Tournaments can sign up players faster with secure online registration and payment processing, which is less work for the tournament registrar. Players are able to register online and manage their own registrations. Players receive a confirmation email that their registration was received, payment was received, confirmation of partner assignment(s).
Manual Registration Processing:
Tournaments can sign up players with paper registration forms and enter player registration information into the system manually. (Not recommended due to time involved, inability to check for registration/event status and risk of transcription errors.) Players receive a confirmation email that their registration was received, payment was received and confirmation of partner assignment(s).
Import of Registrations Processing:
Tournament player registration is processed using another registration system or method. The tournament registrar or designate provides all required player registration information to Pickleball Tournaments LLC via an excel spreadsheet. Depending on the format of the information the tournament may need to manually address registration issues within the system after the import. Players receive a confirmation email that their registration was received, payment was received and confirmation for partner assignment(s).
Required player registration information for Import of Registration Processing: First Name, Last Name, DOB, Gender, Event Name, Event Sub-Category, Skill Level, Partner Name or if Partner needed, Partner Skill Level, Including Registration Fees is optional.
Advertise Your Tournament Only:
List your tournament on pickleballtournaments.com to increase exposure and/or participation in your tournament. Some restrictions may apply. * Please contact info@pickleballtournaments.com
Create Your Tournament:
Create your tournament on pickleballtournaments.com. Your tournament will be deactivated in 2 days after creating it if Advertising Your Tournament Only or Tournament Management System Access and Use services not purchased.
Tournament Management System Access and Use:
Advertises your tournament on pickleballtournaments.com
Create brackets and charts for the tournament. Supports decisions on bracket merging, seeding and scheduling.
Manage tournament operations with access to:
Check-in desk: check in players to the tournament Event Desk: print score sheets and enter results Court Desk: assign players to courts and allows for the assigning of referees to a court Referee Desk: put all referees working a tournament in to the system and assign a referee to a court (match)
Remote support provided by info@pickleballtournaments.com before, during and after your tournament.
Your tournament will be visible on our system 1 year after the tournament completes, but locked 30 days after your tournament closes to prevent accidental updates when managing other tournaments. If there is a requirement to have portions of the tournament unlocked after 30 days of the tournament closing please contact us at info@pickleballtournaments.com
Custom Services:
If you have needs for your tournament that are not covered in our description of services please contact us at info@pickleballtournaments.com. We love this game and want to do all we can to help fellow Pickleball lovers, fanatics, and addicts with their Pickleball tournament needs!!
Fee Schedule:
Player Registration Processing (Online, Manual, Import and Online Payment Services):
$2.00 per player
$4.00 per player if paying using our online payment services, ie. Credit Card
Important: It is recommended, when possible, to add the processing fee in to the player registration fee. This allows the tournament to receive the full amount of the registration fee without costing the tournament an extra cent.
Advertise Your Tournament Only:
$100
Create Your Tournament:
$20
*Cost to create your tournament will be credited toward your Tournament System Access and Use fee if you use the Tournament Management System to manage your tournament.
Tournament System Access and Use (Non Sanctioned Tournaments):
1–100 players or registrants: $50
101-200 players or registrants: $150
201-400 players or registrants: $250
401-500 players or registrants: $350 501-600 players or registrants: $500
601+ players or registrants: email us at info@pickleballtournaments.com
Tournament System Access and Use (Sanctioned Tournaments): 1–100 players or registrants: $25
101-200 players or registrants: $100
201-400 players or registrants: $200
401-500 players or registrants: $300
501-600 players or registrants: $450
601+ players or registrants: email us atinfo@pickleballtournaments.com
*Pricing subject to change. Any changes to our pricing will be announced at least 90 days in advance on pickleballtournaments.com
Payment:
Pickleball Tournaments LLC will invoice the tournament within 5 business days of the tournament closing. The tournament will be required to send a check, make an online payment or provide credit card payment over the phone within 10 business days of receiving an invoice to avoid any additional fees.
Advertise Your Tournament Only is not activated till payment is received. Payments may be made using our online payment service.
Create Your Tournament is not activated till payment is received. Payments may be made using our online payment service.
We look forward to providing you a quality service with outstanding support to help ensure your tournament is a success!!
How Do I Get Started:
Go to pickleballtournaments.com and on the left side of the Home page, select Click here to see our services and fees, then select Getting Started then select click here to set up your tournament
If you had a tournament last year and this tournament is similar (basically the same events, waiver, and format);
consider sending us an email and requesting us to 'clone' the tournament with the new date.
For testing and teaching purposes, we can also create a complete copy of a tournament (it must be one you own).
Click this button to create your tournament and user authorization.
