How Many Tournaments Are There and Who Can Register to Play?
The 2024 PPA Tour calendar includes 26 tournaments in 16 different states. Each tournament is categorized as either a Slam (2000), Cup (1500), or Open (1000), with the numbers representing the total number of PPA Points awarded to the 1st-place winners in men’s and women’s pro singles, men’s and women’s pro doubles, and mixed pro doubles.
There are two professional brackets (also known as “draws”) played at each tournament: Qualifiers and Mains Draws. Anyone can register to play in the Pro Qualifier Draw. The winners of the Pro Qualifier Draw will be seeded in the Main Draw.
You don’t need to be a professional to play on the PPA Tour, however. There are amateur brackets for all ages and skill levels that will be played out alongside the professional brackets each day of a tournament.
How Do Player Rankings Work?
The PPA Rankings Presented by Southwest Rapid Rewards award professional players points based on their results at PPA Tour tournaments, with the most points being awarded at a Slam (2000). The deeper a player advances at a tournament, the more points they earn.
The PPA Rankings Presented by Southwest Rapid Rewards are updated after each tournament and reflect points earned during the past 52 weeks of play (52 Week) and points earned during the current calendar year (The Race).
At the end of each season, the eight professional players and teams who have compiled the most points will qualify to play in the PPA Finals and compete for the most coveted title in pickleball: PPA World No. 1.
PPA Points
How Are PPA Points Awarded?
PPA Points are awarded for men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles events as follows:
| 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place | Quarterfinalist | Round of 16 | Round of 32 | Round of 64 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPA 2000 | 2000 | 1600 | 1200 | 800 | 400 | 200 | 100 | 50 |
| PPA 1500 | 1500 | 1200 | 900 | 600 | 300 | 150 | 75 | 37.5 |
| PPA 1000 | 1000 | 800 | 600 | 400 | 200 | 100 | 50 | 25 |
| PPA 500 | 500 | 400 | 300 | 200 | 100 | 50 | 25 | 12.5 |
PPA Tour Main Draw & Seeding Process
Automatic Bids
PPA Contracted Pro Players with Gold Card status receive automatic bids into the Main Draw for Pro Singles events. PPA Contracted Pro Player teams with Gold Card status (both players of a team must be contracted with Gold Card status) will receive automatic bids into the Main Draw for Pro Doubles events.
The PPA Seeding Committee may also choose up to two wild card players to be entered into the main draw.
Gold medal winners from the Pro Events from the PPA Challenger Tournament Series may also receive automatic bids into the Main Pro Draws.
Once the Main Draw selection process has been finalized, the committee will determine the size of the pro draw (32, 48 or 56) and will set the TBD slots for each pro draw. Each qualifier event will then have the corresponding number of winners to qualify into the main draw.
Winners are determined based on the final standing in the qualifier events based on 1. number of wins and 2. point differential percentage.
Seeding
Main Draw – Seeding and randomization takes place after the main draw automatic bid spots and committee seeds have been filled. As an example for a 48-team sized draw with 8 qualifiers, randomization takes place as follows:
- 1 – 2: Stay the same
- 3 – 4: Randomize
- 5 – 8: Randomize
- 9 – 12: Randomize
- 13 – 16: Randomize
- 17 – 24: Randomize
- 25 – 32: Randomize33 – 40: Randomize
- 41 – 48: Filled via Qualifier
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Qualifiers – Qualifier events are seeded by PPA points.
Progressive Draws vs. Traditional Draws
Both types of draws are formatted and seeded as described above, but play is scheduled out differently. Progressive draws differ from traditional draws in that each day of play is devoted to a round of play (e.g., Wednesday is the round of 32) while traditional draws devote each day of play to a particular division (e.g., Thursday is men’s and women’s singles day).
This scheduling difference means that progression draws require two additional days of play and starting on Monday, while traditional draws start on Wednesday.
Progression draws are used at Slams and Cups, while traditional draws are used at Opens.
Slams and Cups (progression draw)
Each day includes all five pro divisions
Monday: Qualifiers
Tuesday: Round of 64
Wednesday: Round of 32
Thursday: Round of 16
Friday: Quarterfinals
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Finals
Opens (traditional draw)
Each day includes all rounds of play up until the final
Wednesday: Qualifiers
Thursday: Men’s and Women’s Singles
Friday: Mixed Doubles
Saturday: Men’s and Women’s Doubles
Sunday: Finals
PPA Tour Prize Money Breakdown
PPA Slam: Total = $1,195,260
Player Appearance Fees: $1,000,000
Player Stipends: $70,000
| Men’s Doubles | Women’s Doubles | Mixed Doubles | Men’s Singles | Women’s Singles | |
| Champion | $10000 | $10000 | $10000 | $3700 | $3700 |
| Runner-up | $5500 | $5500 | $5500 | $2035 | $2035 |
| Semifinalist | $2750 | $2750 | $2750 | $1018 | $1018 |
| Quarterfinalist | $1375 | $1375 | $1375 | $509 | $509 |
| Round 16 | $688 | $688 | $688 | $254 | $254 |
| 3rd Place Bonus | $500 | $500 | $500 | $165 | $165 |
PPA Cup: Total = $1,183,298
Player Appearance Fees: $1,000,000
Player Stipends: $70,000
| Men’s Doubles | Women’s Doubles | Mixed Doubles | Men’s Singles | Women’s Singles | |
| Champion | $9000 | $9000 | $9000 | $3330 | $3330 |
| Runner-up | $4950 | $4950 | $4950 | $1832 | $1832 |
| Semifinalist | $2475 | $2475 | $2475 | $916 | $916 |
| Quarterfinalist | $1238 | $1238 | $1238 | $458 | $458 |
| Round 16 | $619 | $619 | $619 | $229 | $229 |
| 3rd Place Bonus | $500 | $500 | $500 | $165 | $165 |
PPA Open: Total = $1,171,322
Player Appearance Fees: $1,000,000
Player Stipends: $70,000
| Men’s Doubles | Women’s Doubles | Mixed Doubles | Men’s Singles | Women’s Singles | |
| Champion | $8000 | $8000 | $8000 | $2960 | $2960 |
| Runner-up | $4400 | $4400 | $4400 | $1628 | $1628 |
| Semifinalist | $2200 | $2200 | $2200 | $814 | $814 |
| Quarterfinalist | $1100 | $1100 | $1100 | $407 | $407 |
| Round 16 | $550 | $550 | $550 | $204 | $204 |
| 3rd Place Bonus | $500 | $500 | $500 | $165 | $165 |
- Players are compensated according to what round they lose in.
- Non-PPA players will receive half of the listed amounts.
Senior Pro
Senior pros receive compensation determined by the number of participants in each division. The payout is calculated by multiplying the total number of players in a division by the event fee. 52.5% of this sum constitutes the overall prize money for the division. The distribution of this prize pool is as follows: the first-place finisher receives 55%, the second-place finisher receives 30%, and the third-place finisher receives the remaining 15
You Don't Have to Be a Pro to Play the PPA Tour
Whether you play singles or doubles, are new to the sport of pickleball or have been playing for years, the PPA Tour allows you to compete in brackets against players your same age and skill level at the nation’s most prestigious venues and alongside the top professionals in the game. Don’t miss your chance to Play Where the Pros Play™️ and experience the most electrifying professional tour in the sport of pickleball!