A Message from the Commissioner
Hello APPL Players!
We formally closed our 2024 APPL season on June 30th. After our best and biggest State Championships yet, our APPL team volunteers gave a brief sigh of relief and reflected on our experiences which helped calibrate our strive for continuous improvement. Our love for the game is what unites us, and it’s this passion that drives us to enhance every aspect of our pickleball league. For the first time ever, we sent out a large-scale survey to ask for your input on how we can improve. We received an overwhelming response and want to THANK YOU for the time you took to share your perspectives and comments.
The most common area of feedback was centered around making flights fairer from a skills perspective. In considering various solutions to accomplish this, we recognized the need for an APPL specific method of evaluating a player’s skills. Working with our software provider, we are able to use historical APPL match play to create an APPL Index that determines the skill level at which one would play. We no longer need to be at the mercy of various rating systems, some stale, some ever changing and some lacking in control. In addition to the email you already received about this modification to our ratings approach, please refer to the section below for more details about the new APPL Index.
We believe that the introduction of the APPL Index represents a significant step forward in making flights more fair, the playing field more level and APPL more fun. We hope you are enjoying your summer and are looking forward to player registration for our 2025 season only a couple months away!
Greg Mather
“To Improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
~ Winston Churchill, Former Prime Minister of the UK
Championships Results
Our State Championships were held April 5-7 at the picturesque Pueblo El Mirage in the West Valley. Players from every APPL region gathered to showcase their pickleball skills, determination, and competitive spirit.
We had over 90 teams from across the state competing for the APPL State Championship title in each gender and skill level.
Winning teams received State Championship hats and visors as well as a champion banner. Finalists and third-place teams received APPL bag tags. Over $4000 worth of prizes were raffled off to players and APPL volunteers working the event.
Congratulations and thank you to all participants for your contribution in helping us end our 2024 season on such a positive note. The winning teams and their photos are posted HERE.
NOTE: APPL age brackets for the 2025 season will remain the same as last year.
APPL Player Index
As was shared in an earlier email sent to all APPL participants, the new “APPL Index” has been added to the APPL ratings structure for the upcoming season. Designed to improve the players competitive experience in 2025, this change is being made in response to players’ concerns, taken from our recent APPL survey, surrounding existing rating systems. This Index is based solely on APPL match play.
All APPL players who played games in any of the last three seasons have an APPL Index visible (only to you) by logging onto your player profile in your regional website. Also, a set of Frequently Asked Questions, that provides more detailed information, has been posted on the APPL website under Player Resources – APPL INDEX FAQ’S.
All players have been assigned a single APPL Index that includes both their gender and mixed doubles APPL match play from the last three years. Players will use this APPL Index to define their skill level for all teams on which they play in 2025. If your APPL index does NOT match the skill level you played last year, please refer to the FAQ question: “My APPL Index is different from the skill level I played in during the 2024 season. What should I do?”
The addition of the APPL Index is a major modification to the APPL structure, one that we envision will make noticeable improvements to the player experience. Please note, the APPL Index will result in some players needing to move up, and others down. Playing in the skill level based on your new APPL Index should result in the fairest competition.
Please see the FAQs if you have any additional questions.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
~ Socrates, Greek Philosopher
White Mountain Region Summer League
Our White Mountain summer league is wrapping up its third season with 36 teams across 3 skill levels enjoying the cool summer conditions in the beautiful pines. This summer league continues to increase in size and enthusiasm. The season will culminate with an awards ceremony and luncheon on August 22. Thank you to all those participating in White Mountain APPL competition this summer!
New Appeals Process Coming Soon
A revised Appeals Document will be available starting on August 1. The form is located on the APPL Website > Resources > APPL Captain’s Resources > Online Forms > APPL Rating Appeals. Plan on completing the form in one session because the document cannot be saved.
After the Appeal form is submitted, it will be reviewed by a Central Appeals Committee composed of a representative from each region and a committee chairperson. Each Appeal will be reviewed and discussed to ensure consistency throughout the State. The Central Appeals Committee will document and communicate the decision to the submitter.
“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by discomforts.”
~ Arnold Bennett, Prolific British Author