No buttons. You are already signed in
This will go thru a step-by-step basic tournament setup. It does not setup
all the features, only for a basic tournament. All features are available thru
the Tournament parameters once the tournament is created.
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS OR WANT US TO DO THE SETUP. WE WILL! JUST EMAIL A DRAFT
REGISTRATION FORM AND FLYER AND WE'LL DO THE SETUP TO GET YOU STARTED.
After creating the tournament, sign-in and click Public Pages then (-->) Welcome Page (RegOpen) to view the tournament information page.
Verify all the information. If anything needs to be corrected, use the Tournament --> EZsetup to change the information.
You may also use the other Tournament selections to add/change the information.
On your tournament information page, click the registration button and register for your tournament to verify the setup is correct.
Read the steps under Documentation-->Player Registration to learn about manual registration procedures.
When your tournament is open for registrations:
Monitor your registrations daily:
Use Log Files-->Player to view regisrtation activity
When payments/registration received view and update players
When registrations are closed, follow the steps under Documentation-->Event Management to create your brackets and charts
It is your responsibility for posting links about your tournament on
other pickleball websites. This site is independent from all pickleball
organizations. We do not automatically post any information on their sites.
For posting you may use the following:
http://www.pickleballtournaments.com - the
general address for this site
http://www.pickleballtournaments.com/welcome.pl?tid=n - your tournament
specific information page where "n" is your tournament id.
http://www.pickleballtournaments.com/welcome.pl?name=short - same as above
but "short" is the abbreviation name for your tournament.
1. Internet Access: This is NOT a stand-alone application. It is a web-based service which requires an internet connection whether thru a land-line (DSL or cable) or wireless.
2. Web Browsers: We test for compatibility against Internet Explorer,
Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.
We do use and require browser "cookies". The best solution is to enable
this site as a trusted site, so that cookies and pop-windows are allowed.
Some anti-virus software may cause problems or inhibit some features by
blocking pop-ups.
2. A "Windows" based computer is required for tournament desk operations
on the computer that will
print "full" scoresheets.
For printing scoresheets, a windows application is installed to poll the internet for pending scoresheets from any computers at this venue.
Multiple computers may be used for player check-in and score entry, but they do not require their own printers for printing scoresheets. All scoresheets from all computers for the venue are printed on the single printer.
For non-windows situations or where you cannot install the scoresheet
spooler, an option is available at the desk to print mini-scoresheets with
match information and places for the results. These could be printed on the
back of pre-printed scoresheets for identification and result entry.
3. Printers
The printer is your choice whether laser, dor matrix, or color.
"Large Format" printers are now available at reasonable costs for printing on paper larger than 8 1/2 x 11.
Recommendations:
Computer mouse: This system is designed to work with a mouse for selections. Other equivalient devices are sufficient, but the keyboard alone would be clumsy.
Laptop computers: Either laptop computers and/or battery backup for tournament operations in case of power outages. Remember, if network hubs, printers, or other hardware is used, it must have battery backup since they do not have a battery. Beware of power consumption on some laser printers.
Computer size: At least a 15 inch screen and equivalent keyboard. Although there are small notebook computers under $300, from experience, the keyboards and screens are too small.
As mentioned in previous topics, this is a very large system with many
portions.
Do you have to use it all?
No. Use what fits you. We do not recommend using
the system just to enter names and create charts. There are many other
alternatives on the web for doing this task.
Here are typically scenarios?
A) Manually enter registrations, create brackets, and print charts.
Although tedious for entering registration
information, you don't have to enter everything but at least their name,
birthdate or age, email address, and events. This at least allows you to send
confirmations, run reports, verify rating information, and dynamically create
brackets based on skills or age groups.
We do not recommend having events that are skill or
age specific, the system was designed to fill brackets based skill and the
doubles partner's information. Instead of events such as Men's Doubles 3.5 and
Men's Doubles 4.0, you simply have Men's Doubles and create brackets for 3.5 and
4.0 based on the players skill levels. The same apply to age groups. In fact,
you do not need separate registration items for groups such as juniors UNLESS
they have different fees.
B) Online registration, create brackets, and print charts.
This is the recommended minimum. Same as A but with online registrations. The players
still mail in registration form, signed waiver, and fees, but the administrative tasks shifts
to problem solving rather than bulk entry. Even using our printed registration
form, I haven't had any problem with any existing tournaments not taking the
form with their waiver text and the monies to them.
Online registrations can also automatically add
discounts, add fees, apply deadlines, and other features.
C) A/B and entering results at the end of the day.
