Major League Pickleball returns group-play and expands rosters for 2026

Major League Pickleball published a package of competition-format changes for its 2026 Premier-level season that brings back group-play for regular-season events and loosens roster rules to encourage deeper lineups and higher-stakes Sunday matchups. The rules aim to reward consistent performance across events and give teams more tactical options during weekly tournaments.

Each regular-season event will feature ten teams divided into two groups of five. Teams will play a round-robin within their group Thursday through Saturday, then face cross-group seeded matches on Sunday. Those Sunday matchups will carry differing standings point values, with the top-seed crossover matching worth the most points, designed to make final-day results decisive for league standings and event payouts.

Roster rules were revised to allow teams to use more than four players in match lineups. That change explicitly permits having separate female players in women’s doubles and mixed doubles, for example, giving teams the flexibility to field specialists without being constrained to a single four-player core. DreamBreaker lineup rules were also adjusted as part of the update, changing how teams can construct and present their DreamBreaker selections at events.

The league also updated its in-season personnel windows. MLP set a July 1 waiver period and specified scheduled timing for the free agency draft, giving teams clearer windows to make roster moves and plan their midseason strategy. Those calendar adjustments arrive alongside the format changes to ensure roster flexibility aligns with when teams can legally add or shuffle players.

For players and team managers, the practical value is immediate: more strategic depth and clearer incentives. Allowing larger match-day rosters reduces the pressure to overplay core players and creates room for specialists to contribute in specific events or matchups. Making Sunday crossovers worth different points turns final-day matchups into true showdowns rather than consolation play, which should increase competitive intensity for fans and make event outcomes more consequential for season standings.

Local club pros and aspiring professionals should note the new roster windows and plan offseason contracts and practice schedules around the July 1 waiver period and the league’s announced draft timing. Expect coaches to experiment with lineup shuffles and specialist deployment early in the season as teams figure out the best ways to stack points across events.

This change signals MLP’s push to make every event matter more, and it reshapes how teams will build and use depth across the Premier season. For players and fans, the 2026 calendar promises tighter Sunday showdowns and more strategic lineup chess throughout the week.