MLP Pickleball: The Complete Guide to Major League Pickleball (2026)

Major League Pickleball (MLP) is the team-based professional pickleball league that is revolutionizing the game, the fans, and the sport as a whole. If you are hearing about MLP pickleball for the first time and wondering what all of the commotion is about — or if you are already a fan and looking for season 2026 insights and updates — this guide has got you covered!

From the MLPlay™ format uniqueness and DreamBreaker™ tiebreakers to the entire 2026 season format, team rosters, offseason transactions, and major rules changes, you can find all the information in one place here.

What Is MLP (Major League Pickleball)?

Major League Pickleball — commonly referred to as MLP — is a professional pickleball league featuring team players. Rather than tour events where players contend individually or in pairs, MLP features coed teams of six players competing together in a special multi-match format.

It's like pickleball's version of team leagues like the NFL or NBA, but with the twist that every team is coed so men's and women's players are competing together in each match.

Key Facts About MLP

• Founded: 2021
• Teams: 23 total — 18 Premier Level, 5 Challenger Level
• Presented by: DoorDash
• Governing body: United Pickleball Association (UPA)
• MLPlay™: women's doubles, men's doubles, 2 mixed doubles matches, DreamBreaker™ tiebreaker
• Team size: 6 players per team (minimum 2 men and 2 women)

In 2024, MLP and the PPA Tour (Professional Pickleball Association) merged into one organization under the name United Pickleball Association (UPA), a unified structure for professional pickleball. There is a separate tour for individual pros run by the PPA Tour and a team league run by MLP, but many of the top players are in both.

How the MLPlay™ Format Works

The MLPlay™ format is what distinguishes MLP pickleball from all other professional pickleball leagues. Here’s how a team match works:

The Four Games

Each MLP team match consists of four games played back-to-back:

Game	Format	Scoring
Game 1	Women's Doubles	To 11, win by 2 (side-out)
Game 2	Men's Doubles	To 11, win by 2 (side-out)
Game 3	Mixed Doubles #1	To 11, win by 2 (side-out)
Game 4	Mixed Doubles #2	To 11, win by 2 (side-out)

All four games are played side-out to 11 points winning by 2. Some key tactics: with 2 mixed doubles games, teams must decide how to pair their players across the 2 mixed doubles games - this introduces some real strategy.

New for 2026: all 6 players on a roster can play in a match (no more “starter” vs “sub” distinction), giving coaches more flexibility to rotate players across the 4 matches.

The DreamBreaker™

If the score is a tie 2-2 after all four games, then the match goes to the DreamBreaker™, MLP's innovative format for deciding ties and one of the most thrilling features of professional pickleball.

Here's how it works:

• Rally scoring to 21 (every rally counts, regardless of who's serving)
• Teams alternate which player is on court, switching every 4 points
• Players rotate through singles play, creating a relay-style format
• At game point, there's a freeze — the scoring team must win on their serve
• There is a new development for the year 2026. The DreamBreaker lineups are going to be submitted after the final doubles game and not the night before. This means that the teams will not have to make any adjustments based on the events of the previous night.

2026 MLP Pickleball Schedule

The 2026 MLP season is the most expansive yet — 13 event weekends across May, June, July, and August, with the season-ending event in the historic Wollman Rink in New York City. Here’s the full schedule:

Regular Season

Event	Dates	City	Venue
Regular Season #1	May 22–25	Dallas, TX	Pickler Universe
Regular Season #2	May 28–31	Columbus, OH	Pickle & Chill
Regular Season #3	June 4–7	St. Louis, MO	Chaifetz Arena
Regular Season #4	June 11–14	Austin, TX	Austin Pickle Ranch
Regular Season #5	June 18–21	St. Petersburg, FL	St. Pete Athletic
Regular Season #6	June 25–28	New York, NY	Sportime Randall's Island
Mid-Season Tournament	July 8–12	Grand Rapids, MI	Bellknap Park
Regular Season #7	July 16–19	Newport Beach, CA	Tennis and Pickleball Club
Regular Season #8	July 23–26	Chicago, IL	Life Time North Shore
Regular Season #9	July 30–Aug 2	Walt Disney World, FL	ESPN Wide World of Sports

Playoffs

Event	Dates	City	Venue
Playoffs #1	Aug 6–9	Dallas, TX	Pickler Universe
Playoffs #2	Aug 13–16	San Diego, CA	Barnes Tennis Center
Playoffs #3 — Finals	Aug 28–30	New York, NY	CityPickle at Wollman Rink

The itinerary is a cross-country tour that hits the highlights: Dallas, New York, Chicago, Austin, and Walt Disney World for the final push and the spectacular conclusion at CityPickle at Wollman Rink in Central Park, the ultimate outdoor venue.

