Moorestown’s Pickleball League: Pickleball enthusiasts in Moorestown, New Jersey, are gearing up for an exciting eight-week league hosted by Silly Pickles: Silly Sports at the Players Courtyard Pickleball Club. The league, starting on March 30 and running through June 8, will offer a dynamic skill-based format designed to ensure competitive and fun matchups for all levels of players.
League Structure and Format
Participants will play for one hour each Sunday night, except for skipped dates on April 20, May 11, and May 25. The league follows a ladder format, where players are ranked based on skill level and can move up or down depending on their performance.
League founder Tommy Flaim emphasized the importance of evenly matched competition.
“Pickleball is one of those sports where it’s really sensitive to skill level discrepancies. So it’s the most fun when everyone on the court is pretty (much) precisely the same level, and I found other leagues do not really accomplish that because they had certain skill-level brackets like beginner, intermediate and advanced, which were kind of broad.” – (Flaim)
Unlike traditional leagues with broad categories like beginner, intermediate, and advanced, Silly Pickles implements 30 different skill levels for more precise matchmaking.
“We essentially have 30 different levels of play as opposed to three. so it’s just a lot more precise in making sure that everyone on the court is the same level.” – (Flaim)
Ranking and Game Play
Before the league begins, participants will self-report their skill level through a survey. Players will be initially grouped based on their responses, and matchups will be adjusted weekly based on results. The skill levels range from DUPR 5.0 (advanced amateur players) to complete beginners.
Each game follows a rotation-based format where groups of four compete in matches up to 15 points with each person, totaling three games per night. After each match, players submit their scores out of a possible 45 points.
- Top two players in each group move up the ladder.
- Bottom two players move down.
- Players can miss league nights without penalty as long as they communicate in advance.
A Social and Competitive Experience
With 312 registered players, Moorestown’s league will be the largest Silly Pickles league to date. Flaim highlighted how the format balances competition and community-building.
“On the one hand, everyone on the court is at the same skill level, so in that sense it’s like a competitive match, whether you’re advanced or have never played before. But in another sense, it’s a nice format for community building because you’re constantly playing with a different partner.” – (Flaim)
Games will run from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., with rotating time slots to accommodate all participants.
Pickleball for Everyone
Flaim encourages seasoned players and newcomers to join, highlighting pickleball’s accessibility.
“It’s a very social game. It’s a great way to get some exercise, meet other people in your community and have fun. If you’ve never played before, we’ll put you on our dynamic ladder format (and) we’ll make sure that you’re on a court with other people at your level, whether you’re a pickleball pro or you’ve never played in your life.” – (Flaim)
News in Brief: Moorestown’s Pickleball League
The Moorestown Players Courtyard Pickleball Club will host an eight-week pickleball league from March 30 to June 8, organized by Silly Pickles: Silly Sports. The pickleball league features a 30-level dynamic ranking system to ensure evenly matched games. With 312 participants, it will be the largest Silly Pickles league yet.
ALSO READ: Lightning Pickleball Club’s March Pickle Madness Tournament: A Weekend of Competitive Play