MasterLeague

How it works

Rotating Partner Doubles

Play on courts of 4–6 players of similar ability. Groups are based on DUPR ratings by default, with organisers able to quickly make manual adjustments as needed.

The format provides for court movement for the top and bottom player on each court in each round of a session, with the prescribed length of games set based on the available time. It also accommodates up to seven players if there is only one court.

Unified Standings

Results at any participating venue count towards all global tables, which can be filtered by venue, sex, or rating band.

No matter where you play, your match results also contribute to a global Club table. Updating your nominated club affects all matches going forward.

Court Movement

Top performers move up, while bottom performers move down between rounds — keeping competition close and rewarding strong play.

Origins

MasterLeague is the first and largest pickleball league in New Zealand. Since 2021 the format and points structure have continued to evolve, with the format now accommodating doubles, singles, pairs and club tables.

The MasterLeague points formula considers:

Player ratings — Higher-rated courts yield more potential points.
Best round performance — Personal best round serves as the baseline, protecting occasional participants.
Win/loss record — Stronger track records advance players up the standings.
AWOL penalties — Applied for missed events without withdrawing. Penalties diminish logarithmically over time as participation increases.

Current year-to-date (YTD) and quarter-to-date (QTD) player points are based on each player's personal best round, and nett win/loss differential to date, less any AWOL deduction.

The formula yields varying potential points depending on the average skill rating of the court. Playing on a higher-rated court gives everyone on it more earning potential.

Average Skill Rating	Potential Player Points (±1)
2.0	15
2.5	25
3.0	35
3.5	50
4.0	65
4.5	80
5.0	100
5.5	120

Overlapping Points Potential

Court placement does not limit earning potential. A player who wins every game on a given court will earn about the same MasterLeague points as a player who wins two thirds as many points on a court with an average skill rating 0.5 higher.

Similarly, a player who wins three out of four games will earn about the same as a player who wins half their games on a court rated 0.5 higher.

Club Points

Club points are based on the proportion of MasterLeague rotating-doubles points won by players from each club, using the MasterLeague formula at the index 5.0 player skill rating. This means club points are not dependent on the skill level of a club’s members.