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Tournament Information - Minnesota Sanctioned Tournaments
Overview
Minnesota Parks and Recreation Association governs all state sanctioned pickleball in the Minnesota. All leagues, qualifiers, and the Minnesota State Tournament are sanctioned and governed by the MRPA. The state tournament is sanctioned by both the MRPA and USA Pickleball. The national tournament is governed and sanctioned by USA Pickleball. The Minnesota state tournament, any qualifying tournaments, and state sanctioned leagues are run and managed by Minnesota Pickleball, LLC. The national tournament is managed by USA Pickleball.
All gold medalists in the 2026 Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament are eligible for the 2026 national tournament in San Diego, CA.
Minnesota will sanction 30 divisions in 2026:
Men's (all age) (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, open)
Women's (all age) (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, open)
Mixed (all age) (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, open)
Men's (50+) (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, open)
Women's (50+) (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, open)
Mixed (50+) (3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, open)
All state sanctioned leagues and tournaments are hosted on public facilities.
Sanctioned State Tournament
Overview
The Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament is sanctioned by Minnesota Parks and Recreation Association in a partnership with Minnesota Pickleball, LLC, and dozens of park and recreation departments across Minnesota. The state tournament will be held August 27- August 30, 2026.
Residency
The Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament requires that at least one person per team have Minnesota residency. Proof of residency is required by one player per team.
Nationals
The Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament is sanctioned as a Tier-1 USA Pickleball sanctioned tournament. All gold medalists at a tier-1 USA Pickleball sanctioned tournament are eligible for the National Championship in November 2026, in San Diego California. The National Championship has 'waves' of registration windows. The first wave is for 'golden ticket' winners, the second for players eligible with enough points, and the rest are tiered by points. The Minnesota State tournament is not a golden ticket tournament. There are 7 golden ticket tournaments across the USA in 2026.
In the tiered point system for USA Pickleball, 4500 points are required to be 'eligible' for the National Championship. Gold medalists, in all divisions, in a tier-1 sanctioned tournament, like The Minnesota State Tournament, collect 6000 points and are automatically eligible for the second wave of registrations in the National Championship. To date, the past 17 National Championships have been able to accommodate every player in the first 2 waves of registrations. All gold medalists, in every division will be eligible to register in the second wave in 2026.
Divisions
The Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament is offering 30 sanctioned divisions for the 2026 season. Currently, all divisions are doubles, and singles are not offered in 2026.
The following divisions will be available for the state tournament and qualifying tournaments:
Men's Doubles (any age) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Men's Doubles (any age) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Men's Doubles (any age) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Men's Doubles (any age) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Men's Doubles (any age) - OPEN (any skill)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Women's Doubles (any age) - OPEN (any skill)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - OPEN (any skill)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Men's Doubles (50+) - OPEN (any skill)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Women's Doubles (50+) - OPEN (any skill)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - OPEN (any skill)
Format
Each of the 30 sanctioned divisions in the Minnesota State Tournament will use round robin play with top teams entering a single elimination bracket.
Each division can hold 48 teams, and pools will be created to consist of 0-9 teams. If there are 10 teams or more, multiple pools will be created to form pools of 5-9. ex: (10 teams = 2 pools of 5, 18 teams = 3 pools of six, 48 teams = 6 pools of 8, etc.). Tournament directors will make pools assignments based on state sanctioned point totals (see seeding section). 48 teams can be registered for each division, and the top 24 teams after pool play will be advanced to the bracket.
Pool Play: 1 game to 11/win by 2
Bracket (pre-semifinal): 1 game to 11/win by 2
Bracket Semi-Final: 1 game to 15/win by 2
Bracket Medals 2/3 games to 11/win by 2
Qualifying
Minnesota Pickleball offers 10 sanctioned tournaments throughout the season to qualify for the state tournament. These tournaments are classified as either a Teir-1 or Tier-2 state sanctioend qualifier.
Tier-1 state sanctioned qualifier:
12 teams allowed per division
Top 4 teams qualify for state (8 players)
Each player reserves their own spot at state and can use a different partner if they wish, or keep the same
1 player per team must be a Minnesota resident
All players collect state sanctioned points toward seeding in the state tournament
Tier-2 state sanctioned qualifier:
8 teams allowed per division
Top 3 teams qualify for state (6 players)
Each player reserves their own spot at state and can use a different partner if they wish, or keep the same
1 player per team must be a Minnesota resident
All players collect state sanctioned points toward seeding in the state tournament
Players may play in multiple qualifiers to collect as many points as possible for state seeding.
