Throughout the year, we've highlighted individual The Dink Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) tournaments in different regions nationwide.

In those local tournaments, you can collect points for the National Leaderboard. Collect enough points, and you'll receive an invitation to the MiLP National Championship, scheduled for December 13-15 at Missouri Pickleball Club in Fenton, Missouri.

Well, there is another way you can secure your Dream Ticket to Nationals that doesn't involve points or the need to participate in multiple tournaments: competing in Regional Showdowns.

What's a Regional Showdown?

A Regional Showdown is a bigger tournament than you'd see at the local level.

First, Regional Showdowns offer more guaranteed matches than local MiLP events. All players/teams have a four-match guarantee with all players playing bracket playoffs. No other pickleball tournament or tour offers this much guaranteed play.

Second, players want the to earn the Dream Ticket (direct path to the National Championship) and are traveling greater distances to compete at these events. The Northeast Regional Showdown saw players from at least seven states compete, creating an exciting environment of competitive play at every division.

As an example, the Oklahoma Pickleball Club hosted the second Regional Showdown, the Midsouth Regional, at Pickleball Kingdom in Plano, Texas.

With a record-breaking 188 players, this event became the largest Regional Showdown since the series began in 2023.

Gold medals were awarded across six divisions.

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Seven Regional Showdowns are happening throughout 2024. In each, 12-16 teams per division compete, and the winning teams will receive a coveted Dream Ticket.

A Dream Ticket guarantees a spot at the National Championship in December. It includes a four-match guarantee (8 games to 21 for each player – a guarantee unmatched by any other tour or event!).

Additionally, all Regional Showdown participants can still earn points towards the National Leaderboard.

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When is the next Regional Showdown?

With less than half of the year to go, only four Regional Showdowns remain.

The next two take place in California and Washington.

Here's a quick look at those two events:

West Coast Regional 

• Date: September 7th
• Venue: Willow Pass Community Park in Concord
• City, State: Concord, California
• Divisions: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20

Northwest Regional

• Date: September 7th & 8th 
• Venue: Caverlero MidHigh School
• City, State: Lake Stevens, Washington
• Divisions: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22

How to Register for a Regional Showdown

To register for a Regional Showdown, you simply go to the tournament pages (West Coast Regional or Northwest Regional) and register like you would for any other tournament.

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The Dink PickleballJason Flamm

If you want to play in The Dink Minor League Pickleball event but are unable to form a team, the tournament director will do their best to place you on a team. For players that are not placed – thus not playing the event – their registration fees will be refunded.

For any questions or to find out more information, visit the official The Dink Minor League Pickleball Site.