Big news for Aussie pickleball — Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) has landed down under.
Since Major League’s Australian debut in 2023, you’ve seen the top pros battle it out in fast-paced, co-ed team formats. Now, the amateurs get a piece of the pie too. With a lineup of eight events already kicking off across the country, there’s plenty of buzz around what this means for players, clubs, and the future of competitive play.
Commissioner Sange Carter, who is leading the charge through PPA Australia, shared her insights and vision for MiLP. Her perspective is featured throughout this article to help bring the story to life (with a special announcement saved for the end).
What is Minor League Pickleball?
The Dink Minor League Pickleball is a joint venture between The Dink, a major US pickleball news outlet, and DUPR, the global pickleball rating system. It was first launched in the United States in 2022 and has become a crowd favourite since then, hosting sanctioned events in over 15 countries. MiLP provides the official rules and guidelines, while international events are run by local partners who tailor the experience for their communities.
“For us, it’s been important to start building the pathway with team pickleball. There are a lot of pathways with the PPA tour format, with lots of events happening, but we didn’t see this with team pickleball, so that was a big driver for us. The other part was getting people to just have a heap of fun with their mates playing pickleball,” says Sange.
Fun fact: The first MiLP event ever was held in 2022 in Austin, TX, and on the sidelines was none other than Tati Wild! I really have been BTC since day one. I was lucky enough to cheer on Joey and his team as they won the inaugural championship. MiLP has held a special place in our pickleball journey ever since.
The MiLP format: Teams and divisions
MiLP follows a four-person mixed team format, made up of 2 men and 2 women. Teams are placed in divisions based on players’ combined DUPR rating, creating a level and competitive playing field.
Each division has a DUPR “cap,” meaning the total DUPR rating of all four players on the team cannot exceed a certain value. For example, in the DUPR 20 division, the total rating of all four players must add up to 20.99 or less. This can look like four 5.0 players, or a mix of ratings, as long as the total stays under the cap.
In Australia, players can expect to find the following divisions offered at most events: DUPR 12, 14, 16, and 18, with some of the more ‘in-demand’ locations also offering DUPR 20.
MiLP plays under the same format as Major League Pickleball Australia.* Matches feature four games (two gender, two mixed) to 21 points using rally scoring. If the score is tied after all four games, it all comes down to the ‘Dreambreaker,’ a rotating singles tiebreaker where each player takes turns playing four points until one team reaches 21.
Events in Australia all begin with pool play, guaranteeing each team has a minimum of three to four matches in the MLP style. Pool play leads into elimination rounds, followed by finals, all completed within a one-day tournament.
The experience is tailored to support and encourage amateur players — travel costs are kept low through a one-day event, referees are available to educate and ensure play is running smoothly, team names spark a bit of competitiveness, and tunes flowing all day just make for an all-around good time.
“Working with new venues has been fantastic,” shared Sange. “We were working with Pickleholic in Melbourne — they hadn’t even opened yet, so we were able to sort of launch their venue. To see the excitement on people’s faces, people cheering from the sideline, and just getting some damn good pickleball as well. That was definitely a standout.”
*Note that Major League Pickleball USA has transitioned back to the traditional scoring format — games to 11 points, win by 2.
The 2025 Minor League Pickleball Australia schedule
Australia’s 2025 Minor League debut has been in the works since March, with the PPA Australia team developing its first series of eight regional and state events across the country.
“We’ve tried to get to areas that have really supportive clubs around the venue,” says Sange. Rather than just hiring a venue and running it ourselves, we’re partnering with clubs. It’s that connection back into club land for pickleball, and it’s starting to grow.”
The action has already kicked off with events in Hobart, Sydney, and Melbourne; but there are still plenty of opportunities to join in on the action with upcoming events in Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Beenleigh, and Geelong.
Registration is now open for the following regional and state events:
The announced regional events all culminate with the Minor League Nationals as part of the Queensland Slam.
“We are also planning a huge Minor League event around the MLP finals in Sydney later this year,” Sange revealed. “We know the Sydney pickleball scene is booming, so to have a Minor League event where all the amateurs can come together, play the same format, and get that fun vibe while MLP finals are happening is going to be really exciting.”
*Teams also have a chance to win best-dressed prizes at each event, so be sure to put your creative hats on and come up with a fun team name/outfit for ultimate bragging rights. I hear it helps you play better, too.
Additional details to note if you’re keen to get involved:
- The average entry for each event has been $75AUD/player, and participants must register and pay as a team.
- Not every division is available at each event, so be sure to double-check the offerings for individual locations prior to signing up.
- Once a team registers for an MiLP event, ratings are “locked”, and DUPR increasing or decreasing will not impact the team’s aggregate or division placement.
Pathway to the Championships
In Australia, winners of the state and regional qualifying events listed previously also punch their ticket to the Australian National Championships, held September 12-14 at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane. The Minor League championships will be held alongside that week’s combined Major League Pickleball and PPA Australia Tour Queensland Slam — a true pickle fest!
From there, each DUPR division champion will receive a golden ticket to the 2025 Dink Minor League Pickleball Championship set for December 3-7 at the brand new Pickler Universe in Dallas, Texas. The best teams from around the world will gather there to battle it out for a piece of the $100,000 prize pool.
The dream for Australia is that eventually each of the Major League Pickleball teams will have an associated premier, masters, challenger, and DUPR 22-12 team to represent the whole club at the championships.
“My vision for 2026 and beyond is to have over 5,000 players playing Minor League pickleball throughout the year, and ultimately, that the winners of nationals who get a ticket to the US will be aligned to their Major League Pickleball team,” shares Sange.
Reflections: What the introduction of MiLP means for pickleball in Australia
The arrival of Minor League Pickleball reflects how far the sport has come in Australia, and offers a glimpse of where it’s heading next.
For everyday players, it offers another structured, competitive pathway that sits between casual social play and the pro circuit. MiLP rewards teamwork, strategy and community, honouring skills at all levels — the very elements that bring folks into the sport and keep them coming back.
For clubs and regions, MiLP is already bringing new energy and opportunities to connect, grow and represent their local scenes on a national (and international) stage. It’s a chance to keep building culture and identity, and to strengthen the case for more accessible pickleball across the country.
Finally, the introduction of MiLP furthers the need for accurate DUPR ratings. It’s a requirement for players to have a DUPR account at the time of registration, and the strength of each team (and the fairness of competition) directly relies on each individual’s rating.
Sange also offered a sneaky peek into what’s coming next… Australia will soon be running collegiate (university) pickleball! An expression of interest will be going out soon to university students who are keen to play MLP-style pickleball.
The goal is to have a tournament where the top two teams get a trip to the US to compete in the World Collegiate Championships at the start of November,* and anyone actively enrolled in university across Australia will be able to put a team together.
“This has been a big passion of mine that we’ve been trying to get off the ground for a while,” Sange says. “It’s only going to elevate the level of pickleball within Australia and start to develop those DUPR 18-20 players to feed through to the challenger and premier level which will start to get us that depth.”
*Eligible players will cover airfare, while hotels, transfers, tickets to see the pros play, and a clinic with the pros will all be covered.
If you’re keen to get involved, be quick to register for a Minor League near you!
Be sure to follow the official MiLP Australia schedule, sign up for future tournaments via the Minor League Pickleball Australia website, and keep up to date with PPA Australia and Beyond the Court for everything you need to know to get involved.
