female Doubles 1 (Female1/F2)

   • Men Doubles 2 (M1/M2)

   • Female Doubles 2 (F1/F2)

   • Mix 1 (M1/F1)

   • Mix 2 (M2/F2)

   • Mix 3 (M1/F2)

   • Mix 4 (M2/F1)

3. How many Matches will I play on the day of the tournament?

   • You will be guaranteed to play 8 games.

4. How are Matches assigned?

   • This will all be randomized. 

5. When will the Matches be posted?

   • We will do our best to post matches prior to the start of the tournament.

6. Where do I see the Matchups?

   • Click here ----> MATCHUPS

7. How may Teams will I face the day of the tournament?

   • You will face two other teams.

     • You will play two teams each month. Depending on participation teams might repeat playing each other from month to month.​

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Scoring System​

1. What is Rally Scoring?

   • Rally scoring is a system where points are earned by either team in every rally, regardless of who served. Under this method, the serving team receives a point if they win the rally, while the receiving team earns a point if they emerge victorious. Essentially, points can be scored by both the serving and receiving teams throughout the match.

2. ​How does serving work in Rally Scoring?

   • Serving Basic:
     • Both partners choose their initial position on either the left or right side of the court and maintain those positions throughout the entire game.
     • When the serving team wins a rally, they earn a point and retain the serve.
     • The serve rotates between the left and right sides of the court, without players switching positions, until the serving team loses a rally.
     • There is no second server; the score consists of only two numbers representing the serving team's score and the receiving team's score.
   • Determining Server:

     • When the score is even, the player positioned on the right-hand side of the court serves.

     • When the score is odd, the player on the left-hand side of the court serves.

     • Example: If the score is 0-0 and the receiving team wins the rally, they earn a point and the right to serve. The score becomes 1-0, and the next serve is executed by the player on the left side of the receiving team.

3. How long will each match last?

   • Each match will last 15 mins. A timer will be started once all teams are on their courts and a buzzer will sound when the time is up.

4. What happens if we are still playing when the buzzer goes off?

   • You will finish your current bout out and the scores will be recorded.

5. What happens if we didn't score all 30 points when the buzzer goes off?

   • The team with the highest score will be rewarded 30 points with the trailing team being awarded the spread between the scores. EXAMPLE: At the end of the buzzer Team X has 20 points and Team Z has 10. The spread between them is 10 points so Team X will be marked down for having 30 points and Team Z will be marked down for receiving 20. This is only applicable if a final score of 30 has not been reached by one of the teams. ​

6. How does the scoring work for Turf Wars?

   • The team scores accumulate across battles, with the top 3 teams earning prize money. Teams participating in multiple monthly events compete for the championship belt based on total points earned. This provides incentive to participate every month. At season's end, the top Minor division team advances to the Major division, while the bottom Major division team moves down to the Minor division for the following season.

7. Who do I report the score of my match to?

   • After you match has concluded please report to the tournament directors table to give them the scores.

8. How do I get the score of my matches?​

   • The scores of the matches will be update as the tournament is going on and can be viewed here ----> STANDINGS

9. ​What is a DreamBreaker™ (Singles Tiebreaker)?

   • A Game to 21 (win by 2) with rally scoring, where each team must rotate its 4 players for 4 singles rallies in a set order until the DreamBreaker™ is completed. Immediately following the completion of the second and final mixed doubles Game, the Home Team will have 1 minute to designate the first player selected in the order of rotation of its 4 singles players for the DreamBreaker™. The Home Team’s #1 player will be disclosed to the Away Team. The Away Team will then have 1 minute to designate its opposing Player 1 to the other team. This process will repeat until all 4 players on each team are declared to the referee and/or other team. The DreamBreaker™ will use the same rally scoring used in Games as described above. All team members will rotate in 4-rally rotations until the DreamBreaker™ is concluded (Player 1 plays 4 rallies, then Player 2 plays 4 rallies, then Player 3 plays 4 rallies, then Player 4 plays 4 rallies, and then the rotation repeats in the same order). In terms of sides, singles players will serve from the side (left/right) of the court, based on their team score, as is typical in singles. The player will serve on the right side when that player’s team score is even, and when the team score is odd, the player on that team will serve from the left side of the court. Teams will change ends when one team reaches the score of 11.​

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Costs & Payouts

1. What is the cost to play in the first Turf Wars?

   • The entry fee for the each battle is $80 per person or $320 per team. If a substitutes is used they will pay and share in the winnings. Out of the initial entry fee, $50 goes towards the Immediate Payout Pot, while the rest is allocated to a operations pot for expenses such as, purchasing balls, covering court fees (if applicable), acquiring trophies, paying any help (if applicable) and any other fees that may arise from running a tournament.

2. How do I pay my entry fee?

   • If you have a team you will pay your Captain at or before team registration as they will pay the entire Turf Battle fee. Captains will be responsible for collecting all battle fees from their players. If you are solo looking for a team you will pay before registering. CASH ONLY.

3. When is payment due?

   • CASH is due the morning of the tournament.​​​

4. What are the payouts of the Turf Wars?​

   • The payouts will follow a 65/25/10 split of the total Immediate Payout Pot for that month, with the first, second and third place teams receiving their respective shares. Payouts are conducted at the end of each "Battle"

     • EXAMPLE: 

• We have 16 major division teams show up which would put $3,200 in the Immediate Payout Pot. 

  • The first place team would receive $2,080 or $520 per person.

  • The second place team would receive $800 or $200 per person.

  • The third place team would receive $320 or $80 per person.

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Day-of Tournament Information​​​​​​​​

1. How long will I be playing pickleball the day of the tournament?

   • This is based on 4 courts. We estimate 3-5hrs total time so pack accordingly.   

2. What time should I show up?

   • Major division meeting at 7:30am

   • Major division matches will begin at 8am

   • Minor division meeting at 1:30pm

   • Minor division matches will begin at 2pm

3. Will there be an official opportunity to warm up?

   • Yes. During round 1, before your match each team will have 2 minutes to warm up before opening up their can of whoop ass. During round 2 warm ups will be eliminated and games will start immediately unless your teams has not played yet. 

   • You are more than welcome to show up hella early and warm up prior to 7:30am if you like as well.

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Captains FAQ

STOP: If you have not read the entire player FAQ please do so now PLAYER FAQ

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1. What is a Team Captain responsible for? 

   • Organizing your team of up to 4 people

   • Sending the PLAYER REGISTRATION link to all members that are part of your team and making sure they register

   • Getting all players a DUPR account and rating.

   • Registering your Teams no later than 1 weeks before the Battle. Click here ---> TEAM REGISTRATION FORM. If you miss the deadline your team will not be able to compete that month.

   • Collecting all battles fees from your players as you will be paying the entire Turf Battle fee the day of the tournament.

   • Disseminating information to your team of any changes that may occur.

   • Making sure your players report their game scores to the tournament Director at the end of each match/battle.

2. Can I appoint one of my team members as a Lieutenant to handle my duties if I can't make a battle?

   • Yes. You will just need to inform this person of your duties.

3. As a captain do I need to show up at every battle for the whole season?

   • No. There will be substitutes to fill in for you.

4. Do I need to register my team each time before the Battles?

   • Yes. 

5. What do I need to be a captain?

   • Smartphone.

   • Badass attitude ready to unleash hell on unsuspecting victims.