This is a common scenario if internet isn't
available at the tournament site. This also reduces the complications of
learning the desk portion. On the day of the tournament, you run things the same
as before. The primary complication is if you change the charts on the fly. The
system doesn't adjust to this. The charts are not simple documents that can be
edited. If postings are incorrect for the loser's matches, some adjustments can
be made.
D) A/B with EVENT DESK
In this scendario, you have internet at the
tournament. Scoresheets are printed and results entered. This provides live web
updates and when the day is complete, everything is already in the system. Since
the system is printing scoresheets for new matches, there are no charting
errors. Of course incorrectly marked sheets or entry can result in problems, but
they can be fixed.
E) A/B/D with CHECK-IN DESK
The check-in desk is optional. The Event Desk
portion will run regardless of whether the players are checked in or not. The
Check-In Desk allows you to keep of record each day or who has checked in,
whether the registrants have received their items, and whether a waiver or fees
need to be collected from the player(s). From the Event Desk, you can check if
all players have checked in for an event.
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS
-) COURT DESK
This is an addition to (D) above. The 'Court Desk'
is a separate window similar to the Event Desk and is used to monitor court
usage and easily assign courts to matches. Courts may be assigned via the Event
Desk, but the Court Desk uses the SYSID. The display from the court desk may
also be used to directly drive an external monitor for display of the courts.
-) BILLBOARD SYSTEM
This is a independent display system for showing
tournament information which can include current court assignments, match
results, advertising, and more. It requires a separate computer and the computer
display is used to drive one or more displays.
-) BARCODES
Barcodes are now provided as an option on the
scoresheets. This provides an easy method of entering the SYSIDs for matches
rather than typing or clicking to enter the id. Simple USB barcode scanners
provide input as an additinal keyboard and are available on the web for less
than $30. The simplied barcode is "Code 3 of 9" or "Code39" and is a
standard code.
-) VOLUNTEER SYSTEM
There is a separate portion of the system for
keeping a record of volunteers and maintaining schedules. Players can be added
to this database based on their volunteer options and non-players can register
online. This is typically used for large larger tournament and requires an
additional authorization not normally enabled for first time users.
-) DOWNLOAD and IMPORT
The system does provide features to download player
information and also the ability to import player information. The
authorizations are available upon request.
Setup requires all the information you should have if you've created a registration form and flyer for the tournament.
Here's a list of the common items:
Tournament Title
Tournament Dates
Hosting organization website
Tournament Location (address, city)
Contact Person (name, phone, email)
Minimum entry age
Liability waiver
Registration dates (opening date, early registration date, final registration date, cancellation deadline)
Registration fess (early fee, total fee)
Does registration include anything free (t-shirt?)?
Default skill level for players entering w/o
Date used for calculating player's age (tournament date or last day of year)
Events (which events, play dates, event fee, by skill or age group)
How events are played (double elimination, round robin, drop-flight)
Event Information
General tournament paragraph
Email confirmation message
Cancellation policy
Mailing address
For first time users, we recommend you work up a draft flyer and registration
form with all the necessary info. By doing the flyer and form, you come up with
the basic information for us to use to create the tournament. Given the two, we
can usually setup the tournament for you and create a userid for access. We
might also come up with some questions about things you may have missed on the
forms.
With the initial setup, you can then sign-in, try things out, including
online registration, and verify operation before going live for registrations.
This is by far the quickest way to get started.
Manual: Players use paper registration forms and you manually enter the information into the system.
br>
Partial: Players register online, print out their registration form, sign the waiver, and mail with payment.
This is the most common and eliminates the entry of most of the registration information.
Total: Players register, sign their waiver online, and make payment via PayPal.
The manual registration process is always available for entry and correction of previous registrations.
The manual process also allows additional features and options not provided to online registrant.
Based on your PayPal
account, this may require the player to use a PayPal account or additionally allow credit
card payments without a PayPal account. This is controlled via PayPal and your
account. Your PayPal account is identified with
registered via an email address.
When the tournament is configured with PayPal for payments, you have the
following options:
Receive an email for every PayPal notification message. This can be sent
to any email address, independent of the PayPal account email address.
Have 'Completed' payments automatically posted to the player's
information. Other payment notifications must be handled manually.
Optionally indicate that payments are allowed via credit cards without a
PayPal account. This changes the buttons and information displayed so the
player better understands their options.
Currency used by PayPal.
Online handling fee (fixed amount or percentage). PayPal may restrict
whether this is allowed.
Use of the PayPal sandbox for testing. Via PayPal you can create a test
account and run transactions against this test server.
With PayPal there were some integration issues and returning to
pickleballtournaments.com. For this reason, PayPal is opened in a separate
window for the user to complete their payment.
Bluepay
Bluepay is a credit card processing service. Compared to PayPal, you pay a
monthly service fee to Bluepay with a very small transaction fee.
