Major League Pickleball has released some rule changes and updates early in 2023.

You can read the full MLP press release below, in which we've bolded or otherwise called out the most important aspects. But first, here are our biggest takeaways:

Group/Gameplay

• Group play matches will include all four games regardless of outcome. If match is 3-0, the final game will still be played
• Service foot faults come with a verbal warning and re-serve
• Tiebreakers to determine teams advancing group play and seeding for tournaments are: match wins, games net, points won % (points scored/points total)

On-Court Regulations

• Only one GM/Coach/Owner/Personnel can be on the bench for each team
• That GM/Coach/Owner/Personnel cannot step on the court

Gone are the days of Gary Vee and Ryan Harwood running onto the court for celly hugs with players. Sad.

Conduct - MLP CARD SYSTEM

If a referee identifies "unsportsmanlike" conduct...

• Referees can issue verbal warnings, followed by:
•   Blue Card: Technical Warning
•   Orange Card: Technical Foul - results in loss of point

So what is unsportsmanlike conduct?

An official may go straight to an Orange Card if the offense is "egregious." Big change! Should make for some interesting playoff moments...

Last note – and it's good to see this in the rules update:

Line Calls

So this is interesting.

Players and teams may no longer challenge "their own line calls."

This is confusing language. "Their own" line calls? So, they can't challenge their own teammate for example, should they realize that he/she made an incorrect call the benefits the other team.?

Players may no longer defer to the referee to ask if a ball was in or out. Referees should be focused on foot faults and not involved in any line calls.

Video Replay

• MLP will feature a video replay challenge system, no more appealing to the referees
• Each team has 2 Free Challenges in each game
• Team B makes a questionable call and Team A challenges it: Team A Captain must confirm the challenge. Once challenge is confirmed, Team B Captain has the opportunity to change the call before it goes to an official challenge
• If the call is overturned via video replay, Team B loses one of their 2 Free Challenges. If they don't have any more Free Challenges, they lose a point
• Even if a team is out of Free Challenges, they can still issue a challenge. But if they issue a challenge and the call is upheld, they lose a point

This is a big change. Expect tons of challenges in Daytona.

So there you have it...now good luck digesting all of that before this weekend! And as you know, you can always stay up to date on all things MLP via our 3x weekly, free newsletter:

And while we have you:

• 10DINK for 10% off at Fromuth
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Full MLP press release below

2023 MLP DAYTONA: RULES UPDATES

Group & Gameplay

All Group Play Matches will feature four games. If a Match is 3-0, the final Mixed Doubles will still be played.

The tiebreakers to determine teams advancing from Group Play and seedings for the Tournament are:

• Match Wins
• Games NET
• Points Won % (formerly known as Point Differential %, uses same formula: Pts Scored/Pts Total)

Service faults - including foot faults - come with a verbal warning & re-serve before a sideout/point is given.

Mandatory end changes must occur for both teams on the sideline. Players don't need to move their bags, but players on sidelines and a team’s on-court representative must all move with their team to the opposite end.

ON-COURT REGULATIONS

Only one team representative - be it an Owner, Coach, or General Manager - is allowed on the court at any time during matches. Other owners may sit in the boxes immediately behind the bench, but not on the court.

Bench players and a team’s on-court representative should not step onto the court, except during time outs or end changes, in order to avoid excessive delays in play.

Players and on-court representatives should respect the kitchen line on either side of the head official and consider that line a virtual boundary to not be crossed during live game play.

All player gear, including but not limited to bags, paddles, water bottles, etc. must be BEHIND the player bench and/or sideline LED video walls.

CONDUCT

MLP is implementing a card system similar to soccer for both players and team representatives. Referees may give a verbal warning, followed by a BLUE CARD (Technical Warning), then ORANGE CARD (Technical Foul resulting in a loss of point) for unsportsmanlike conduct - which can include excessive taunting, profanity, verbal abuse of an official/player/fan, time wasting, and/or excessive arguing with officials, violation of the kitchen/court boundaries stated above. An official may go straight to the Orange Card if, in the referee's discretion, the offense is egregious.

Players and team representatives are not allowed to influence calls during a live ball. Influencing a live call could result in a distraction call and immediate Blue or Orange Card. The sideline is allowed to influence or advise on a call as long as the call is made quickly.

MLP wants fist pumping intensity, chest pounding, finger wagging, stare downs and good hearted banter amongst players. Officials have been counseled to use verbal warnings to keep games moving, to maintain order, and to maintain professional standards of sportsmanship prior to brandishing Blue or Orange cards.

COMMUNICATING WITH OFFICIALS & THEIR ROLE

Any and all communications with the official during a match should be handled by the team player captain. The on-court team representative may ask officials only for clarifications or explanations, but all communications with the official should go through the player captain.

Players and teams may no longer challenge their own line calls.

Players may no longer defer to the referee to ask if a ball was in or out. Referees should be focused on foot faults and not involved in any line calls.

VIDEO REPLAY

MLP DAYTONA will feature Video Replay Challenge systems on all four courts, including C360 Cameras used in NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, etc. Teams now receive TWO (2) "FREE" Challenges in each game of a team match, including DreamBreaker.

Any video replay challenge made by a player on the court must be confirmed by the Team Captain in a quick and timely manner. Once a challenge is confirmed by the Team Captain, the referee will immediately ask the opposing Team Captain to confirm their call. This confirmation should take no more than 10 seconds. The Team Captain has the opportunity to change the call, and not risk losing a FREE Challenge and/or a point if the call ends up being challenged and overturned.

If a team makes a line call and that call is challenged by the opposing team and the call is overturned, the team which made the overturned/wrong call loses a FREE challenge. If this happens again they will lose their second FREE challenge. If, for any reason, the team does not have any more FREE challenges left and a line call is overturned the team who made the wrong line call loses a point. Each additional overturned/wrong line call will result in subtraction of a point. A team may, prior to the video official reviewing the line call, decide to change their call and not be at risk of losing a challenge or a point. The official must ask the Team Captain for a final decision quickly in this instance. If a challenge is made and call is overturned, the team making the challenge does NOT lose a FREE challenge.

Teams may, even if they do not have any FREE challenges left, decide to challenge a call. If the result of the challenge is an upheld/confirmed call, and they have no more FREE challenges left due to previous bad calls or unsuccessful challenges, then the team that made the unsuccessful challenge will have a point subtracted.

Please note, overturned line calls and unsuccessful challenges resulting in subtraction/loss of a point could result in teams moving out of a freeze situation AND it could also result in a match ending because a point is subtracted.

Example edge cases for demonstration: Score is 20-20 and Team A is serving, Team B is the receiving team. Team B hits a ball that Team A calls out. The result of the call would be Team A (21) - Team B (20), and Team A would be serving. Team B has no FREE challenges left and decides to challenge the call. Upon video review, the call stands/confirmed and Team A wins the point and moves to 21. Team B LOSES a point and the final score is Team A (21) - Team B (19). The converse of that example would be if Team B was serving and Team A was Receiving. Upon the out call, it would be sideout, no point because of the freeze and the score would be Team A (20) - Team B (20), with Team A now serving. If Team B challenges and has no FREE Challenges left and the call is upheld/confirmed it would now be Team A (20) - Team B (19) and Team A is now serving for the match.

Referees have been advised that the standard by which a line call may be overturned during a video challenge does not need to be indisputable. Rather, it is up to the referee's discretion to determine if they can reasonably overturn a call based on the video evidence.