Category: EXTERNAL: NOT SJPA NEWS or EVENT

The Cape Fear Intercommunity League will begin play in early March and end in late May of 2026.

The Cape Fear Inter-Community League Rep is now soliciting interest for this friendly, social, and competitive pickleball league that provides opportunities to play other communities including Winding River, Brunswick Forest, Waterford, Compass Point, Porter’s Neck, Landfall, and Del Webb. Players must turn 55 in the calendar year 2026. Please send a message to crollins@comtex.com by January 15th if you wish to play.  Any inquiries after this date will be considered only if space is available.

This is NOT an SJPA sponsored event or league. 

DIVISIONS

SOCIAL/NOVICE – Social division for beginner/novice players that will play in a social environment.  No DUPR rating required, but if DUPR rated, suggested rating should be under 2.99 DUPR.  Team formats will vary depending on community participation.  Play will be scheduled every other Monday.

INTERMEDIATE – Competitive division for players with a minimum of 50 DUPR games and a rating between 3.00 – 3.49.  The game format is one men’s double, one women’s double, and two mixed doubles: playing 7 rounds totaling 28 games weekly for a team of 10 to 12 players.  Play will be held on Wednesdays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM for away matches and on Tuesdays from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM when St. James hosts at home.

UPPER INTERMEDIATE – Competitive division for players with a minimum of 50 DUPR games and a rating between 3.50 – 3.99. The game format is one men’s double, one women’s double, and two mixed doubles: playing 7 rounds totaling 28 games weekly for a team of 10 to 12 players.  Play will be held on Thursdays from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

ADVANCED 4.0+ – Competitive division for players with a minimum of 50 DUPR games or waiver and a rating over 4.0. The game formats for 2026 are still to be determined and may change each scheduled play date based on players availability and DUPRs, A total of 28 games will be played. Recording some DUPR scores will be required for these matches.   Play will be scheduled every Monday.

League Registration – STEP ONE

Contact Cathy Rollins at 703-901-3217 or via email @ crollins@comtex.com to register.

DUPR Registration for this event – STEP TWO

Players are required to register on DUPR: https://mydupr.com. When you register you will be asked to provide your community. Enter: Cape Fear Intercommunity League.  If you do not have a DUPR rating, you have until February 28, 2026, to complete 50 DUPR matches. DUPR will begin recording your scores as soon as you register, and you will get a rating which will change as you enter your games.  The more games you play, the more accurate your rating becomes.  It is strongly suggested that you begin to use DUPR and as soon as possible if you wish to participate.  It is also strongly recommended to schedule and play DUPR matches with players of like ability.  Both the House of Pickleball and Pickle and Taps run weekly DUPR games.

Age – STEP THREE

Players must be 55 or older to play in the league.  If you turn 55 in the calendar year 2025, you are eligible to play.

Team Formation – STEP FOUR

Coaches will have the right to form their own teams. Formation of teams at the Intermediate, Upper Intermediate and Advanced level will be based on skill, DUPR, player availability and commitment to the team’s practice and game schedule. Coaches are needed at all levels. Please contact Cathy Rollins to express your interest in coaching a team.

Event Organizer

Cathy Rollins

703-901-3217

crollins@comtex.com

Porter’s Neck in Wilmington was the place to be on Thursday evening, May 23rd as the St. James team won the Cape Fear Intercommunity League (CFIL) Intermediate Division.

The team played seven rounds, winning five and tieing one round. Final overal points were 214 to Porter’s Neck’s 193.

Congratulations to the St. James team for great league play and winning the title. Special thanks to Cathy Rollins for her leadership and encouragement.

Sponsored by The Clubs at St. James

Sponsored by The Clubs at St. James

Pickleball Camp 3.0 -3.49 Level May 25-27

Pickleball Camp 3.5+ Level May 25-27

Here’s a great opportunity to share your love of Pickleball with the kids of the Southport community!

Wendy Jones, Southport Elementary PE teacher, has asked us once again to volunteer to teach pickleball to her students.  Those of you who did this last year will remember how much fun we had! 

