APP Passport Revolutionizes Pickleball Competition: The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) has launched the APP Passport, a new reward system starting in 2025. Amateur medal winners at any APP event in 2025 will earn a guaranteed place at the season-ending APP Tour Championships in Fort Lauderdale, taking place December 10–14.
The program is designed to handle expected high demand for the event. It gives players a clear way to qualify through strong performances during the season. The APP Passport is available to amateur medalists in all APP events leading up to the championship.
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Who Can Earn an APP Passport
Any amateur player who wins a gold, silver, or bronze medal at an APP tournament in 2025 will receive an APP Passport. This includes players of all skill levels, from 3.0 to advanced amateur, and across all age groups.
Professional players are not eligible. The Passport does not apply to pro brackets or divisions like AARP Champions and AARP Masters.
Players who earned medals earlier in 2025, before the APP Passport program was announced, will still qualify. These winners will be counted retroactively for the Passport.
A New Era in APP Competition
“The APP Passport ushers in an exciting new era of competition across the APP events calendar,” said APP Founder Ken Herrmann. “By rewarding all APP medalists with a well-deserved spot in the APP Tour Championships, we’re ensuring a direct path for the best of the best to showcase their skills in what will be a spectacular final APP event of 2025 at The Fort.”
The Fort, the venue for the championship, has 43 courts, including 14 all-weather courts and the world’s first pickleball stadium. It will also offer a restaurant, bar, beach area, and cabanas by December.
First Event Set for May
The first APP event offering a Passport will be the APP Vlasic Classic in Cincinnati, scheduled for May 7–11. Registration for that tournament is now open.
This event is also a USA Pickleball Golden Ticket tournament. Medalists at the Vlasic Classic can also pre-register for the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships.
All APP Passport events are listed on the official site, theapp.global. More tournament registrations will be announced soon.
What It Means for Players
The APP Passport creates a direct, fair path to the 2025 APP Tour Championships. It encourages wider participation and raises the stakes at every amateur level tournament.
With Fort Lauderdale’s top-tier venue and added amenities, the championship is expected to be a major highlight of the year for amateur pickleball players.
News in Brief: APP Passport Revolutionizes Pickleball Competition
The APP introduced the APP Passport, a new way for amateur medal winners in 2025 to secure spots at the APP Tour Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Dec. 10–14. Winners from all APP events qualify. The first Passport event will be the APP Vlasic Classic, held May 7–11 in Cincinnati.
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