Questions, answered.
What pickleball tournament hosts, referees and players ask first. Can't find yours? Write to us.
Hosts
What is Asia Pickleball?
Asia Pickleball is a pickleball tournament system for clubs in Hong Kong and across Asia. The host runs entries, the draw and the courts from one host desk; referees score on their own phones with an event code; players and spectators follow the official score on one public live board. Every screen is in English and Traditional Chinese.
How big a day does this handle?
It is built for a club day: several courts, dozens of matches, and whatever phones your volunteers already carry.
Which draw formats are supported?
Round-robin groups and knockout rounds, on their own or together: groups first, then a knockout fed by the round before, with an optional match for third place.
Can I import a draw I already have?
Yes. Upload the organiser's .xlsx or CSV — the name list and the match list can be separate files. It's read into a draft you correct before anything is saved. If you use CSV, save it as “CSV UTF-8” so rare characters such as 峯 or 啓 survive.
Do I need volunteers to referee?
No. Your host account can score any court itself. Share the event code only if you want referees to help.
Can I correct a score afterwards?
Yes. The referee can undo on the phone during the match. Afterwards, find the match on the host desk by names, court or status and correct it there.
What happens when a pair doesn't show?
Mark them as a no-show on the desk and choose to forfeit the matches they haven't played. Each becomes a walkover for the other side, and the draw moves on.
Referees
Do referees need accounts?
No. A referee opens the phone page, enters the event code, and types the name you will see beside their court. There is nothing to install and no password to reset on a Saturday morning.
Does the referee need to know the scoring rules?
Only who won the rally. The system applies side-out scoring and the server number, and a tap that would break the rules doesn't move the call.
What does a pickleball score like 4-2-1 mean?
It means the serving side has 4 points, the receiving side has 2, and the serving pair is on its first server. A doubles score is called as three numbers: serving side, receiving side, then server 1 or 2. A game opens at 0-0-2 because the side that serves first gets only one server. Only the serving side scores, and games are usually played to 11, win by 2. The referee phone applies these side-out rules, so the referee only taps who won the rally.
What if the wifi drops mid-game?
The last official call stays on screen — on the referee's phone and on the public board — and the board says it is updating. Nothing is invented while it reconnects.
Can a court use an iPad instead of a phone?
Yes. The score desk is laid out for a tablet at the net: big targets and the call in large type.
Players & spectators
How do I enter a tournament?
Find it under Tournaments, sign in to the player app and apply. The host confirms entries onto the roster.
Do I need an account to follow the scores?
No. The public board is one link — no login and nothing to install. Search your name to find your court.
Can a player change a score?
No. The public link is read-only. Scoring sits behind the event code on the referee phone, and the host desk sits behind a host sign-in.
Where do my results go?
Completed matches appear in your match history in the player app, searchable by event name or date.
Does Asia Pickleball show DUPR ratings?
No. Asia Pickleball is not connected to DUPR and shows no ratings. A host can add a DUPR flag to a listing; that is the host's own note, not a check by this system. Matches scored here go to the match history of players who entered through the player app.
Is it in Chinese?
Every screen is in English and 繁體中文, and each person picks their own in the header — the referee page and the public board included.
Your first draw takes one evening.
Create a host account, add the event on the desk — name, date and club — and share one link. Players install nothing.