When the tournament is configured with BluePay for payments, you have the
following options:
Receive an email for every Bluepay notification message. This can be sent
to any email address, independent of the Bluepay email address.
Have 'Completed' payments automatically posted to the player's
information. Other payment notifications must be handled manually.
Online handling fee (fixed amount or percentage). This is added to the
amount due when passed to BluePay but recorded as a transaction fee cost in
pickleballtournaments.com.
Ability to mark transactions as 'TEST' transactions and run through the
real account prior to going live.
BluePay can be configured to send the customer a receipt and/or you a
receipt for a tranaction independent of the notification email in
pickelballtournaments.com
The integration is tighter with BluePay. The online user is kept in the
same window and when complete, they return to pickleballtournaments.com
summary page where they started.
In your tournament configuration, you may provide your own specific 'Waiver'
text; otherwise, a default waiver clause is used. "Waiver" must be set to Yes in
the operating parameters, for this text to appear on the registration form.
When a player completes their registration, an online waiver option is also
available. This is a tournament option.
The player must "sign" the waiver to check out. Once done, the player is not
required to "sign" again if future changes are made to their registration.
NOTICE: ONLINE WAIVERS ARE NOT UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED. IT IS YOUR
RESPONSIBILITY TO VERIFY IF THEY ARE LEGAL IN YOUR AREA.
Throughout the registration period, you can monitor the events and event groupings.
This can be done without actually creating what we'll refer to as "player brackets" or simply "brackets".
Maybe some terminology may be helpful:
Event: A basic play item for the tournament, ie Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, Mixed Doubles, etc.
Play Bracket: A play group within a particular event, such as Men's Doubles 50-54 or Women's Doubles 3.0.
Play brackets consist of the group of players/teams that will compete against each other to determine a winner.
When registration is closed, the following are the normal steps:
Final registration changes (matching partners, posting player lists)
Ratings verification
Initial Bracket creation: This places teams/players into the expected groupings for seeding purposes.
Seeding: placing teams in order according to their expected finish.
Bracket spliting: Some large tournaments split large groups to award a second set of medals.
First round checks so players don't immediately play players from their
own club, state, or partner in another event.
Final Bracket drawing
Charts Supported
We currently support the following chart types:
Single Elimination - up to 16 teams
Double Elimination - up to 64 teams (top seed vs bottom seed)
Double Elimination - up to 64 teams (top seed vs middle seed)
Double Elimination w/drop-down and consolation for more than 14 teams
Round Robin - up to 16 teams
Custom charts are available: Basically any chart
where the winner and loser proceed to following matches can be configured.
Currently not programmed to handle matches where a player is possible from two
different preceeding matches.
Bracket Splitting
All bracket splitting is done after the initial seeding. The seed numbers
determine which teams go into which brackets. Two options are cupported:
Split into two smaller brackets - This divides an existing bracket into
two smaller brackets for play. These brackets DO NOT merge back together for
a single set of medals.
Pool Brackets - This divides an existing bracket into multiple smaller
brackets and optionally a winners bracket for the winners. You specify the
number of pools, charts, and teams in the optional winners bracket. The
seedings are spread across the pools evenly. Example: seed 1 in pool 1, seed
2 in pool 2, seed 3 in pool 3, etc... After playing the pools, a final
seeding is done on the winners bracket to specify which teams play and in
which position. The system DOES NOT automatically decide who flows from the
pools to the winners bracket.
For any tournament director, the largest challenges are:
For each day, will we get everything scheduled completed
How much time will each bracket take
When should each bracket start
Schedule so that once a bracket it starts, it has a good flow and
players don't wait inordinate amounts of time between matches.
In the early days, many tournaments were run starting the oldest or youngest
age groups and then proceeding through the day in the order of the age groups.
This is fine if you have plenty of courts and the groups are relatively small.
In today's larger tournaments, the middle age groups are typically your largest
and if they aren't started first, they may never complete.
THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY CREATE THE SCHEDULE.
WHAT IT DOES DO:
During registration, you can continuously run reports of the teams in
all events.
During registration, you can get time estimates for each event and
proposed brackets with daily court time totals. This gives you an estimate
of the time required and potential schedule.
After creating the brackets:
Event estimates based on the actual brackets. In many cases,
brackets are merged or split for the tournament and estimates can now be
made on the actual numbers in each bracket. In some cases round robin is
played instead of double elimination, or other changes. These estimates
are made using the actual play brackets and bracket layout.
Graphical representation of the day's play and estimates when each
match will start given the event start times and and priority of events.
