Frequently Asked Questions:​

1. How do we find someone to help with a question or problem during the tournament?

   • Volunteers will be wearing Gold Picklefest tee shirts.

2. What kind of balls are we using?​

   • Onix Pure 2 Outdoor Yellow Balls.​

3. What time should I arrive at Maine Pines?

   • For the 8-11 AM sessions, check-in starts at 7 AM, and you can warm up shortly after 7.  Please make sure you are checked in by 7:30 AM.  The 11 AM session may start as early as 10:30, so please be checked in by 10:15.  The 2 PM session may start up to 45 minutes early, so please be checked in by 1 PM.​

4. If I buy 100 raffle tickets, do I have to write my phone number on every single one of them like I did last year?

   • No!  We now hand you half of each ticket, and post the winning numbers!  No paperwork for you!​  You can buy 200 tickets!

5. Should we bring extra chairs?

   • There is a viewing area upstairs with couches and chairs, but you can also sit along the sides of the courts, and while there are a few benches available, bringing your own folding chair, one with feet that won't hurt the court surfaces, is not a bad idea.  Toss them in the back of the car, and if you need them, you'll be glad you did.​

6. Is there a dress code?

   • No, but it would be nice if you don't match the color of the Onix Pure 2 Outdoor Yellow Balls with your clothes.

7. What if I don't know what Bracket I'm in?  What's this "WD 3.5 B" thing?

   • The list of brackets is published above in the player list, which will be printed and posted on the wall near the snack table across from check-in.  The "A", "B", etc., sub-brackets are how we break up the larger brackets into a size manageable for round robin play.  Each sub-bracket will be awarded its own medals.​  THERE WILL BE NO PLAYOFF ROUNDS BETWEEN SUB-BRACKETS.

8. Do we have referees?

   • No.  We have scorekeepers, one for each sub-bracket, who will tell you which courts to play on for each round and when to start the game.

9. What if we have a dispute over a point, or a rule?
   • Ask your scorekeeper, who will call one of our Dispute Coordinators if necessary.​
10. Do we have to wear first-server bracelets?
    • No.  These are provided for players who want to wear them.​
11. Do we get breaks between games?
    • We will allow 3 minutes of warm-up before the first game of each session, and 2 minutes between games.​  If you are late arriving for your match, and the scorekeeper cannot find you, you will forfeit your match.  If you have an odd number of players in your sub-bracket, you will get one bye during your session.

12. How many points are in each game and match?

    • Unless the scorekeepers tell you otherwise, each match will consist of one game to 15 points, win by 1.​

13. How do we choose a starting side and serving team?

    • This is best explained with an example: Hermione and Ron are playing mixed doubles against ​Meghan and Harry.  Hermione (picked randomly) puts her hand behind her back, and holds up either 1 or 2 fingers.  Meghan stands behind Hermione in view of Hermione's hand while Harry guesses, 1 or 2.  In this example, Harry is correct.  Harry and Meghan get to pick "side or serve", and pick "serve", so Hermione and Ron will pick "side".   Harry and Meghan choose to receive.  Hermione and Ron choose the side by the curtain.

14. Do we switch sides during the game?

    • That's up to the teams.  In games to 15, if you decide to switch sides, do so when the team in the lead reaches 8 points.​​

15. Can we use empty courts to warm up?​

    • ​Yes, ​but please be courteous of games in session.

16. How about Spectators?​

    • Spectators are welcome.  We have a nice big viewing area upstairs, with a good view of courts 1-4, maybe 5 and 6.   They can also join you on the courts.  There is some seating, but you might want to bring extra chairs (make sure they have plastic feet so they won't hurt the courts).

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