State sanctioned ladder leagues do not qualify players for state but they can collect 100 points per league night completed, with a maximum of 500 points per season. Those points would be added to any totals from qualifying tournament points. The total number of points at the end of the collection period (season) from tournaments and leagues would be calculated into a players total. See seeding section for state tournament seeding.
Ball
The official state sanctioned ball for the state tournament, all sanctioned qualifiers, and all state sanctioned ladder leagues will be the Franklin X-40
Pricing
All qualified players and their partners: $55.00
Non-qualified players w/ tournament points: $65.00
Non-qualified players w/ league points: $75.00
Non-qualified players w/ no sanctioned points: $95.00
Officiating
All medal matches at the Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament will be officiated by USA Pickleball certified officials
Cash Prizes
Minnesota Pickleball adds $1 per paid player in all sanctioned events for 2026 prior to the state tournament. This includes players that have participated in Qualifying tournaments
and eligible state leagues.
All sponsorship money (not merchandise) collected by Minnesota Pickleball for the 2026 season will be added to the cash prize purse at the state tournament.
All participants that receive cash prizes, regardless of amount, will need to complete a W-9 and will receive a 1099-MISC for all cash prizes.
The payouts for each division are based on total purse, and per team. Checks are issued to individual players at the tournament provided all paperwork has been completed.
Seeding and State Eligibility
Minnesota Pickleball seeds all players by total state points collected throughout a season. Points can be collected in either state sanctioned tournaments, or state sanctioned leagues. See the chart for tournament points above. League participants can collect 100 state points per league night completed, with a maximum of 500 points collected from all league play. All participants in a state sanctioned tournament will collect points. The amount of points collected is based on their final place in the tournament. All players must complete the tournament to be eligible for their points. All points collected are individual and not team based. Points do not automatically qualify players for the state tournament. Qualifying for the state tournament is based upon winning first, second, third, or fourth place, depending on the qualifier. State Points are used to seed players in the state tournament.
All players achieving 1st, 2nd, 3rd in a tier-1 qualifier, or 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in a tier-2 qualifier are automatically qualified for the state tournament and can register in the reserved registration window. Qualified players will be ranked in the top tier in the state tournament based on total state points.
Non-qualified players with state points will be allowed to register in the second reserved opening of the state tournament. These players will be ranked by points in the second tier of the state tournament. No 2nd tier player can exceed a tier-1 player regardless of points.
All players that have no sanctioned points are eligible for the 'open registration' period. They will be placed in tier 3 as un-ranked players (NR).
Note on Rule Governance: Tournament play follows the combined guidelines of USA Pickleball, Minnesota Parks and Recreation, and Minnesota Pickleball. The organizing entities reserve the right to amend these rules or make executive rulings on any matter not explicitly covered herein as deemed necessary for the success of the event.
Sanctioned Qualifiers
Overview
The Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament is sanctioned by Minnesota Parks and Recreation Association in a partnership with Minnesota Pickleball, LLC, and dozens of park and recreation departments across Minnesota. State qualifiers will be held on public property and open to the public. State qualifiers will directly qualify eligible players into the Minnesota State Tournament August 27- August 30, 2026.
Residency
There are no residency restrictions on local qualifiers. They are local tournaments open to the greater public, and also serve as a qualifier. All players rae welcome. Only the Minnesota State Pickleball tournament has residency restrictions.
Divisions
Minnesota qualifiers offer 30 sanctioned divisions for the 2026 season. Only tier-1 qualifiers will have all 30 divisions available, so check your local tournament for which divisions are offered. Currently, all divisions are doubles, and singles are not offered in 2026.
The following divisions will be available for the state tournament and qualifying tournaments:
Men's Doubles (any age) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Men's Doubles (any age) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Men's Doubles (any age) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Men's Doubles (any age) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Men's Doubles (any age) - OPEN (any skill)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Women's Doubles (any age) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Women's Doubles (any age) - OPEN (any skill)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Mixed Doubles (any age) - OPEN (any skill)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Men's Doubles (50+) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Men's Doubles (50+) - OPEN (any skill)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Women's Doubles (50+) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Women's Doubles (50+) - OPEN (any skill)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 3.0 (0.000 - 3.499)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 3.5 (3.500 - 3.999)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 4.0 (4.000 - 4.499)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - 4.5 (4.500 - 4.999)
Mixed Doubles (50+) - OPEN (any skill)
Format
Each of the 30 sanctioned divisions in state qualifiers will use round robin play with all teams entering a single elimination bracket.
