Triple Team Pickleball, formerly known as NTPL, has a proven model for league success if you’ve got a court, a roster of players, and a desire to grow your pickleball program. This fast-growing, team-based league is designed with clubs in mind, offering a flexible but structured format that elevates competitive play while building community. Whether you’re a private facility, social club, or public venue, you can host a league that feeds directly into the national Triple Team tournament pathway and can help improve your bottom line and strengthen your club.
All leagues are required to have a minimum of four teams in any particular division and six matches during the season. Don’t worry, there is some flexibility for teams joining later in the season who might not have time to get in six matches. Triple Team provides all the behind-the-scenes necessities such as software scheduling, DUPR tracking, live scoring, and roster management. They also provide format guides, scoring sheets, FAQs, and sample contracts so you can focus on getting your league off the ground and letting the fun begin!
Laurie Lambert, National Program Manager for Triple Team Pickleball League, says Triple Team realizes every area and club is different, so each club maintains control of pricing, membership integration, and court fees. “You know your club and members best!” League coordinators also vary, with some being club pros and others simply being enthusiastic players who want more competition. There are no set qualifications; just an eagerness to get involved. And all coordinators are connected to Triple Team for organizational support.
A key component of Triple Team is the calendar of regularly scheduled matches for the entire season at participating clubs. Most levels play once a week. Consistent play keeps members engaged and improving while playing at neighboring clubs helps to grow club visibility and in turn, revenue.
“We’ve found this model encourages play across clubs, helping to expand the pickleball community and competition,” Laurie says. She adds another bonus is that these scheduled matches help to monetize underused court time, promote memberships and coaching as players schedule lessons to help improve their game and their team.
League play is based on a team-based structure of three pairs per team who compete in three rounds per match based on their DUPR ratings, age and gender with mixed competition available as well. The best part is all teams are guaranteed three rounds of play.
National Tournament Director Jeremy Horner says rotating through teams and players in this manner is a large component in creating the team feel. “Since players can rotate through and take breaks, as one team comes off the court, we see a lot of discussion as to what to watch out for, weaknesses in the other team and overall strategy discussion,” Horner says. “Points aren’t attributed to individual players but the team overall, meaning those who communicate and work together best typically come out on top.”
The 12-15 week spring season is the road to nationals! Through regional and state play, the top team heads to the national competition in either Richmond, VA and Dallas, TX in the fall. There, all teams are guaranteed four matches in a round robin style. Jeremy recommends players bring extra team members to rotate in as this is very competitive play in a short amount of time.
“It is so fun seeing the team spirit and camaraderie at the tournament,” Laurie says. “So many teams had coordinating outfits and took such pride in their home state. While Triple Team arranges the tournaments and blocks of rooms etc., teams took the time to plan their travel to coordinate and were all extremely engaged the entire weekend. It’s really fun to watch.” The well-established Triple Team Pickleball League makes it easy to become a part of with a roster of built-in support that grows revenue, player retention and overall energy to your club. Most importantly, it gives your players something to strive for and a way to continue to grow their passion for the sport. And that is a win-win for everyone!
