Types of Play
ROUND ROBIN (RR)
A “Round Robin” (RR) is a structured form of play organized by skill levels. In the time allocated to each Round Robin session, you will play six games, each with a different partner and against a different pair of opponents. It is designed so that all players are playing against players of roughly equal ability, which makes play the most fun and is reasonably competitive for the majority of players.
When you arrive, you will be assigned a player number. Your number remains yours throughout the session and dictates which court you play on, with whom you are playing as a partner and against which opponents you will play.
Round Robin Draw Sheets are used to determine the order of play.
MEMBERS must register on Court Reserve, just as they would for other sessions.
INDIVIDUAL COURT BOOKINGS
Members may reserve up to a maximum of two courts per day. This gives members the opportunity to play/practice with their own groups (partners, family, and friends who are also EPC members. If non-EPC members are joining you, please see the Guest Policy.)
To book a court: on the Court Reserve app or website, click on Court Calendar > Book a Court. On the resulting calendar, navigate to the day you want. Click on any of the ‘Reserve’ slots for the court you want to ‘Create a Reservation’ - fill in the required information to book a court. The ball machine is only available for use on court 7.
If you are looking for people to drill or play with, you can set up an Open Reservation for different types of sessions - drilling, social match, competitive match, or practice - along with criteria for skill rating group and a description of what can be expected at your session. These can then be seen under the Court Calendar and anyone who meets the criteria can join your session. You can also set up a Private session that requires a code to join.
Throughout the season, courts may be released for events that have low registration so a court may become available the day before or the day of an event. You can put yourself on a waitlist for a particular day by clicking on ‘Join Waitlist’ in the left-hand column of the calendar to be notified when a court becomes available.
LADDER PLAY
Pickleball ladder play is a ranking‑based format where players (or teams) are listed from top to bottom on a “ladder.” Your position changes over time based on match results, with wins helping you move up and losses moving you down. The idea is to consistently play against people near your skill level while giving everyone a chance to climb.
This format uses the same basic format of a Round Robin with the difference being that players are grouped 4 to 5 players on a court. Those players play a round robin amongst themselves and scores are written down. The players are ranked based on their wins and total points for that mini-session. The top 1 or 2 players move up one court and the bottom 1 or 2 players move down one court. Another mini-session is then played. This format of two mini-sessions normally takes 2 hours to play.
DUPR
DUPR stands for Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating. It's a global rating system designed specifically for pickleball players of all levels. The system helps to provide a unique and accurate measure of a player's skill level, irrespective of age, gender, or location. This rating is dynamic, meaning it can change with every game played and reported. This provides a real-time reflection of a player's ability and is useful for tournament ranking, seeding, and even friendly games between casual players.
A DUPR session can be played in many formats such as round robin, king’s court, ladder, etc.
MORTIMER
Mortimer is a 3 v. 3 version of Pickleball. The Round Robin schedule shows your group of three. Once you get to the court, choose one player on your team to start as the Mortimer. That individual stands behind the baseline at the center of the court. So, the serving team will have all three players at the baseline. The Mortimer is not permitted to serve, return a serve or return the third shot. (AFTER 2ND SHOT OF SERVING TEAM IS COMPLETE EVERYONE IS IN THE GAME). The Mortimer hovers in the back of the court while the other two players move up to the kitchen line. The Mortimer typically picks up lobs and shots down the middle that get past the players at the net. When one of the kitchen line players makes an error, they swap places with the Mortimer.
QUEEN'S COURT (WOMEN)/KING'S COURT (MEN)/ROYAL COURT (MIXED)
Meant for more competitive play.
At the start of the session, the Royal Court is designated. Players are randomly assigned partners and their starting court.
Play is determined by the court captain; can be timed play, play to 11, or rally points. If you win, you and your partner move up one court towards the Royal Court. If you lose, you and your partner move down one court. After moving to your next court, players do a rotation so that you play with a new partner.