Guides

Everything you need for better open play

Plain-English guides for the people who play pickleball and the people who organize it. Start with the rules if you are new, or jump to the open play section if you are the one holding the clipboard.

These guides are written by the team behind CourtConnect, a free open play manager used by pickleball groups to rotate players fairly and keep courts busy. They are not tied to the app: everything here works just as well with a whiteboard and a paddle rack. Where CourtConnect does something relevant, the guide says so, but the advice stands on its own.

Playing the game

The rules, the scoring system and the habits that make doubles click. If you have only played a few times, read these in order.

7 min read Pickleball Rules for Beginners The court, the serve, the two-bounce rule, the kitchen and the faults — everything a new player needs before their first open play. 6 min read How Pickleball Scoring Works Why only the serving team scores, what the three numbers mean, and how to always know which side you should be standing on. 7 min read Doubles Strategy for Newer Players Where to stand, why everyone talks about the third-shot drop, and the handful of habits that win more points than power ever will. 6 min read Pickleball Drills for Warm-Ups and Waiting Players Short, partner-friendly drills that fit a five-minute warm-up or a spare court, with what each one actually trains.

Running open play

How to keep a session fair, friendly and moving — whether you have eight players on two courts or forty on six.

6 min read Open Play Etiquette The unwritten rules of open play — paddle stacking, line calls, stray balls, mixing levels — written down so newcomers feel welcome. 8 min read How to Run Pickleball Open Play Court ratios, rotation formats, fair waiting and the problems that show up every week, from an organizer's point of view. 6 min read Open Play Wait Times: The Math How many players a court really holds, how long people wait for a game, and how to shorten it without turning anyone away.

Ratings and skill levels

How to describe a player's level honestly, and how the DUPR rating system works if your group uses it.

7 min read Pickleball Skill Levels Explained What each level from beginner to advanced looks like on court, how to rate players honestly, and how levels map to DUPR. 6 min read DUPR Ratings Explained What a DUPR rating is, how results move it, what NR and reliability mean, and when using DUPR at open play makes sense.

Using CourtConnect

5 min read How to Use CourtConnect A step-by-step walkthrough of running a session with CourtConnect, from adding courts to sharing the live view.

Put it into practice

Run your next open play with fair rotation, live wait times and a live view everyone can follow. Free, no sign-up.

Start a free session