The Dallas Flash, Columbus Sliders and SoCal Hard Eights remain unbeaten at MLP San Diego, but the event’s points system means their work is far from complete.

  • Dallas lead Group A at 2–0, while Columbus and SoCal share perfect 3–0 records in Group B.
  • Saturday’s final group matches will determine whether those starts are worth a place in Sunday’s 25-point match or a considerably smaller return.
  • California, Utah and Florida face particular pressure as the battle for play-off points tightens.

The official MLP San Diego standings show Dallas leading Group A at 2–0, with Atlanta, Bay Area and Los Angeles gathered immediately behind them at 1–1. In Group B, Columbus and SoCal share perfect 3–0 records, while Orlando, Phoenix and California remain in contention for the four places that carry meaningful standings points into Super Sunday.

Saturday will settle the order. At this event, the difference between first and second is worth far more than the satisfaction of winning a group.

The two group winners will meet on Sunday for 25 standings points, with 18 going to the losing side. Second place offers a maximum of 15 points, third 10 and fourth six. Teams finishing fifth receive one point, while the bottom side in the six-team Group B receives nothing.

San Diego has reached the stage at which one result can alter the value of an entire weekend.

Dallas face the match Group A has been building towards

The Flash are the only unbeaten team in Group A, but their position comes with a sizeable qualification. They still have to play the Los Angeles Mad Drops on Saturday afternoon.

That match always looked likely to shape the group. Los Angeles arrived in San Diego among the league’s leading teams and had swept Dallas 3–0 at the Mid-Season Tournament a week earlier. Their 1–1 start here has created a different equation. The Mad Drops could still win the group, but they could also enter Sunday in its lower half.

Dallas have given themselves the opportunity to turn a promising two days into their most valuable weekend of the season. They entered San Diego eighth in the points-per-event standings, some distance behind the leading contenders despite possessing a roster capable of troubling them.

First place in Group A would guarantee at least 18 points on Sunday. Finishing third could reduce that minimum return to eight.

Los Angeles carry another kind of pressure. Their place in the play-offs is close to secure, but their season has repeatedly delivered strong results without the consistent control expected from a championship contender. They remain capable of beating anybody. They have also allowed apparently manageable weekends to become more difficult than necessary.

A victory over Dallas would restore some order and place the Mad Drops in contention for the event’s largest prize. Defeat could leave them dependent on other results merely to preserve a favourable Sunday position.

Atlanta and Bay Area, both 1–1, ensure this is not simply a two-team argument. Each remains capable of climbing towards the top of the group or slipping into the battle to avoid fifth.

For the Breakers, the opportunity is particularly valuable. They began the week at the bottom of the Premier standings and in danger of losing contact with the play-off race. One win has kept their weekend alive. Saturday will determine whether that becomes a serious points return or another missed opening.

Utah sit fifth at 0–2. The Black Diamonds entered San Diego holding the final play-off position, but with little protection from the teams around them. A fifth-place finish would add only one point and invite those pursuing them to close the gap.

Columbus and SoCal have separated themselves

Group B has produced a clear leading pair and a much less orderly contest beneath them.

Columbus and SoCal are both 3–0. The Sliders began the week as favourites after taking bronze at the Mid-Season Tournament, where they beat Los Angeles in the third-place match. The Hard Eights arrived much closer to the play-off boundary and with greater need of a substantial return.

For Columbus, San Diego is the final stop of the regular season. They came into the event on 65 standings points, within reach of confirming their play-off place and establishing a total that teams such as Los Angeles and Brooklyn will have to chase over the remaining events.

Their unbeaten start has done most of the necessary work. The remaining question concerns how much value they can extract from it.

Win Group B and Columbus will play for 25 points, with 18 guaranteed even in defeat. Finish second and the available return falls to 15 or 12. Two teams can therefore carry identical group records into Saturday and leave the event separated by as many as 13 points.

That is why SoCal’s start matters. The Hard Eights began San Diego only just above the play-off line, carrying less margin for error than the Sliders and needing more than another competitive showing.

Their season has contained enough high-level pickleball to suggest they belong in the post-season, but also enough volatility to keep them close to danger. At the Mid-Season Tournament, they surrendered a 10–0 lead in a mixed doubles game before recovering to win the resulting DreamBreaker. San Diego has so far produced the results without the same damage.

If SoCal can claim first place, Sunday becomes an opportunity to transform their play-off position. Even second would guarantee a return capable of creating some separation from the teams below them.

California’s rebuilt roster faces an early test

The Orlando Squeeze occupy third place at 2–2. Phoenix and the California Black Bears are both 1–2, with the Flames currently fourth and California fifth.

That places immediate pressure on the Black Bears following the final trade window.

Dylan Frazier, Jalina Ingram and Zoey Weil arrived as part of a substantial attempt to rebuild a roster that had spent much of the season without a settled identity. Expecting instant cohesion would be unreasonable. San Diego nevertheless offers little time for experimentation.

A fifth-place finish would reduce California’s entire return to one point. Moving above Phoenix would at least place the new group in a Sunday match with either four or six available. The distinction is modest compared with the rewards at the top, but significant for a team trying to rescue its season.

Orlando have given themselves a route to a useful Sunday despite playing four matches, although their position remains vulnerable. The Squeeze entered the week close to the lower edge of the play-off field and need to convert a respectable group record into points.

Florida face the bleakest position. The Smash are 0–4 at the bottom of Group B and in danger of leaving San Diego empty-handed. At this stage of their season, another competitive weekend without a meaningful return would carry little value.

Saturday sets the price

After two days, San Diego has three unbeaten teams but no group winner.

Dallas must still face Los Angeles. Columbus and SoCal must settle the order at the top of Group B. Atlanta, Bay Area, Orlando, Phoenix and California remain within reach of more valuable positions, while Utah and Florida risk leaving with almost nothing.

The records tell us who has handled the opening two days best. Saturday will tell us what those records are worth.

Further Reading

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Chris Beaumont

Founder and Editor-in-Chief
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at…

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