Given parameters (match estimates times, start times, venue, number of
courts), the system shows when each match will play, sometimes waiting
for previous match results and reveals when each bracket will complete
and eventually the day. You can experiment with different start times
and court restrictions and view the results. At the end, you can apply
the selected start times to the system tables for posting with the
tournament schedule report.
AGAIN, THESE ARE ESTIMATES. IN ACTUAL TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE, OTHER ITEMS
AFFECT HOW A TOURNAMENT FLOWS:
Desk operations: scheduling and announcing of the next matches
Length of match play: as play continues in a bracket, it typically gets
more competitive and matches last longer.
If you have computers with internet and printers available at the actual play location, the following can be done:
Player Check-In: Upon arrival each day, players check-in. Benefits:
Verification of player identity and birthdate
Collection of outstanding payments and waiver
Players are given tournament check-in items
Optionally told the court to report to if they are playing in a first round match.
Reports of players who did or did not check-in
Event Desk:
Event and match result entry
With Check-In desk, whether all players have checked-in.
Printing of match score sheets. The default score sheet format is with boxes
rather than the USAPA format, but format files for the USAPA score sheets are
provided and you can customize your score sheets if desired.
Recording of match scores and winners
Court Desk: Court management
With Event desk, maintains current court assignments
Displays
With the Event and Court Desks, this provides tournament information, including:
Current Court Assignments
Match Results
Upcoming matches
The displays are displayed using a PC connected to one or more monitors or TVs with the correct connections for the PC (VGA, HDMI, Video).
Multiple displays may be used with the same or different information.
What equipment is required for a tournament?
All PCs require web access. The system does not run standalone. Only the computer with the scoresheet printer is required to run Windows.
A minimum of one PC with a printer for each venue event desk. This computer is required to be a Windows PC since it will run software to print the scoresheets. This is the only software installed. All other computers and operations only require a web browser.
The printer prints all scoresheets for the tournament desk regardless of the computer used for entering the results.
For a simple tournament with 4-6 courts, this computer and printer may be all that is required to enter results and print new scoresheets.
This computer may be used for check-in prior to any match results, but the user could switch between windows to handle results and check-ins.
Check-ins are not required to run the brackets. A player not checking-in will hold up match play.
Optional: Additional PCs may be used for check-in so that it is independent of the computer entering results.
After check-in's are completed, this may be used to enter results in addition to the first computer. The results will print on the same printer as the primary PC.
For large tournaments with 16-20 courts, it may be adviseable to have 2 check-in computers to handle the busy first check-ins of the tournament.
Optional: A PC for court assignments (Court Desk).
Optional: A minimum of one PC for each set of displays (a set of displays is one or more monitors displaying the same information via a signal splitter).
Optional equipment:
Barcode scanner for event desk and court desk computers.
Large format printer for 11x17 tabloid size paper for larger charts.
Battery backup in case of power failuer.
Wireless hot-spot for sharing wireless connection.
We highly advise you to test and verify everything: registration, payments,
your printers, your internet connection, and everything else. If we're helping
at a large tournament, we do this every time. Although we test all
improvements, the system is so large, it is impractical to test all
permutations.
For the latest information new features and fixes, click "System Updates" on the menu. Look at this
report, it's almost a daily log of activity and changes. This indicates an
active system and something not carved in stone. Improvements are ongoing and
come from our users to help them with their tournaments. DO NOT be afraid to
ask about an improvement or change. Some are easy, some are not; but they may
also help others too. We do try to avoid changes during active tournaments.
Each tournament is separate from all other tournaments. Information is
not shared between tournaments. (Separate locations on the server)
Each user has a separate authorization for particular tournaments. For
each user, they may have different authorizations for each tournament.
Master Player Database where players maintain their personal
information is separate from all tournaments. Their information is available
to tournaments, if and only if, they have selected to have their information
public.
On tournament reports, only the necessary player information is
displayed.
Once a player has updated their profile with a password, this password
must be supplied to view the information.
A) The is online documentation, how-tos, and FAQs for common operations
Q) What about training?
A) Usually for new users, we can arrange training over the phone for registration and pre-tournament support. If volunteers are used to manage the tournament desk, we've found on-site training is sufficient if an experienced supervisor is available. In all cases, it is extremely easier if the users are computer literate. This doesn't mean a guru, just familiar with regular operations: mouse, window usage, and printer operations.
Q) I'm running a tournament and something goes wrong?
A) With prior arrangements, we can be onhand via phone to help with issues. This is also a reason for working live on the internet. We can monitor and provide support.
Q) Who has access to my tournament information?
A) Only the users you have authorized and a few "super" users. The "super" users have authorization to all tournaments to help solve issues and provide support if any person is lost. They do not disclose your tournament information without your permission.
