Inside the Dink Minor League Pickleball Showdown: Amateur pickleball players across the country are signing up for Regional Showdowns, a team-based event under The Dink Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) format. These tournaments give four-player teams—two men and two women—a shot to qualify for the 2025 MiLP National Championship in Dallas, Texas.
How Regional Showdowns Work
Each Regional Showdown follows the MLPlay team format. Every match has four games: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and two mixed doubles. All games are played to 21 points and must be won by two.
If both teams win two games each, the match moves to a Dreambreaker. In this tiebreaker, one player from each team plays singles, and teammates rotate every four rallies. The first to 21, winning by two, claims the match for their team.
Who Can Join and Why It Matters
Anyone with a Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) account can play. That means Regional Showdowns are open to players of all ages and skill levels.
These events do more than offer exciting matches. Every result helps players build their DUPR match history and increase their reliability score. Players also earn leaderboard points that move them closer to the season’s top prize.
Winning your division at a Regional Showdown gives your team a “Dream Ticket”—a guaranteed spot at the 2025 MiLP National Championship.
What the National Championship Means
The MiLP National Championship is the top event for amateur team pickleball. It brings together teams who earned Dream Tickets, climbed the leaderboard, or were invited from State Pro League and MLP-affiliated competitions worldwide.
There are divisions for every DUPR level, so teams compete with others at similar skill levels. The event offers $100,000 in prize money and rewards players who’ve shown growth, teamwork, and commitment all season long.
2025 Regional Showdowns
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Why Players Should Sign Up
Playing in a Regional Showdown helps players:
- Climb the MiLP Rankings Leaderboard.
- Strengthen their DUPR scores.
- Improve their overall pickleball ratings.
- Earn a Dream Ticket to Nationals.
- Compete as a team with friends.
News in Brief: Inside the Dink Minor League Pickleball Showdown
Regional Showdowns let amateur pickleball teams compete in fun, fast-paced events. Open to anyone with a DUPR account, these tournaments help players improve their rankings and aim for a spot at the 2025 MiLP National Championship in Dallas, Texas. Winning your division earns a Dream Ticket to nationals.