The APP Tour vs. the PPA – What Makes these 2 Pickleball Tours Different?

The APP Tour and the PPA. Same letters. Different order. The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) and the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA)are recently-created professional pickleball tournament tours with cash prize payouts. Launched in 2020, both tours are ushering in, unquestionably, the most exciting era that the sport of pickleball has ever seen!

With the order of the letters being one difference, there are, indeed, additional differences between the two pickleball tours. Shown below are differences in the APP Tour and PPA pickleball with respect to USA Pickleball sanctioning, the use of referees, video-streaming, sponsors, the cost to play, total prize money payouts, player rankings and contracts and appearance fees.

USA Pickleball Sanctioning

APP Tour

The APP Tour is USA Pickleball sanctioned at the MMP (Medal Match Plus) level. Consequently, an active USA Pickleball membership is required to play in the APP tour events.

PPA Tour

The PPA is not USA Pickleball sanctioned, and, consequently, a USA Pickleball membership is not required to participate.

Abiding by the 2021 Rule Changes?

APP

The APP Tour is USA Pickleball sanctioned. Consequently, the APP (both pro and non-pro divisions) will be abiding by ALL of the 2021 rule changes that became effective on January 25, 2021.

PPA

The PPA Tour – a non-USA Pickleball sanctioned tour – announced on February 8, 2021, that they will not be adopting three of the more “controversial” 2021 rule changes at the professional and senior professional level.

The three 2021 rule changes not being adopted at the pro and senior pro level only are (1) the Drop Serve Rule, (2) the “paddle swipe” serve (the Zane Navratil “Chainsaw” serve) and (3) let serves.

Referees

APP

• Pro Matches:  All APP Tour pro matches have a referee.
• Non-Pro Matches:  Because the APP Tour is USA Pickleball sanctioned at the MMP level, all medal matches will have a referee. Additionally, the winner’s bracket final match will have a referee as will the match leading up to the bronze medal match in the consolation bracket.
• APP Tour Head Referee:  Byron Freso

PPA

• Pro Matches:  All PPA pro matches have a referee.
• Non-Pro Matches:  Only PPA gold medal matches will have a referee in the non-pro division. Remember, the PPA is not USA Pickleball sanctioned.
• PPA Head Referee:  Don Stanley

Video Streaming

APP

The APP Tour events are live-streamed to Facebook and YouTube via the APP Tour Facebook Page and APP Tour YouTube Channel.  The broadcast team is anchored by Lauren McLaughlin of No Smoke Productions.

PPA

In June 2020, the PPA announced an agreement with ESPN which results in all PPA tournaments being broadcast live on ESPN3. The broadcast agreement included the 2020 Showcase at Newport Beach, the 2020 Georgia Open, and the 2020 PPA Championships in Las Vegas – as well as all future PPA tournaments in 2021.

PPA events are also live streamed to Facebook via their Official PPA Tour Facebook Page.

Sponsors

APP

As of October, 2020 (as listed on their website), APP Tour sponsors included USA Pickleball, PPR, Website Dev Co. LLC, Pickleball Central, Pickleball Magazine, Jigsaw Health and Onix.

PPA

As of October, 2020 (as listed on their website), PPA sponsors included Acrytech Sports Surfaces, Jigsaw Health, Selkirk, Foot Solutions, Paddletek, C&D Pickleball Nets, Onix, Sport Tutor, Vulcan, Lifetime, DuraFast 40, ProKennex, Pickleball Central, Creamies, Cate, 3rd Shot Sports, The Courts McKinney, Seal Beach Tennis Center, JW Marriott and Mesa AZ.

Cost to Play

Costs to play in either the APP or PPA are quite high – even for those who are not pros. For the APP events I am using the Hilton Head Open (October 22-25, 2020) as a reference point. For the PPA events, I am using the PPA Championships in Las Vegas, NV (October 22-25, 2020) as a reference point.

