FOLLOW RULES OF GOOD BEHAVIOUR
Avoid discrimination of any kind! Inappropriate and abusive language will NOT be tolerated! We are a recreational club. Good sportsmanship is the number one rule. Introduce yourself. We are a diverse group. Practice your Spanish, French, English or American Sign Language (ASL) when calling the score. Numbers in ASL are posted!
ENTRANCE
The courts are accessible around the back of the tennis courts by foot and bike
MEMBERSHIP FEES
PAY before PLAY Policy is in effect – Fee schedules are posted on website, signage or check with volunteers. See Court Collectors for cash payment. On-line Registration through the website: www.pickleballguayabitos.com Online payment is not available at this time.
DISCLAIMER
PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The Guayabitos Pickleball Club is not responsible for injuries that players may suffer when playing or using the facilities. The club is not responsible for the loss of personal belongings, paddles, clothing, bikes etc. Items from the lost and found will be disposed of or donated after one month.
DRESS CODE and GENERAL RULES
Appropriate sportswear and court shoes are expected. For safety purposes, eye protection is highly recommended. No Smoking in the area!!!
PLAYER LEVELS
Players are self-rated. Level of play rating guides are posted at the courts and on the website. Be realistic about your physical abilities as they relate to the skills listed.
A General Rule is if the ball is always played to you and you are consistently only scoring a couple of points or you lose two games in a row, this may be an indication that you are playing at the wrong level. “Playing Up” doesn’t give the other players at that level the opportunity to have competitive play especially when the courts are busy and there is an increased waiting period. Please be considerate of everyone’s game.
PADDLE RACKING RULES
1. Place the paddle on the rack under the appropriate level of play. Having your name on your paddle is mandatory at registration. Follow the signage for order of play indicating first and next up sequence. Be ready to play when your turn is approaching with a ball in hand. When calling out names, please note that there are several players that are Deaf.
2. If you want to move your paddle to mix up the rotation, move it to the end of the queue or hold off placing your paddle in the queue until another group has come off and placed their paddles.
3a. If there are less than 8 paddles on the rack, the winners will remain on the court and can choose if they want to separate or continue to play together. Two new players will join the new game. Winners can only play two consecutive games. Losers leave the court regardless. Protocol is usually that winners place their paddles in the rack first if all four players leave the court.
3b. Alternatively, when there are 8 or more paddles on the rack, then all 4 players leave the court and place their paddles in either the Gold queue (winners) or Silver queue (losers). It is up to the host to determine when a “reset” takes place on a specific court, meaning all players must exit that court when their game is done. When dividing into gold and silver because of 8 or more paddles waiting in the queue, the first 4 paddles stay, and the second 4 move to silver so that they remain in the queue to play second.
4. Court Flexing - When a level has 8 or more paddles than another level, that group will get the next available court (flex). All courts can be used as flex courts for the purpose of ensuring fair and equal play for all levels of players. The host will try their best to get equal play time. Alternating level of play on the courts will be left to the discretion of the host.
5. Games are played to 11, win by two unless all six courts are being used then games are played to a hard 11; however, when there are 12 paddles on the rack in one area OR 24 paddles in total of all levels on the rack, games will be played to a hard 9. A sign will be posted by the arrow and the host will provide guidance when this takes place.
6. Beginner and Novice Play: Please restrict training or play times to approximately 20 minutes (average play times) during the busiest times to allow for fair court time distribution for everyone. The Court Host will help facilitate this level of play and find partners if needed.
7. Flags: When heading to a court, one person takes a flag (designated colour for level) to the court. Tuck the flag into the fence side (closest to the host) to indicate that the game is almost done (9/11 or 7/9). Take the flag down when the game is completed and bring it back to the paddle area.
GROUP STACKING
● Stacking is used when 4 players choose to play together.
● There is no limit to the number of times a group can stack.
● Stacking is only permitted if there are at least 8 players present in that level, NOT racked paddles!
● All 4 players must be off the court in order to stack.
● Place the stacking marker/noodle on one paddle and place it on the rack in the queue.
● The remaining 3 paddles go in the basket below so not all paddles have to be moved in the queue.
● * If there are not 4 paddles before the stacked group, the paddle/s after the stacked group must be moved forward to complete the next group up.
REMINDER: BOARD MEMBERS ARE ALSO PICKLEBALL PLAYERS JUST WANTING TO HAVE FUN. PLEASE USE THE WEBSITE FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. www.pickleballguayabitos.com
Note: Court Hosts have the authority to ask players to leave the courts if rules are not adhered to. Rude or obnoxious behavior will not be tolerated. The Board has the right to revoke membership privileges at any time. Please respect the role and decisions of the host related to court allocations, paddle rotations and game formats. It is not an easy task when wait times between games become excessive and cooperation and compliance by all is needed. Playing at less busier times is always an option.