Q) How long will the charts be available on the web?
A) Storage space on the web has been virtually free. Currently there is no time limit on how tournament information will be available. The resulting charts are available as web pages and may be copied to another web site.
Q) Can I download/upload my player information?
A) Authorized users can download selected player and event information in a delimited file. Similarly there is an import cabability for tournaments that provide registration on another website and wish to upload the minimum information to avoid re-entry.
If you had a tournament last year and this tournament is similar (basically the same events, waiver, and format);
consider sending us an email and requesting us to 'clone' the tournament with the new date.
For testing and teaching purposes, we can also create a complete copy of a tournament (it must be one you own).
Click this button to create your tournament and user authorization.
This will go thru a step-by-step basic tournament setup. It does not setup
all the features, only for a basic tournament. All features are available thru
the Tournament parameters once the tournament is created.
IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS OR WANT US TO DO THE SETUP. WE WILL! JUST EMAIL A DRAFT
REGISTRATION FORM AND FLYER AND WE'LL DO THE SETUP TO GET YOU STARTED.
After creating the tournament, sign-in and click Public Pages then (-->) Welcome Page (RegOpen) to view the tournament information page.
Verify all the information. If anything needs to be corrected, use the Tournament --> EZsetup to change the information.
You may also use the other Tournament selections to add/change the information.
On your tournament information page, click the registration button and register for your tournament to verify the setup is correct.
Read the steps under Documentation-->Player Registration to learn about manual registration procedures.
When your tournament is open for registrations:
Monitor your registrations daily:
Use Log Files-->Player to view regisrtation activity
When payments/registration received view and update players
When registrations are closed, follow the steps under Documentation-->Event Management to create your brackets and charts
It is your responsibility for posting links about your tournament on
other pickleball websites. This site is independent from all pickleball
organizations. We do not automatically post any information on their sites.
For posting you may use the following:
http://www.pickleballtournaments.com - the
general address for this site
http://www.pickleballtournaments.com/welcome.pl?tid=n - your tournament
specific information page where "n" is your tournament id.
http://www.pickleballtournaments.com/welcome.pl?name=short - same as above
but "short" is the abbreviation name for your tournament.
For large tournaments that have their own registration and payment system, we
can do a data transfer of information. This allows them to handle registrations
and then PickleballTournaments.com can be used for management of the tournament.
After the registration deadline and the information has been corrected as much
as possible, the information is loaded into the tournament on this website and
control proceeds from there (seeding, partner changes, creating brackets, and
running the tournament). There is no transfer back, but all results are
available via this website and the user's main website may link to the result
pages in this website. Any changes to the player's information or events on the
PickleballTournaments.com website have to be reported manually back to the
source system.
Transferring the information is via two Excel spreadsheets:
1) player personal information, and 2) event information.
For the player information, we can accept the following basic
information as one row per player:
External ID - identification id (your player id) Last Name - last name
First Name - first name (Nick name may be included in this field if encompassed
by parenthesis, ie "Michael (Mike)". Middle - middle name Nickname - nick
name Birthdate - birthdate as mm/dd/yyyy Sex - Either M,F,Male,Female
Age - Player's age (normally recalc’d from birthdate and tournament age date)
Club - Player's club name Email - players email address Address1 - primary
address l line 1 Address2 City - primary city State - primary state
abbreviation Country - country name Zipcode - postal code Phone - phone
number Alt.Phone - alternate phone Emergency Contact - contact name
Emergency Phone - contact phone Skill - skill level:
Alt Addr - alternate address line 1 Alt Addr2 Addl City - alternate city
Addl State - alternate address state code Addl Country - alternate address
city Addl Zip - alternate address postal code Member Number - USAPA member
number
For the event information (1 row per player event entry):
External ID #1 - ID
of player or first player in a doubles event External ID #2 - ID of second
player in a doubles event
Event identified by
one of the following: Event ID - tournament event id
number Event Code - event code abbr
Event Name - A specified name which is mapped to a tournament event.
Skill Level -
specific skill level for the entry Age Group - specific age group (must be a
valid age group for the event)
For the player information, the system needs at least the name,
birthdate, sex, member number, phone, and email address. We do not need the full
address, but the city, state, and/or club is helpful for identification to
better identify players.
We request a test of the transfer before the actual deadline using actual
sample files. You email the files to us, we setup the import file
specifications, and then will actually do the import for you. When the final
data is ready, we will also help you do it. For management purposes, it's
usually easier to do a single import with all the information. Partial updates
are problematic if updates apply to an existing player.
Use the buttons on the page, not your browser buttons. The Back button may be used if no changes were made, but to avoid confusion, use the buttons provieded.
