Pickleball Tournament

The City of Arcata, in partnership with the Humboldt Bay Pickleball Club, is excited to host its first-ever Beginner Pickleball Tournament on November 15 & 16, 2025  at the Arcata Community Center. This event is designed to welcome beginner, advanced beginner, and newer players into tournament play in a fun, supportive, and community-focused setting.

Tournament Format:

Each division will begin with a round robin that will inform a seeded single elimination bracket.

  • Saturday, November 15: Mixed Doubles
  • Sunday, November 16: Women’s Doubles (morning) and Men’s Doubles (afternoon)

Tournament Rules:

This tournament will follow the official USA Pickleball rule book unless otherwise noted.

  • All games will use traditional side-out scoring
  • Round robin games will be scored to 11, win by 1. Round robin games will also "drop dead" at 15 minutes with the victor being whoever has the highest score.
  • Bracket play will have games played to 11, win by 2. 
  • All games will be self-officiated and reported to the scoring table. 

Divisions:

Divisions are split by age, gender, and skill level. Saturday will be mixed doubles and Sunday will be women's followed by men's. See the registration page for approximated times each division will commence. (Players must be at least 12 years old to participate) 

  • 2.5 Under 65
  • 2.5 Over 65
  • 3.0 Under 65
  • 3.0 Over 65

Divisions are self-assigned and honor based. Skill rating definitions can be found on the USA Pickleball website. If you are below a 2.5 rating but understand the basic rules and scoring of pickleball, you may "play up" into that division. 

Further reading on player self-assessment can be found at on Selkirk's website, and a short free online quiz is available at pickleballskillquiz.com.

Awards and Prizes:

Each division's winners will receive custom medals and t-shirts. event shirts will be available for purchase. 

Registration Details:

  • Team Fee: $50 per team (covers both players)
  • Each team consists of two players.
  • You must have your partner selected before registering — we will not be forming teams.
  • Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.
  • Registrations are capped, but waitlists will be taken in case of drop-outs. In-person registration will be available on the day of play only if space remains.

Click here to register for the tournament!