RTM Pickleball Tournament Series: The third round of the Road to Minors (RTM) Tournament Series will take place from May 23 to June 1, 2025, at the Down the Line Sports Center (DTL) in Fairfax, Virginia. Amateur pickleball players will compete for a chance to qualify for Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) teams, as well as the RTM National Cup in November. Registration is now open but ends on May 28, 2025.
Event Details
The RTM Tournament Series offers players a chance to build their DUPR profiles and gain experience while being scouted by the D.C. Pickleball Team. It is an opportunity to advance in amateur pickleball through a competitive environment.
Participants can sign up with a partner for each division, which will include levels from 3.0 to 4.5+. The series is broken into three tiers: Bronze, silver, and gold. Each tier awards points, with more points available in the gold tier, and the top performers may be invited to the RTM National Cup in November.
Location and Timing
The tournament will be held at the Down the Line Sports Center in Fairfax, Virginia, located at 10390 Willard Way, 22030. Tournament registration opened on March 17, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST and will close at midnight on May 28, 2025.
How to Participate
To participate in the tournament, players must register before the closing date and pay the $50 registration fee. The price will increase to $60 after April 26. Players can sign up at pickleball.com or directly on pickleballbrackets.com.
RTM Tournament Format and Scoring
Each round will feature doubles competition across different divisions, including men’s, women’s, and mixed categories. Tournament formats will vary depending on the number of registered teams, but each team is guaranteed a set number of games. The format can range from round-robin play to semi-finals and finals. The point system rewards players based on their performance, with gold division winners earning up to 1,000 points.
The scoring format varies but generally includes matches played to 11 points with a win by 1 point in the round-robin play. The final games will be played to 11 points with a win by 2.
RTM National Cup and Minor League Pickleball
Top performers in each skill division will be invited to the RTM National Cup in November. Players at the RTM Nationals will be scouted by the D.C. Pickleball Team for potential inclusion on one of their Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) teams. Winners will represent the D.C. Pickleball Team for the next calendar year and may also be eligible for a wildcard ticket to the Dink Minor League National Tournament in December.
Tournament Requirements
To be eligible, players must meet the following requirements:
- Participate in at least two RTM DUPR sessions before the RTM National Cup.
- Have an active DUPR account.
- Join the relevant clubs on pickleball.com, including DTL Fairfax, DTL Annandale, and the D.C. Pickleball Team.
- Join the “RTM Association” club on pickleball.com (free membership) to track points on the leaderboard.
Future RTM Tournaments
RTM tournaments will continue to be held on a monthly basis. The next tournament will be in Annandale, Virginia, in June 2025. Players who perform well in these events will accumulate points that count toward their qualifications for the National Cup in November.
News in Brief: RTM Pickleball Tournament Series
The third round of the Road to Minors (RTM) Tournament Series runs from May 23 to June 1, 2025, in Fairfax, Virginia. Amateur players will compete for a chance to join Minor League Pickleball and qualify for the RTM National Cup in November.
Registration closes May 28. The tournament features doubles play, a tiered point system, and DUPR tracking. Winners may secure a spot on the D.C. Pickleball Team.
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