A few events will also include MiLP (Minor League Pickleball) and Jr. MLP tournaments, allowing amateur and youth players to compete alongside the professionals.

Key 2026 Rule Changes

For the 2026 season MLP sees many major rule changes that impact the game’s mechanics. These are some of the most notable adjustments.

Full Roster Usage

All 6 players on a team are now eligible to play in any game. There were previously restrictions in earlier seasons regarding a starter/sub classification that limited the flexibility of players to different positions. With this new format, coaches will have the opportunity to explore all different lineups for the 4 games of the season.

Event Winners Are Back

Each regular season weekend now has an event winner. There is excitement again in competing over weekends — there is more than just the season points tournament.

F1-Style Points System

MLP has adopted an F1-inspired points system for season standings:

Finish	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
Points	25	18	15	12	10	8	6	4	1

This approach rewards consistency across the entire season but provides a meaningful bonus for teams that achieve victory in events.

Expanded Playoffs

12 of the 18 Premier Level teams make the playoffs, up from 10 of 16 in previous seasons. The playoffs now take place over three weekends: in Dallas, then in San Diego, and finally the Finals in New York City. More teams have a chance to win the championship.

DreamBreaker Lineup Timing

Teams send in their DreamBreaker lineups after the last doubles match and not the night before. This means coaches have time to account for injuries, momentum and best matchups in real time.

No More Player "Stealing" Rule

The contentious rule which enabled teams to "steal" players from other teams has been abolished, leading to improved roster stability and uniqueness of teams within the league.

MLP Pickleball Teams

MLP has 23 teams divided over two leagues: the Premier League (18 teams) and the Challenger League (5 teams). The Premier League is where the best athletes in the sport compete, while the Challenger League is a lower tier that helps develop players.

Teams to Watch in 2026

Here are the teams generating the most buzz heading into the 2026 season:

🏆 Dallas Flash — Last year’s MLP champions are the team to beat. They have a winning culture and return as the favorites in a competitive field.

🔥 LA Mad Drops — probably the most exciting offseason roster move of all time: the Mad Drops traded Hunter Johnson to Chicago for Max Freeman, then signed Ben Johns, the best pickleball player in the world. Their whole roster: Ben Johns, Catherine Parenteau, Jade Kawamoto, Max Freeman, Mehvish Safdar, and Wes Burrows. Men’s doubles is a nightmare.

⭐ New Jersey 5s — Thanks to superstar player Anna Leigh Waters, who is the youngest all-star in pickleball history, this team is always competing. They also received some cash from Chicago with the Zane Navratil trade, so they may have something to work with for future trades.

⚡ St. Louis Shock — With Gabe Tardio — currently #1 in PPA men's doubles — looking explosive! Getting a home event at Chaifetz Arena is a serious bonus for them at the start of the season.

🔄 Chicago Slice — The biggest offseason moves. Chicago added Zane Navratil (from New Jersey) and Hunter Johnson (from LA) so they basically have a new team. If it works, they might be worth watching out for.

🆕 Las Vegas & Palm Beach — Two new Premier Level teams for 2026. Promotion for Las Vegas from the Challenger Level, expansion team for Palm Beach. Interesting opening campaigns ahead for these sides.

January 2026 Trade Window Recap

MLP's inaugural 2026 trade window (January 28 – February 15) kicked off with a burst of activity as three trades were reported within the first four days:.

Date	Trade Details
Jan 30	LA Mad Drops acquire Max Freeman ← → Chicago Slice acquire Hunter Johnson + cash
Jan 31	Atlanta Bouncers acquire Jay Devilliers ← → Miami Pickleball Club acquire Eric Roddy + cash
Jan 31	Chicago Slice acquire Zane Navratil ← → New Jersey 5s acquire cash

The LA–Chicago trade is the big news. Max Freeman paired with Ben Johns in Mad Drops make arguably the most potent men’s doubles combo in MLP. Chicago made a bold move to rebuild around seasoned playmakers Zane Navratil and Hunter Johnson.

The trade window will remain open until 15 February, meaning there may be additional transactions.

Do you want to check the player's performance? You can search for any player's tournament history and DUPR rating on Tournament Pickle.

How to Watch MLP Pickleball & Get Tickets

MLP’s 2025 season brought in 52% more fans than the previous year. They are predicting even more fans in 2026! You can’t miss it!

