Frequently Asked Questions
What DinkPro is, how it runs a pickleball open-play session, and how it's different from other court rotation, matchmaking, and queue management tools.
What is DinkPro?
DinkPro is a free, browser-based app for running pickleball open play and tournaments. It handles court rotation, player queueing, matchmaking, live scoring and standings for open play, runs single or double elimination brackets with an optional round-robin group stage, puts the courts and queue on a TV, and offers an optional Ranked mode with a player rating (DPR). No login to host, and it works offline.
Do players or organizers need to create an account?
No login to run open play; optional Ranked accounts. An organizer types a name and starts the session, and players can self check-in by scanning a QR code with their own name. Only players who want a permanent DPR rating in Ranked games sign in, with a free email code.
Does DinkPro work without internet access?
Yes. The core app is offline-first - court rotation, matchmaking, scoring, and standings all run entirely on the organizer's device with no network connection required. Two optional features use a network when one is available - "Go Live" broadcasts a read-only spectator view to players' phones, and the Rotation Advisor sends the session's anonymized numbers (never player names) for a second opinion on your rotation - and the session runs fine without either.
How does DinkPro decide who plays next?
DinkPro offers ten matchmaking modes (Ranked, Auto-Balanced, Skill, Winners Court, Mixed, Skill Courts, Ladder (King / Queen court), Clutch timed games, the Level-Up rating engine, and Fixed Pair), each scoring candidates on fairness (games played), variety (avoiding repeat partners/opponents), and mode-specific rules, then seating the best-scoring group automatically as courts open. Fixed Pair is the exception to the per-player scoring: there the two players you pair stay together all session and the rotation seats whole teams, banding them by games played so no team plays twice while another waits, and a silent bracket pairs last-game winners with winners and losers with losers, so a comeback win promotes a new challenger.
Can late arrivals join mid-session without unfair advantages?
Yes. A player who checks in after the session has started is automatically kept from immediately jumping ahead of players who arrived on time - they wait their turn in the queue rather than being auto-prioritized to catch up on games played.
How many courts can one session manage?
Up to 12 courts in a single session, with automatic cross-court player rotation so every open court fills from a fairly-managed shared queue.
Does DinkPro export results to DUPR?
Yes, via a one-tap CSV export formatted for DUPR's manual match upload. A fully-automatic real-time DUPR API sync is planned but depends on DUPR's own partner-API approval process.
Is DinkPro free?
Yes, DinkPro is free with every feature included - there is no paid tier, subscription, or per-court limit beyond the 12-court session cap.
What devices does DinkPro run on?
Any device with a modern web browser - phone, tablet, or desktop. Nothing to install; it can also be added to a phone's home screen as an installable web app for an app-like experience.
Can DinkPro run a pickleball tournament?
Yes. Tournament Mode runs a single or double elimination bracket for 2 to 32 singles or doubles entries on up to 12 named courts, optionally after a round-robin group stage where the top finishers qualify. It seeds byes, calls the next match to a free court, keeps live scores, plays a conditional grand final reset, and, with Go Live on, shows the bracket on players' phones. It is free, and the bracket itself runs offline on the host device. See /pickleball-tournament-app for details.
Can DinkPro show courts and the queue on a TV?
Yes. The Big screen button opens a second window for a TV or projector, showing every court, who is up next, scores, the leaderboard and hot streaks, with a chime when the next players are called. Connect the computer running DinkPro to the TV as a second display and drag the window onto it; it is not a cast target or a smart-TV app. It needs no internet connection and no extra hardware. Tournament Mode has its own bracket big screen. See /pickleball-tv-display for setup.
Can I show sponsors on the big screen?
Yes. Add sponsor names, logos and tiers in Settings and the big screen plays short full-screen sponsor moments between pages: Presented by, a court partner, a solo moment for each major sponsor and an All sponsors spotlight. Your club logo can open each cycle with Hosted by. Court calls and results always come first, and logos are stored only on your computer. See /pickleball-tv-display#sponsors.
Can volunteers keep score from their phones?
Yes. Every court can be handed to a volunteer scorer: they scan that court's QR code and keep score from their own phone with no app or account, and each point appears on the host's board and the big screen. It works in all ten open play modes and in Tournament Mode, where a phone with no signal shows a short result code for the host to type in.
Is DinkPro the same as the DinkPro paddle brand?
No. DinkPro at dinkpro.app is free open-play and tournament software for pickleball organizers. It is not related to any paddle, equipment or blog site that uses a similar name.
How is DinkPro different from a native scheduling app like PlayMore or Pickleheads?
Those tools focus on inviting and scheduling players ahead of a session (RSVPs, reminders, waitlists). DinkPro focuses on running the session itself once players are already on site - live court assignment, in-the-moment matchmaking, scoring, and standings - with no account required. See /alternatives for detailed side-by-side comparisons.
What is DinkPro Ranked?
DinkPro Ranked is a free, optional ranked mode for doubles pickleball open play. Players sign in with an email code, check in at a host's session by scanning a QR code, and every ranked game updates their DinkPro Player Rating (DPR), which starts at 1.50 for everyone, is earned through results and follows them from session to session. The rating places each player on a 21-rank ladder from Rookie to Predator, XP and levels reward every game played, and the best players are listed on DinkPro's Top 100 ladder.
How is the DinkPro Player Rating (DPR) calculated?
DPR is a team-aware rating built for doubles. Every player starts at 1.50 and earns their way up from results. Both teams are compared each game: an even game moves you about 0.025, beating a stronger team moves you up more (up to about 0.05), losing to a stronger team costs little, and losing to a weaker team costs most. A win never lowers your DPR and a loss never raises it. New players move faster while results show their level, and gains past that proven level are capped each day, so a run of easy wins cannot pump a rating. Guests and lineups the host set count too: a guest is rated at the average of the accounts on that court. XP rewards every game you play but never changes your DPR.
How do the ranks work?
There are 21 ranks: Rookie, then Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond in three divisions each, then Masters 1 to 3, Elite and Predator. Your rank comes from your DPR. You stay a Rookie until you have played 10 ranked games against 4 different opponents.
See how the rotation and matchmaking engine actually works step by step, the seven open-play formats compared, how Tournament Mode runs a bracket, how to put open play on a TV, DinkPro for clubs in the Philippines, what's free (all of it), definitions for any unfamiliar term, how DinkPro compares to other pickleball open-play apps for detailed side-by-side feature comparisons, or start a free session directly.