To save any changes, you must use the buttons on the page ("Save", "Make Changes", etc)
When printing, it is best to preview items first. The portions of the screen are "frames" and must of the time you do not wish to print the banner and table of contents. Use your "Print Preview" option and selected the correct frame, or right-click on the main window and use the options to print only the frame.
To work with a selection outside the main window, right click on the selection and select "View in a New Window". This is sometimes helpful to view two things at once.
Although you can open selections in new windows, saving the internal page addresses will not work in favorites/bookmarks. For security purposes, you must be signed into the system and they must be displayed by clicking from the table of contents
When emails are sent to players via the system, they are not via your personal internet provider and will not appear in your personal "Outbox" or "Sent Items", but they will have your email address as the "From" address. For security, all emails are sent separately to each player. The system does not support sending attachments. If email logging is enabled, a log of every email is maintained for future reference.
Since this is an internet based system, there are many questions regarding
performance and costs over wireless connections. Here are hopefully some answers
to the common questions:
Q) How is the performance over a wireless connection such as AT&T, Verizon,
Sprint, etc...?
A) There is no definite answer to this. Every location is different based on
the service and location of local towers. You must do your own tests to verify
performance. This system was developed as a light weight service with
minimal graphics and overhead. We've actually been critized for this but when
you're busy checking players in or entering results, you want performance, not
glitz. The realtime court displays have added to this, if used.
Q) Do I need a wireless connection for every computer?
A) Every computer must have a web connection, BUT, there are options
available such as Verizon's MIFI , Cradlepoint routers that allow you to share
a single wireless connection, smart phones that provide a hotspot, and more.
Now, just as there are pay-as-you-go phones, there are pay-as-you-go internet
hot spots. You can buy a WIFI hotspot for under $100 with 'x' amount of data and
no monthly contract. If you need more data, you pay for it, but again no monthly
contract.
Q) Are the computers restricted to their functions?
A) No. Any computer can be used for check-in or even desk management. If you
have two computers, both can be used for check-in during the busy early rush and
when matches complete, one can be used for result entry. If there is a rush in
matches completing, both computers can be used to enter results. The printer is
connected to only the computer with the print spooler and prints results and new
sheets from all computers at the venue, not just the computer it is connected
to. Results are entered on the web; the spooler program runs behind the scenes
on the one computer checking for new results and prints the information posted
regardless of it's source.
Q) How much is the data usage?
A) Tournament Info below:
At the 2012 4 day Grand Canyon State Games, here's the daily data usage
(this was four computers using a single wireless connection for check-in and
event desk operations):
Day
Events
#Teams
#Matches
Data Usage (MB)
1
MD & WD (by age)
109
182
68
2
MXD (by age)
67
121
51
3
MD & WD (by skill)
153
286
114
4
MXD (by skill)
103
196
37
From 2014 Happy Trails Classic (check-in, event desk, court desk, 2 displays, plus support computer:
Day
Events
#Teams
#Matches
Data Usage (MB)
1
WD
49
86
194*
2
MXD 3.5,4.0
43
78
126
3
MXD 3.0,4.5,5.0
39
70
92
4
MD 3.0,4.5,5.0)
28
50
117
5
MD 3,5,4,0
37
66
84
(*) installed some software upgrades on this day
From 2014 Grand Canyon State Games (2-check-in, 1-event desk, 1-court desk, 2 displays driven by 1 computer:
Day
Events
#Teams
#Matches
Data Usage (MB)
1
MD & WD Age
105
182
803.5*
2
MXD Age
71
128
148
3
WD Skill
59
108
293*
4
MD Skill
92
174
147
5
MXD Skill
101
192
98
(*) installed some software upgrades on this day
A) At the 2013 Happy Trails Classic, with four laptops (event desk, court
desk, 2 check-in desks), plus a computer handling the tournament display, the
average daily usage was 400MB. This is expected since the tournament display is
constanting updating about every 30 seconds during the day with the
current court assignments and information. This refresh rate can be controlled
by you. This is not a required feature. The new court desk also refreshes every
minute, this can also be controlled.
A) At the recent 2013 Grand Canyon State Games, with four computers
(check-in, event desk, court desk, and court display), the four days used less
than 400MB of data. This included printing charts for the next day. We did slow
down the refresh time on the court display to about 60 seconds, but included the
court waiting list.
Q) Were there any problems with the wireless connection?
A) Everyday we had a few wireless drop-outs and the router automatically
re-established the connection. This resulted in about a 30 second delay but no
lost information. Even for the event desk printing new scoresheets, if we
patiently waited the information would be updated and new score sheets printed.
We carefully verified that every result entered produced a posting sheet and the
correct new scoresheets. Nothing was lost.