In Person

• Most events: Tickets available on Tixr (tixr.com/groups/ppa)
• St. Louis (Chaifetz Arena) Walt Disney World (ESPN Wide World of Sports): Available on Ticketmaster as well
• MiLP Jr. MLP: Select events include junior and junior leagues - ideal for families and young players wishing to start their tennis career

On Screen

MLP matches are shown on major sports television networks and streaming services. For the upcoming season’s broadcast schedule, visit the official MLP website for updates.

MLP vs. PPA Tour: What's the Difference?

Since MLP and PPA Tour are both UPA league teams, fans want to understand the differences. Here’s a concise summary:

Feature	MLP	PPA Tour
Format	Team-based (6-player coed teams)	Individual (singles, doubles, mixed)
Competition style	MLPlay™ format with DreamBreaker	Traditional tournament brackets
Season structure	Weekend events → Playoffs → Finals	Multi-stop tour with rankings
Scoring	Team placement points (F1-style)	Individual ranking points
Unique element	DreamBreaker tiebreaker, team trades	Pro + amateur draws at same events

The key difference: MLP is a team sport, PPA is individual. Many of the top players compete in both – Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters, and others play PPA Tour events as singles but also compete for their MLP team as part of a squad. The two tours feed into each other, they do not compete against one another.

If you need to understand pickleball ratings for the first time, be sure to check out our full DUPR rating guide, which will explain everything you need to know about the unified rating system used for both MLP and PPA leagues.

A Brief History of MLP

Major League Pickleball has grown remarkably fast since its founding:

• 2021: MLP establishes MLP to create team pickleball competition for pro players
• 2022: The league undergoes rapid expansion as it welcomes celebrity owners and experiences significant growth in team numbers
• 2023: MLP Expands to 24 Teams and Becomes a Key Event in Professional Pickleball
• 2024: MLP and PPA Tour merge under the United Pickleball Association (UPA),Professional pickleball's top tours. DoorDash becomes the tournament's main sponsor
• 2025: Season sees a 52% increase in attendance, signaling surging fan interest
• 2026: Biggest season ever– 23 teams, 13 events, expanded playoffs, F1 points, and Finals at Wollman Rink in NYC

The trend is established: MLP is no longer an up-and-coming league; it has become the preeminent team competition in professional pickleball.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MLP in pickleball?

MLP is a team league for professional pickleball competing in a 23 team coed league. Teams feature 6 players and compete in an MLPlay™ format: women’s, men’s doubles, 2 mixed doubles matches, and a DreamBreaker™ tiebreaker if needed. MLP is affiliated with the UPA and the PPA Tour.

How many teams are in MLP?

As of 2026, MLP has 23 teams: 18 Premier League teams and 5 Challenger League teams. New for 2026 is that Las Vegas was promoted from Challenger to Premier and Palm Beach is an expansion team.

When does the 2026 MLP season start?

The 2026 MLP season begins on May 22, 2026, with Regular Season #1 in Dallas, TX at Pickler Universe. The season ends on August 30, with the Playoffs Finals held at CityPickle at Wollman Rink in New York City.

How does the MLP format work?

There are 4 games in each team match: women’s, men’s and 2 mixed doubles. Games are to 11 (win by 2) with side out scoring. If tied 10-10, a DreamBreaker™ tiebreaker will be played — rally scoring to 21 with players rotating every 4 points. The team that wins 3 of the 4 games (or the DreamBreaker) wins the match.

Where can I watch MLP pickleball?

MLP events are shown on sports networks and streaming services. For live events, tickets are available through Tixr for most events, and Ticketmaster also sells tickets for events in St. Louis and Walt Disney World.

How is MLP different from the PPA Tour?

MLP is a team league (6-player coed teams competing in the MLPlay format), whereas the PPA Tour is an individual professional tour (singles, doubles, mixed brackets). Both are under the UPA and many of the top players compete in both leagues. MLP features team-based strategy and the unique DreamBreaker™ tiebreaker, while PPA focuses on individual rankings and traditional tournament structure.

The Bottom Line

MLP pickleball has blossomed from an experimental venture to the most exciting team vouching league in pickleball sports. Things are already tantalizingly exciting for the 2026 season, with expanded rosters, an F1-style points race, three playoff weekends, and the Grand Finale set against the stunning backdrop of Central Park.

Whether you are a diehard fan tracking trades and DreamBreaker stats or a casual player looking to understand what all the MLP hype is about, the 2026 season has something for everyone. The season kicks off May 22 in Dallas — you won’t want to miss it.

Looking for more pickleball content? Explore the most popular pickleball tournaments in America, learn about how DUPR ratings work, or find tournaments near you on Tournament Pickle.