Pickleball is still an emerging sport in the Netherlands. Estimates put the number of clubs or playing venues at roughly 50 to 80 in early 2026, with a few thousand active players. That number is climbing fast: the sport is cheaper to run than padel, the learning curve is shorter, and it appeals to a broader age range.
What is missing right now is structure. Most pickleball venues run on one-off open play sessions with no ranking, no ongoing competition, and no clear seasonal calendar. Whoever sets up a solid internal competition first will keep players engaged for years.
Three formats that work for new pickleball clubs
Pickleball suits different formats than tennis or padel, because matches are shorter (a game to 11 points takes about 15 minutes) and the spread in skill level among beginners is wide.
Americano for pickleball (8 to 16 players)
Same principle as in padel: players switch partner and opponent every round, and everyone plays with everyone. Points are tracked individually. It works brilliantly for a social evening.
For pickleball: use shorter games (to 11 or 15 points, instead of the padel 24). An evening with 12 players on 3 courts runs about 90 minutes, and everyone has played with everyone. Read more about Americano.
Box system (8 to 32 players)
Players are split into boxes of 4 at a similar level. Each week everyone in the box plays everyone else. After three to four weeks: number 1 goes up, number 4 goes down. Ideal for an ongoing competition with clear progression.
It works well for pickleball because the difference in level within a box stays small. The spread in skill level is traditionally wider in pickleball than in tennis (beginners stay beginners for only a short while), so box rotation keeps the matches interesting.
Ladder (12 to 80 players)
Players challenge each other and move up or down the ranking based on results. No fixed playing time. It works for clubs where members show up at different times. Read more about pickleball ladders.
How pickleball competition differs from padel or tennis
Three practical differences that affect how you organize it:
- Shorter playing time. A pickleball match to 11 or 15 points lasts 10 to 20 minutes. A padel Americano match lasts 20 to 25 minutes. You can fit more rounds into an evening.
- Wider skill spread among beginners. People who have just started stay clearly below the more advanced players for a few months. Boxes of 4 players at the same level work better than large groups.
- Older and more varied audience. Pickleball attracts a lot of people over 50 and players coming from tennis or badminton. Communicating through WhatsApp works less well, and email works better. Keep that in mind for registration and reminders.
A concrete example: a 16-player Americano in two hours
Say you have three courts and sixteen players on a weekday evening. What does that look like?
- 19:00: welcome, coffee, a short briefing
- 19:15: round 1 (four matches on three courts, four players waiting and watching)
- 15 minutes per round (game to 11 points)
- Eight rounds: everyone plays with everyone once
- 20:30: short break
- 21:00: final standings, prize giving, drinks
The switching routine does take some practice: without a scheduling app you will get questions and downtime. With Slams, the software generates the switch rounds and players automatically know where to go.
How to announce a first pickleball competition
Three tips for the announcement at a new club:
- Start small. A maximum of 16 participants. A first competition that is too big gets bogged down in admin. Get one right first, then scale.
- Communicate by email and with a poster at the court. Pickleball players are often not in a digital club chat.
- Keep the barrier low. No or low entry fee (5 to 15 euros), a short run (four to six weeks), a simple format. Build the habit first.
Next step: keeping a ranking
Once your first competition is up and running, keeping an ongoing ranking is the most valuable next step. Players want to know where they stand. A ladder with a rating update after every match is just as motivating for pickleball as it is for padel.
Slams supports pickleball with the same tools as padel and tennis: automatic ratings, online registration, schedule generation, and a public club page. For a club of 16 players, everything is free. Get started here.