APP

• Pro/Senior Pro Credentials:  $65 registration + $115 event fee
• Non-Pro: $65 registration + $35 event fee

PPA

• Pro/Senior Pro Credentials:  $65 registration (early bird) or $75 registration + $100 event fee (senior pro) or $110 event fee (pro)
• Non-Pro: $65 registration (early bird) or $75 registration + $20 event fee

Prize Money

Here’s where it’s getting exciting for the pros. Both tours offer pretty significant prize money.

APP

Total prize money payout for each APP Tour event ranges from approximately $25,000 – $75,000.

PPA

Total prize money payout for each PPA event ranges from $30,000 – $150,000.

Player Rankings & Year-End Tournament

Both the APP Tour and PPA maintain their own player rankings (“standings”) where points are awarded for matches won. At the end of the year, each tour hosts its own season-ending tournament.

APP

The year-end APP tournament is the APP Masters Championships and takes place in Punta Gorda, FL.

PPA

The year-end PPA tournament is the PPA Championships and takes place at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, NV.

Contracts, Appearance Fees & Exclusivity

There is definitely a demand for the top pros at any-and-every tournament as it lends credibility, excitement and enhances registration numbers when the very best players in the world are competing. Let’s examine how each of the two pickleball tours handle contracts, appearance fees and “exclusivity.”

APP

The APP Tour does not currently appear to offer contracts or appearance fees for the top pros to play in their APP Tour events.

PPA

For 2021, the PPA tour is being very aggressive with respect to contracts and appearance fees as their organization is offering the top 20 professional players (for both men and women) “contracts” (appearance fees) to play in at least 12 of their tour events – with the stipulation that they compete in no more than four non-PPA events during the year.

Word on the street is that these appearance fees equate to $2,000/event for each of the top 4 men and women pros, $1,000/event each for the next 6 men and women pros, $500 each for the next 5 men and women pros and $100 each for the final 5 men and women pros. Prize money would be extra incentive at each of these events.

Events in 2020, 2021 & Beyond

Both tours had to scrap their original tour dates and adapt their respective schedules for 2020 and 2021 on the fly because of COVID-19.

APP

• 2020 – In 2020, the APP Tour hosted 3 pro exhibitions – dubbed the APP | Jigsaw Summer Bus Tour – in Grand Rapids, MI, Chicago, IL, and Atlanta, GA.  Additionally, the APP tour hosted their “regular” tour events in Chicago, Las Vegas (independently owned), and Cincinnati. The final APP tour event for 2020 is slated for October 22-25, 2020 in Hilton Head, SC.
• 2021 – There are approximately 17 APP tour events tentatively scheduled for 2021 including a west coast series, a midwest series, and a southeast series. In 2021, the APP will be headed to Punta Gorda, FL, Los Angeles, CA, Del Ray Beach, CA, Encinitas, CA, Las Vegas, NV, Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Grand Rapids, MI, Bend, OR, Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, Prescott, AZ, Hilton Head, SC, Port St. Lucie, FL, Miami, FL and across the pond in England. APP Official 2021 Schedule.

PPA

• 2020 – In 2020, the PPA had events in Mesa, AZ (Mesa Grand Slam Qualifier), Newport Beach, CA (The Showcase Grand Slam), Peachtree Corners, GA (Georgia Open) and Rockwall, TX (Texas Open). The final PPA tour event for 2020 is slated for October 22-25, 2020 at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, NV.
• 2021 – PPA tour events scheduled in 2021 include events in Mesa, AZ, Palm Springs, CA, Newport Beach, CA, Peachtree, GA, Toronto, Canada, Dallas, TX, Las Vegas, NV, San Antonio, TX and Oklahoma City, OK. PPA Official 2021 Schedule.

Final Thoughts

Both the APP Tour and PPA are great for the sport of pickleball. Time will tell if they can both be viable in the long-term. In the meantime, however, there are exciting opportunities for both pros and non-pros alike to showcase their talents and addiction to the sport.

For more tournament tips be sure to check out our pickleball tournament page.

See you on the courts.