Hive League Player Information Guide

THE HIVE TEAMS LEAGUE

PLAYER INFORMATION GUIDE

Season 1 • Tuesday Nights • 7:00 PM • 19 May – 28 July 2026

CHOOSE YOUR DIVISION

Form a crew of three. DUPR ratings are verified at registration and locked for the season.

FEATURE	WOMEN’S SWARM SURGE LEAGUE	OPEN MIXED LEAGUE
Eligibility	Women only	Any gender combination
Gender Format	3 Female players	We encourage each team to include at least one person of a different gender (not a requirement)
Individual DUPR	No min / max	Min. 1 player under 3.1
Team DUPR Cap	7.5 combined	10.5 combined
Unrated Players	Assigned 2.4 for cap purposes	Assigned 2.4 for cap purposes

WOMEN’S SWARM (7.5 CAP)

OPEN MIXED (10.5 CAP + one player under 3.0)

2.4 + 2.4 + 2.4 = 7.2

2.8 + 2.4 + 2.2 = 7.4

3.0 + 2.4 + 2.2 = 7.6 Over Cap

3.9 + 3.6 + 2.9 = 10.4 (one player under 3.0)

3.9 + 3.4 + 3.2 = 10.5 No player under 3.0

3.9 + 3.9 + 2.9 = 10.7 Over Cap

THE SCHEDULE

Two built-in buffer weeks cover wet weather. If a round is washed out, the season shifts by one week so no games are lost.

ROUND / WEEK	DATE
Regular Season (Rounds 1–6)	19 May – 23 June 2026
School Holiday Break	30 June & 7 July — No Play
Final Round (Round 7)	14 July 2026
Finals Week	21 July 2026 *
Grand Final Night	28 July 2026 *

* These dates will extend into August if buffer weeks are used.

HOW IT WORKS

The Match	Each match night consists of 9 doubles games per team
The Rotation	With a team of three, you rotate partners so every player gets 6 games per night
Scoring	Games are to 11 points (win by 2)
Start Time	7:00 PM every Tuesday night

THE LADDER & TIEBREAKERS

Winning Team	3 points per match night
Losing Team	1 point per match night
Tiebreaker order (in sequence) For Ladder purposes.	Head-to-Head (H2H): Result between the two or more tied teams Point Differential: Total points scored minus total points conceded (used if three or more teams H2H is a loop) Points Against: The team that allowed the fewest total points wins

SUBSTITUTE PLAYERS

Eligibility	Sub’s DUPR combined with the two playing registered players must not exceed the division cap. In Open Mixed, the under 3.0 requirement must still be met on the night.
Appearance Limit	Maximum 3 appearances per team per season. The same sub may play for multiple different teams.
Approval	Captains must notify The Hive via Text 0402125746 by 6:00 PM on match day with the sub’s full name and DUPR link.
Finals Eligibility	To play on Grand Final Night, a sub must have played for your team at least twice during the regular season and the regular player is not able to play.
Forfeit Rule	If a team cannot field any players and has not arranged a sub, a forfeit applies (3–0 points to the opposition).
2 Players only	A team may play with 2 registered players if a sub cannot be sourced. 6 games will count, 3 will be forfeited.

INJURIES

Season Ending Injury

If a registered player suffers a season-ending injury, the team captain may apply to The Hive to register a replacement player for the remainder of the season.

INJURY DURING A FIXTURE

If a player is injured mid-fixture, no replacement or sub may be used for the remainder of that night. The following applies:

Regardless of the score, that in-progress game will be forfeited.
The score at the point of injury will be recorded for league points purposes only.
The injured player’s remaining games on the night are forfeited. (No sub allowed)

WET WEATHER POLICY

Notification	Captains notified by 6PM on match day if courts are unplayable
The 5-Game Rule	If rain starts mid-round & at least 5 games are completed in any of the fixtures on the night – the result stands
The Pause Rule	If play stops before 5 games, the round is paused. Scores, server, and side are recorded. Play resumes exactly where it left off — no restarts
Rescheduling	Total washout: the entire remaining season shifts back one week
Extreme Weather	If both buffer weeks are used and further washouts occur, points are split equally (2 league points per team)

PRICING & REGISTRATION

Entry Fee	$365 per team — covers all 9 weeks of play and new 6.0 match balls
Refund Policy	Non-refundable once the season has commenced
DUPR Scores	Will NOT be recorded during this league
Registration steps:	Complete your $365 team payment via HiveSports Submit player names and DUPR IDs via the Google Form (link in PodPlay and QR code below) Your spot is secured once payment is received and DUPR caps are verified

CONTACT & QUESTIONS

Email	play@thepickleballhive.au
PodPlay Chat	League Play

The Hive management reserves the right to amend these guidelines where necessary. Any changes will be communicated to all registered teams prior to taking effect.