Captain Responsibilities

Delve into the essential roles of team captains and co-captains in the Florida Pickleball Leagues, Inc. (FPLI). Learn how they contribute to the success of their teams and the overall league experience.

Captains and Co-Captains – Responsibilities

We are very excited to have you on board for our inaugural season of the Florida Pickleball Leagues! Thank you for stepping up to manage a team this season!

Here are some guidelines to help you navigate the fun waters of captaining a team.

Creating roster and get team registered:

Check your rosters carefully. If you have someone that does not belong, alert us right away so we can contact them and fix it.

Fill out the Team Worksheet form provided under Resources on the main website. Be sure the highest rating of each team member is not above your team’s registered skill level. If it is, they will not be able to play on your team. You must have at least 50% of your team in the registered skill level. If you have people without a rating in all 4 rating applications, then you can give them a captain’s rating as a starting place for this season. Our system will start to build a rating for them as they play matches during the season. If you are doing a captain’s rating, please use your best judgement along with integrity to place a person on your team that is the right skill level.

Get registered and get all your teammates registered! Please refer them to the Resources tab on the main website and then to the PLAYER REGISTRATION GUIDE for instructions on how to register. Everyone will need to use PayPal to pay. Please have them register asap.

If you have not filled your roster with enough players, please reach out to us ASAP to get more players. We have a list of people looking to get on teams.

Decide on your home game day, time, and location. Approximately half your games will be played on your home courts. Advanced teams that will inter-league with other leagues will be using centrally located courts for matches held with other leagues, but we will need home courts for any matches played within your league. Your scheduled time for home games does not guarantee that slot is open for practices when you are not playing a home game.

Once registration closes and schedules are posted:

Schedules will be posted shortly after registration closes. Poll your players to know who is available for each match before the season starts. If you have a match that you will not be able to field 6 players for, contact the other captain to see if you can reschedule for another time that week. Be sure the venue is available by reaching out to the venue coordinator, or area manager. If you are not able to get this match played, then you can be rescheduled in the two-week period for make up matches, Dec 11th-23rd. Please do this in the first week of getting schedules. If you need to make up a match in Dec, then let your area manager know right away so that it can be moved in the system to the make-up weeks. These must be rescheduled in the system, so please have both captains agree to the date and time this match will be played and communicate it before the actual match time comes around.

During the season:

Please use the Game Day Protocol sheet, that can be found on the main website under Resources. We will be supplying scoresheets, clipboards, and a few balls to start you off. Home team supplies balls (Franklin X or Dura 40). You can print additional scoresheets from the Resources section on the website.

Scoresheets: Both captains are to need to check over scoresheets to see if all scores are entered accurately. Both captains sign off on scoresheets on game day. Home team has 48 hours to enter scores online. To enter scores, select your region (e.g., Brevard); from the login screen and enter email and password to login.

The visiting team captain will have 48 hours to contest the score. The score will become official if not contested after the 48-hour period.

Match location, day and times will be posted on the schedules. Begin the match at the stated time. Home captains are expected to contact their opposing captains in advance of the match and inform them if there are courts available prior to the match start time for warm-up and provide any other special instructions (parking, court fees, bathrooms..)

The visiting team has the choice of side or serve. After each game report scores. Teams will change sides after each game and whichever team did not serve first for the first game will begin serving first for the second game of the match. Home teams will stay on the same courts each round. Visiting teams switch courts after each round. Play to 11, win by 2. Each team gets a 1-minute time out per game.

We recommend you bring a substitute to each match. This extra person can keep score and be a substitute if necessary. Substitutions are permitted for injury of physical illness only. Once a substitution is made, the substitute stays on the court for the rest of the day. Please make notification of any substitutions on the scoresheet.

Be sure to review the League Rules and Code on Conduct with your team (resources on website). Captains and players are to monitor behavior to assure conduct and play are in accordance with FPLI code and rules.

Disputes: Players involved in a dispute during a match that can’t be resolved on the court can declare that the match is being played under protest and must continue the match to its conclusion. When the match is finished, you have 48 hours to file a grievance for the match. Both captains will be contacted, and the grievance will go to the Grievance Committee for review and a decision on the complaint.

Rescheduling: If you find you are unable to field a team for a match, give the other captain a minimum of 24 hours’ notice and communicate to reschedule the match. If it is same day notice, you can opt to show up with 4 players and forfeit the other matches not played, or the captain from the other team can ask for a forfeit if sufficient notice was not given. Please be kind, and work together to get your match played!

Inclement Weather: Captain or captains seeking to reschedule the match due to inclement weather shall take a screenshot of the weather forecast for the locale where the match is scheduled to be played. Email the screenshot to the league coordinator then follow the rescheduling instructions to identify a new match date.

REMEMBER

This is our first season, and we are all learning together. We are open to feedback and suggestions for improvement. Most of all, enjoy competitive play, have fun and make new friends as we build our wonderful pickleball community.

Thanks for being a part of Florida Pickleball Leagues!

Download a PDF Copy

Privacy Policy • Terms of Service • Cookie Policy