Tournament directors can make slight adjustments for quality of play. Divisions could be combined for play, but medals, and state points will always be by divisions only. Every team will play in round robin matches, and all teams will advance to a single elimination bracket seeded by the results of round robin play in all state qualifiers.
Pool Play: 1 game to 11/win by 2
Bracket (pre-semifinal): 1 game to 11/win by 2
Bracket Semi-Final: 1 game to 15/win by 2
Bracket Medals 2/3 games to 11/win by 2
Tier-1 state sanctioned qualifier:
12 teams allowed per division
Top 4 teams qualify for state (8 players)
Each player reserves their own spot at state and can use a different partner if they wish, or keep the same
1 player per team must be a Minnesota resident
All players collect state sanctioned points toward seeding in the state tournament
Tier-2 state sanctioned qualifier:
8 teams allowed per division
Top 3 teams qualify for state (6 players)
Each player reserves their own spot at state and can use a different partner if they wish, or keep the same
1 player per team must be a Minnesota resident
All players collect state sanctioned points toward seeding in the state tournament
Players may play in multiple qualifiers to collect as many points as possible for state seeding.
Ball
The official state sanctioned ball for the state tournament, all sanctioned qualifiers, and all state sanctioned ladder leagues will be the Franklin X-40
Pricing
All state sanctioned tournaments are $35
The fee includes: Sanctioning fee to MRPA, tournament director compensation, host city fee, state tournament prize purse, software/equipment, and business costs
Sanctioned Leagues
Overview
The Minnesota State Pickleball Tournament is sanctioned by Minnesota Parks and Recreation Association in a partnership with Minnesota Pickleball, LLC, and dozens of park and recreation departments across Minnesota. State sanctioned ladder leagues will be held on public property and open to the public. State sanctioned ladder leagues are fun, friendly, and players can collect points toward seeding and eligibility in the Minnesota State Tournament August 27- August 30, 2026.
Residency
There are no residency restrictions on state leagues. They are open to the greater public, and also serve to collect state points if applicable All players are welcome. Only the Minnesota State Pickleball tournament has residency restrictions.
Ladder League Format
This is a structured, state sanctioned, ladder league. Players compete as individuals and pair up with multiple partners each session. Players will move up and down the 'ladder' based on their performance each week. Players are placed in pools based on their league rating and play same or similar skilled players each session. Results are calculated and posted on the Swish app, minnesotapickleball.com, and uploaded to the state of Minnesota.
Each week, players arrive and check in with the league coordinator. Once they are checked in, the Swish application will order them by league rating. There is no need to contact anyone if you cannot make it, only the players that show up and check in will be added to that week's ladder. In the first week, players will be ordered by DUPR, and if players do not have a DUPR, they will be ordered randomly. After the first week, all players are ordered by their league rating. League coordinators may adjust the order of the ladder from time to time to ensure competitive play.
Participants will need to set up a free DUPR account if they do not already have one, and download the Swish Sports app prior to the first session of play. Coordinators will be on site to help participants load the app if they are having difficulty. All information, and instructioned on how to do this will be sent out a week prior to the league starting.
Players are then separated into pools of 4 or 5 and play one game with each person in their pool.
Once that round is complete, the application will reconstruct the pools based on that nights results, and the players will play one more round with every player in their new pool.
Once that is over, the application takes all the results for the night, reconstructs the ladder, and posts it online for the next week, and in 24 hours, the app will post the up-to-date cumulative results.
Each session will take approximately 2-3 hours.
Every player receives 100 state points for every session complete with a maximum of 500 points allowed for league play.
No substitutions allowed for any reason. No exceptions.
Ball
The official state sanctioned ball for the state tournament, all sanctioned qualifiers, and all state sanctioned ladder leagues will be the Franklin X-40
Pricing
All state sanctioned leagues are $70
The fee includes: Sanctioning fee to MRPA, league director compensation, host city fee, state tournament prize purse, software/equipment, and business costs