Relatively new laptops. With old donated computers, it simply becomes a
horsepower issue dealing with the latest browsers. Also there are
compatibility issues with WIFI and wireless connections. I've used a 15 year
old computer for running TV displays and it works fine; except, it takes
about 5 minutes to boot up and get running.
Laptops
Pros
Have battery and stay up during a power failure, but remember
your printers and other equipment might go down.
Small and more portable
Cons
Expandability
Repairs
Desktops
More options and expandable in the future
Bulky and require a separate keyboard and monitor
Tablets
Usable but cost
Outdoor usage limited due to glare and heat
At least a 15 inch display. This rules our small notebooks.
Mouse.
Enough USB ports for: mouse, scanner, printer, etc. You can purchase USB
hubs to add connections.
VGA or HDMI monitor output for connection to TV for display. Other connection
options are possible.
Internet Browser
We test first with Mozilla Firefox, then check compatibility with
Internet Explorer, Safari, and Chrome.
Printer
Something simple and reliable.
Ease to load paper and view status. On some printers it may be
better to print landscape rather than portrait for loading paper.
Ease to retrieve 1/2 sheets after printed.
Speed is not the critical issue, it's simplicity.
Laser vs Inkjet
Laser
The ink won't smear
Cartridges last longer and don't dry out
Cartridge is more expensive
Usually have a paper tray for letter size paper and more
difficult to load and monitor
Require more power
Inkjet
Slower
Cheaper
Ink can smear especially when wet
Historical usage:
HP 1000.
Cost around $30,
but cartridges run almost as much a new printer. You may use a
XL cartridge a day and should always have an extra on hand.
Easy to load paper and monitor.
Other HP inkjets
Some have paper loading issues with 1/2 sheets.
Some you almost have to reach down into the printer to retrieve
a printed scoresheet (1/2 page)
Internet Connection
In all cases, realiability is the main factor.
You MUST test any option for it's performance and realibility. More
than a few minutes and at the location.
Setup and test before the day of the tournament.
Don't assume anything. Test the exact equipment and connection.
Local LAN or DSL
Pros
Usually more reliable and faster
If available, no cost (hopefully)
Cables to computers with fewer connectivity issues
Cons
Computers require LAN connection
Usually not available at the courts
Cabling to desk location
Might be behind a router with Internet restrictions
Local WIFI
Pros
No cables
Cons
Distance and signal strength
Interference between source and computer. This can be caused by
people, equipment, cars, buildings, etc.
WIFI setup on computers
Wireless - which provider depends on which carriers are availble at your
location.
Pros
Usable almost anywhere you have cell phone connections
With the right equipment, it can provide a WIFI hotspot
Cons
Cost; but coming down. You can buy a hotspot for under $100 and
buy usage by the day or month.
With most providers, you may lose your connection over a long
period. You must be familiar enough to reset the connection.
Historical Usage
Verizon MIFI
Generally works
Limited range
Sensitive to interference (people, etc)
Virgin Mobile hotspot
Initial setup not quite clear for a first time user.
Worked well
Paid by the 24 hour period ($5/24 hours and data limit).
They do have a monthly period
Cradlepoint
Cradlepoint routers with ATT/Verizon USB connection Flexible
and reliable.
Can be used with different providers and independent of
computer
Can get a router that can use WIFI, LAN, or Wireless as the
internet source and then provide LAN and WIFI hotspot.
With multiple wireless connections, it can provide automatic
fail-over More expensive
3G/4G/4G-LTE
This depends on your coverage area. 4G/4G-LTE may be faster
but if you're in a fringe area, 3G may be more realiable. Set
your hotspot to use 3G if in a fringe area to prevent 4G
searching and dropping connections.
Barcode Scanner
USB connection - work as alternate keyboard on Windows
Code 3 or 9 capability (usually standard) - this is the barcode font
provided for the print spooler
Autoscan capability for not having to press the trigger
Most wands come with a setup book for configuring the functions. DON'T
LOSE THE BOOK.
History:
From Amazon: search for USB Barcode scanners.
I've been happy with the ESKY handheld models.
Not quite so happy with some CCD models. They seem to require a
larger barcode which can be adjusted via the font size in the print
spooler.
Some come with flexible stands
Some have autoscan capability
Cheap: around $30.
Generally work out of the box. (note: check the exact equipment
configuration and use the latest USB keyboard drivers. We've had
some scanners work great on Windows 7 but the same scanner on "some"
Windows 8 machines not work consistently)
TV Monitor
At least 36 inch display
LED for visibility outdoors.
Even with LED, some shade for the screen to reduce glare.
PC connection: Must match PC being used for billboard display.
