In a below-the-radar media move on Friday, Major League Pickleball (MLP) emailed the media announcing changes to the Waivers policy for the 2025 season.

This was the second update since the competition rules were announced to start the year.

Two main changes:

There will now only be two (2) Premier Level Waiver Periods, a reduction from four
Waiver bid amounts will be paid to the team from which the claimed player was taken, NOT to the league

Timeline and Context

January 22nd 2025

MLP announced updates to the competition structure for 2025.

February 26th 2025

MLP announced the addition of four Premier Level Waiver Periods:

Premier Level Waivers #1: Tuesday, May 6 (after MLP Columbus)
Premier Level Waivers #2: Tuesday, June 3 (after MLP Phoenix)
Premier Level Waivers #3: Tuesday, July 1 (after MLP San Clemente)
Premier Level Waivers #4: Tuesday, July 15 (after Mid-Season Tournament)

The addition of the four waiver periods was put in place to allow for all deserving players to receive playing time while improving the league's overall product quality.

Details about Friday's Update

Again, there are two takeaways from the update:

There will now only be two (2) Premier Level Waiver Periods, a reduction from four
Waiver bid amounts will be paid to the team from which the claimed player was taken, NOT to the league

Here are the important dates, as it pertains to the two Premier Level Waiver Periods:

Premier Level Waiver Period #1

Tue, May 6 - Premier teams declare 5th and 6th players by Noon ET
Wed, May 7 - MLP to share available player pool with Premier teams by Noon ET
Thu, May 8 - Premier teams submit waivers bids via Dutch Auction by noon ET
Fri, May 9 - MLP shares waiver selection order by Noon ET (picks cannot be traded)
Mon, May 12 - Premier Level Waivers #1, beginning at Noon ET (one round)

Premier Level Waiver Period #1

Tue, June 10 - Premier teams declare 5th and 6th players by Noon ET
Wed, June 11 - MLP to share available player pool with Premier teams by Noon ET
Thu, June 12 - Premier teams submit waivers bids via Dutch Auction by Noon ET
Fri, June 13 - MLP shares waiver selection order by Noon ET (picks cannot be traded)
Mon, June 16 - Premier Level Waivers #2, beginning at Noon ET (one round)

_{Want to advertise with us?}

If your company is interested in reaching an audience of active pickleballers, you may want to give us a shout.

Analysis

When the Premier Level Waiver Periods were rolled out in late February, I heard two specific issues from team sources: there were too many waiver periods where the 5th/6th player could be taken, and the payment for a player was going to the league, if they were stolen.

This change addresses both issues and is a step in the right direction, in my opinion.

The other issue I brought up in the previous coverage of Premier Level Waivers, was team continuity. The roster turnover (change) from 2024 to 2025 was 60%. That means more players are on different teams than when they started the 2024 season. Fans will like this change because it helps create MORE team continuity.

Of note, the Challenger Level Waiver Period has stayed the same since the 2025 rules were announced. There will be only one Waiver Period and that will take place on Wednesday, June 11th.