IEEE SMC 2026 Friendship Pickleball Tournament
Official Regulations & Tournament Guidelines
Executive Summary & Overview
Welcome to the IEEE SMC 2026 Friendship Pickleball Tournament! Held alongside the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC 2026) in Bellevue, Washington, this tournament offers attendees an exciting opportunity to network, stay active, and build collegial connections on the court.
- Event Format: Welcome to the IEEE SMC 2026 Friendship Pickleball Tournament! Held alongside the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC 2026) in Bellevue, Washington, this tournament offers attendees an exciting opportunity to network, stay active, and build collegial connections on the court.
- Organizer: Xiaoou Li
- Tournament Champions: the participant(s) with the highest cumulative individual score will be announced and recognized during the IEEE SMC 2026 Closing Ceremony.
Venue & Transportation
· Venue: Bellevue Pickleball Club
· Address: 44 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
· Proximity to Main Venue: Located less than 1 mile south of the Hyatt Regency Bellevue (Conference Headquarters).
o By Foot: ~13-minute walk heading south on Bellevue Way NE.
o By Car / Ride Share: ~3-minute drive.
Tournament Schedule & Session Breakdown
The tournament features 6 scheduled sessions spread across morning and evening slots to accommodate conference presentations, workshops, and committee meetings:
|
Session |
Day & Date |
Time Slot |
Pre-Registered Players |
Court Setup |
|
Session 1 |
Sunday, Oct 4 |
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Welcome Session) |
26 players |
4 Courts (Rolling rotation) |
|
Session 2 |
Monday, Oct 5 |
6:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Morning Slot) |
12 players |
2 Courts (Standard rotation) |
|
Session 3 |
Monday, Oct 5 |
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Evening Slot) |
28 players |
4 Courts (Rolling rotation) |
|
Session 4 |
Tuesday, Oct 6 |
6:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Morning Slot) |
15 players |
2 Courts (Rolling rotation) |
|
Session 5 |
Tuesday, Oct 6 |
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM (Evening Slot) |
23 players |
4 Courts (Rolling rotation) |
|
Session 6 |
Wednesday, Oct 7 |
6:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Final Slot) |
10 players |
2 Courts (Compact session) |
Detailed Regulations and Guidelines
Check-In & Player Numbers
|
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Sign-In: Arrive at the courts and sign in on the attendance list. |
|
|
Player Number: The volunteer session coordinator will assign you a permanent working number for that session. |
|
|
Court Callouts: Listen for court announcements (e.g., 'Court 1: Players 1 and 3 vs. 2 and 4! Court 2: Players 5 and 7 vs. 6 and 8!'). |
 |
No Fixed Teams: Players do not need to register with a partner. Partners and opponents will rotate throughout each session. |
Session & Match Timing
Session Duration: Each session lasts 2 hours.
20-Minute Round Structure:
o 5 Minutes: Warm-up and court pairing.
o 15 Minutes: Active match play.
Recording Scores:
o The first game played during each round is the official scoring game.
o If the first game ends before time is called, players may continue playing additional games for fun and practice until the round ends, but only the score from the first game will count toward the tournament leaderboard.
o If the first game has not finished when the coordinator calls “Time,” play stops immediately and the score at that moment becomes the official score for that round.
o The round ends when time is called, regardless of whether the current game has finished.
Court Rotation & Partner Mixing
Capacity: We utilize 3 courts, allowing 12 players to compete simultaneously.
Rest Rotations: If more than 12 players attend a session, players take turns sitting out each round. The coordinator manages a rolling rotation to ensure everyone gets equal playing time.
Partner Mixing: Partners and opponents automatically rotate every round:
Cumulative Tournament Leaderboard
Only the first game played in each timed round counts toward the tournament leaderboard.
A participant’s official points from the first game of each round are added together across all 6 sessions to create his or her cumulative tournament score.
Participants are welcome to attend as many sessions as they wish. More participation provides more opportunities to play, meet other attendees, and accumulate official points.
There is no requirement to play with the same partner, and participants may play with anyone assigned by the session coordinator.
The participant(s) with the highest cumulative individual score at the end of all sessions will be recognized at the Closing Ceremony.
In the event of a tie, the participant who attended more sessions will rank higher. If the tie remains, the participant who played more official scoring rounds will rank higher.
Player Equipment & Guidelines
Paddles & Balls: Official pickleball paddles can be rented on-site. Players are welcome to bring their own paddles.
Footwear: Indoor court shoes or athletic sneakers are required at Bellevue Pickleball Club.
Sportsmanship: This is a friendship tournament designed for networking, fun, and healthy competition. Respectful callouts, line calls, and camaraderie are always expected.
Contact & Organizing Committee
For questions, scheduling inquiries, or court assistance, please reach out to the tournament Chair.
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