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Le Tableau du Dimanche Playing in clubs and tournaments: rules, licenses, rankings

Singles, doubles, mixed: choosing your competition format

Published 30 October 2026 Revised 30 October 2026 4 minutes to read

The editors of Le Tableau du Dimanche.

Two players on each side of a net, in mixed doubles, during a rally.
Singles or doubles. Players earn points in several formats: singles, gender doubles and mixed doubles. Doubles dominates play, but singles exists too. Choosing your format comes down to choosing your partner and your style of play.

This article, filed under "Simple, double, mixte : choisir son format de compétition," works by inventory and cross-reference. You'll know which formats exist and which one suits your profile.

In brief: starting with the 2026-2027 season, the FFT Club license gives access to tennis, padel, beach tennis, pickleball and real tennis, for fun or in competition. There's no longer a single-sport annual license. FFT pickleball rankings are published every quarter (November, February, May and August). Pickleball is offered at about 850 FFT-affiliated clubs. The sport fits easily onto existing tennis courts.

The essential definitions

Here we open the glossary, sorted by entry.

Double bounce rule

The double bounce rule means the ball has to bounce once on each side before volleys are allowed.

To make it concrete, here's a scenario: the returner lets the serve bounce, then the server lets the return bounce before they can volley.

The full definition is in the entry Règle du double rebond.

Dedicated pickleball club

A dedicated pickleball club is a facility devoted entirely to this sport.

Here's an example: in Nîmes, a club devoted entirely to pickleball was announced as the first in the South.

The glossary keeps a detailed entry under the reference Club dédié au pickleball.

How it works, piece by piece

According to the cited text, the FFT Club license has no impact on how rankings are calculated. Each sport keeps its own ranking.

As for the written rules, the source says: the FFT added pickleball to its bylaws in January 2024, two years before receiving the ministerial delegation.

Among the texts and regulations: sanctioned tournaments must follow the FFT's sporting regulations, its specifications and the rules of pickleball.

As for the written rules, the source says: with the delegation, the FFT can set the official sporting rules, organize national competitions, issue licenses and train coaches and referees.

A closer look at what drives the decision

The list below covers the points of comparison to look at.

  • The serve must be made below the hip, diagonally, and the ball must land in the opponent's zone.
  • A pickleball player can be ranked in three categories — singles, gender doubles and mixed doubles.
  • In doubles, each team has a "double chance" system: both partners serve one after the other before the serve passes to the other team. At the start of the game, there's only one serving chance.
  • The basic gear is a paddle made of a rigid, non-compressible material and a perforated plastic ball with 26 to 40 holes.
  • Pickleball is a racket sport that blends tennis, badminton and table tennis, and it's played indoors or outdoors, in singles or doubles.

Summary table

The list below gathers the key notes from this section.

  • The FFT pickleball ranking has three skill tiers — 3.0 for first-time competitors, 4.0 for the intermediate level and 5.0 for the elite level.
  • In pickleball, points are counted 1 by 1, and only the server can score.

Which events exist?

A verified, dated fact: the FFT Club license costs €33 for adults and €23 for ages 7-18, the same price as the 2025-2026 multi-racket license.

As a documented illustration, pickleball was born in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, in Washington State, in the United States.

Points to note

The items below make up the summary for your own files.

  • A pickleball player can be ranked in three categories.
  • The FFT pickleball ranking has three skill tiers.

Closing the entry

Here's the record of this entry in short: the essential definitions, how it works piece by piece, a closer look at what drives the decision, and the summary table. Keep the archivist's habit: read, date, cross-check, and only then conclude.

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Our sources

The federal framework for pickleball in France has been changing since the 2026 delegation: check licenses, prices and regulations on the FFT website before you sign up.

How this article was verified

This article draws on 10 sources: 8 reference organizations and 2 press articles.

The facts were checked against their sources on October 15, 2026.

The method we followed: Sources et vérification.