WHERE: Southport Elementary School

WHEN: April 15 through April 19, and April 22 through April 25, from 11:15 am to 3:45 pm each day. SIGN UP CAN BE FOR ONE CLASS (one hour) or as long as you’d like to teach.

WHO: Southport Elementary students in grades 3, 4, and 5

DETAILS: The first week will be basic instruction and the second week will be actual game play. 

If you haven’t already completed Secure Volunteer (which is a background check for people working with children,) you will need to complete a Secure Volunteer application, pay the $25 fee, and be approved, prior to April 15.

If this great opportunity to work with kids interests you, please contact Eileen Kopunek (ekopunek@gmail.com) for more detailed information and to sign up.

Cape Fear Inter-Community League – Starting March 11th

Although some of these changes don’t apply to social play, the following are the changes that the USPA considers “Significant Rule Changes For 2024” for your information.

See see the entire USPA Pickleball Rulebook for 2024.

Correcting Server, Receiver and Player Position Errors (4.B.9)

Faults for incorrect server, incorrect receiver and player position errors are eliminated. The referee will now correct any such alter errors before calling the score. Rule 4.B.9 is the primary rule text. Several other rules have been modified or deleted to correlate with this change.

Draping Net (2.C.6/11.L.5.b)

Rule 2.C.6 called for a replay when a ball goes over the net and hits a net that is draped on the ground (except on a serve) but only if the referee determined that the ball was affected by the draped net. This rule, and Rule 11.L.5.b for temporary nets, now call for a replay without qualification. A determination that the ball was affected by the draped net is now not required in officiated or non-officiated play.

Catch or Carry Ball on the Paddle (7.L)

Rule 7.L now makes catching or carrying a ball on the paddle a fault without having to determine that the catch or carry was deliberately done.

Conceding a Rally (13.E.4/13.E.5)

Rule 13.E.5 calls for a replay when a player overrules to their detriment a line judge’s ‘out’ call as ‘in.’ The player or team may now choose to concede the rally to their opponent if they determine they would have been unable to return the ‘in’ ball.

Similarly, Rule 13.E.4 calls for a replay when the referee overturns a line judge’s out call as in.  The player or team who benefitted from the referee’s ruling may now choose to concede the rally to their opponent if they determine they would have been unable to return the ‘in’ ball.

Medical Time-Outs (10.B.2.c)

A player is now allowed to use available standard time-outs after the 15-minute medical time-out has expired to allow more time before the player must retire from the match.

NOTE related to medical time-outs:  Case 5-23 in the USAP Casebook establishes how and when a player can rescind a requested time-out, and that the medical time-out would not be charged to the player. The ruling has been revised to require that the requested medical time-out be charged to the player.

Paddle Specifications (2.E.2/2.E.5.a/2.E.5.c)

Paddle specifications have been updated to address new and emerging paddle technology and features and to clarify the alterations that players are allowed to make to certified paddles.

Mini-Singles (12.O)

Mini-singles is currently an approved format. The specific rules governing mini-singles are now incorporated in the Rulebook.

Although the sport of pickleball was invented over 50 years ago in 1965, the sport, the strategies, the shots, etc. are all constantly evolving. As a result, to stay ahead on the pickleball court it is important to constantly evolve yourself as a player. 

As we prepare to step into a new calendar year, we reflect on the common pitfalls of 2023 in an effort to avoid the same mistakes in 2024 on the pickleball court. This article unveils the top 5 pickleball mistakes to sidestep in the coming year, in an effort to help you elevate your performance on the court. 

Avoid these top 5 pickleball mistakes to up your game in 2024:

