Welsh Pickleball Club League launches national system with promotion and relegation
What’s the Score?
The Welsh Pickleball Club League (WPCL) has unveiled a professionalised national structure designed to unify the sport across the country. Led by Directors Joel Baker and Matthew Hazlehurst, the league will feature Open and Women’s divisions split into three regions: North, South East, and South West Wales. Functioning like a traditional football league, the WPCL will implement a promotion and relegation system to ensure balanced competition.
Hit it deeper!
The WPCL is designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of age or gender. The Open League requires a minimum of six players, while the Women's League requires four, with seasons lasting four months. A key feature of the league is the home-and-away format, where the home team is responsible for venue booking, providing equipment, and selecting the balls for the match. This puts the responsibility of growth on local clubs, encouraging them to establish a "base location" and build a community around their regional fixtures.
Matches consist of nine games for the Open League and six for the Women’s League, with the latter utilizing a "Dream Breaker" tiebreaker if the score is tied 3-3. Team captains play a pivotal role, handling everything from player selection to seeding pairs for specific matchups. Registration for the inaugural season closes on February 21st, with matches officially beginning on March 1st. By the end of the year, organisers hope to host a "Grand Final" where the top teams from each region face off to crown a true national champion.
The World Pickleball Verdict
Wales is building a sustainable future by borrowing from the most successful sports model in Europe: the football league system. By creating regional divisions and a promotion/relegation hierarchy, the WPCL ensures that a small community group can eventually compete against the nation's best clubs. This structure provides a roadmap for other small nations looking to turn a disorganised collection of players into a cohesive, professionalised national sport.