1. Easy Serves: The serve in pickleball is not just a “point starter.” Rather, it is a shot that can give you an advantage from the start of the rally. So, adopt the mindset and pickleball strategy to be aggressive on your serves in order to keep your opponents on their toes. 
2. Big Backswings: Avoid trying to do “too much” on the pickleball court. Bigger is not always better, and this is true of your pickleball game. In other words, simplify your strokes and avoid unnecessary, elaborate backswings. The goal should be to take short backswings. The more you limit your backswing, the faster reaction time you will have, the more consistent your shots will become, and the more you will be able to disguise your shots on the pickleball court.
3. Moving and Hitting at the Same Time: Master the split step for better positioning and more effective shots on the pickleball court. In other words, split step prior to hitting the pickleball in order to avoid moving your feet and hitting the pickleball at the same time. Moving and hitting at the same time will cause unnecessary unforced errors, as you will be prone to overrunning the pickleball, missing your contact point, overhitting the pickleball, and other avoidable errors.
4. Underutilizing the Lob: One of the most underutilized shots on the pickleball court is the lob—and, to be more specific, the offensive lob. The offensive lob is a critical shot that can help push your opponents back in the court to give you more space to win a rally. Embrace offensive lobs strategically for a powerful weapon on the pickleball court.
5. Stagnation: Too often, we get complacent with where we are at—including where our pickleball game is at. Pickleball is a relatively young sport that is constantly evolving, so it is important to constantly evolve yourself. In other words, in 2024, do not stagnate or become complacent. Rather, find something to work on. For instance, work on your ability to vary speeds and to disguise your different speeds and shots by having the same pre-motion and body language on every shot. Work on your footwork, which will improve every shot on the pickleball court. Work on new strategies, such as “the fade,” the “bait ball,” the “shake and bake,” etc. Stay ahead by actively adding new dimensions to your pickleball play.

From rethinking serves to unleashing the power of offensive lobs, simplifying strokes, perfecting your split step, and embracing a continuous learning mindset, these strategies aim to guide pickleball enthusiasts toward a more successful and rewarding gameplay experience in 2024. Upgrade your skills and outsmart opponents by steering clear of these common pickleball mistakes in 2024.

This article came from the website titled: Pickler
https://thepickler.com/

(This is not an SJPA event)

The team that has brought you the TIC Pickleball Invitational as well as the Tidewater Spring Fling Invitational cordially invites you to play in our latest tournament, the Tidewater Pickleball Holiday Classic, and learn more about our beautiful Tidewater Pickleball Park facility, scheduled to open in 2024.

This tournament will be held at Northern Regional Park (NRP) in Castle Hayne, NC. For more information on NRP, please visit here: https://www.nhcgov.com/2395/Northern-Regional-Park-at-Castle-Hayne

Friday, December 1, 2023 – Womens & Mens Over 50 Doubles
Saturday, December 2, 2023 – Mixed Doubles 18 to 49 and Over 50
Sunday, December 3, 2023 – Womens & Mens Doubles 18 to 49

Basic Registration costs are $50/person for the Early Registration period and $60/person for the Regular Registration period.
–Early registration ends Monday, October 23.
–Included with Basic Registration will be a Tidewater Pickleball Park hat, koozie, among other branded items and special offers.

There is an additional fee of $10/event for which a player registers.

If you need help in the registration process or are interested in volunteering for the event, please contact William Moore at info@tidewaterpickleball.com.

A portion of all tournament proceeds will be donated to The Good Shepherd Center and Second Chance Habitat.

We look forward to seeing you in Castle Hayne and sharing more about Tidewater Pickleball Park!

Tournament registration and information can be found here: https://pickleballbrackets.com/ptd.aspx?eid=7b55b180-ae26-45fd-bea3-d8c6b86651b1

For a limited time, you can use a coupon code: TPHC23
to get $25.00 off registration. The coupon code for $25.00 off registration– TPHC23 — will expire once the first 50 people sign up.

For more information about Tidewater Pickleball Park, please visit www.tidewaterpickleball.com.

A few changes have been made to the USA Pickleball Rule Book for 2023. Probably the most interesting for “amateur” players is the rule eliminating player out of position penalty.

Here’s the essence of the new rule:

4.B.9.a. If the referee or a player stops a rally in progress to correctly identify a player/position error, the rally shall be replayed. If a player stops a rally and incorrectly identifies a player/position error, it is a fault on the player who stopped the rally. If the referee stops a rally in progress and incorrectly identifies a player/position error, the rally shall be replayed.

If you want the actual rule change details go to https://usapickleball.org/news/mid-year-revisions-to-the-2023-usa-pickleball-rulebook/

If you want a great explanation of the new rule as it relates to non-officiated play, check out The Pickler article by Mark Peifer