How To Create an Open Play on Main Court
Creating an Open Play on Main Court
Any user can create an Open Play on Main Court, whether it’s at a public court, private club, or a specific venue. Open Plays are designed to run on a recurring schedule and allow players to join sessions that fit their availability.
Organizing an Open Play is a great way to foster community interaction and provide enjoyable, inclusive pickleball sessions.
Approval & Court Setup
Before creating an Open Play, you must be approved by Main Court. You’ll also need to create the court in the system first.
When creating a court, you’ll enter court-specific details such as:
- Opening times
- Website
- Telephone number
- Address
This information applies to the court itself, not individual Open Play sessions.
Note: Main Court only allows parks and clubs that reach out to info@maincourt.com to post their Open Plays on the app and website.
Creating an Open Play
To create an Open Play, tap the plus (+) button at the bottom center of the Main Court app and select Open Play.
You will be prompted to fill in the required details for your Open Play, including:
- Location
- Date range
- Time window
- Duration
- Days of the week
- Cost (if applicable)
Once all required fields are completed, select Create. You’ll receive immediate confirmation that your Open Play has been successfully created.
Date Range, Time & Duration
Date Range
When creating an Open Play, you define a start date and end date.
This date range determines how long the Open Play series runs. It does not create one long event. Instead, Main Court generates individual Open Play sessions within this window.
Example:
January 1 to June 30
Time Window
You set a start and end time for the Open Play.
This defines the total block of time available on each selected day.
Example:
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Duration
Duration controls how long each individual Open Play session lasts.
Main Court automatically creates sessions back-to-back within the selected time window.
Examples:
-
2 hours
→ One Open Play from 8:00–10:00 AM
1 hour
→ Two Open Plays
- 8:00–9:00 AM
-
9:00–10:00 AM
0.5 hours
→ Four Open Plays
- 8:00–8:30
- 8:30–9:00
- 9:00–9:30
- 9:30–10:00
Each generated session is treated as its own Open Play that players can join.
Days of the Week
You select which days of the week the Open Play runs.
Main Court generates Open Play sessions:
- Only on the selected days
- Within the defined date range
- Using the chosen time window
- Split according to the selected duration
If different days require different times or durations, create separate Open Plays.
Cost & Payments
Setting a Cost
Open Plays can be free or paid.
If there is a cost, you set the price per player per session when creating the Open Play. Pricing does not apply across the entire date range.
Examples:
- Free Open Play
- $5 per session
- $10 per session
Payment Processing
For paid Open Plays:
- Players pay directly through Main Court when they join
- Organizers must add their bank details to receive payouts
- Main Court handles payment collection and distribution
Cancellations & Refunds
- If an Open Play is canceled, refunds are handled automatically where applicable
- Cancellation rules are enforced per session
Visibility, Scheduling & Notifications
After creation:
- Open Play sessions automatically appear in your Scheduled Open Plays
- Sessions also appear in My Schedule (top-middle button in the app)
When a player selects Going or Register:
- They are added to the Open Play attendee list
- Their friends are notified that they are attending
- This helps increase visibility and participation organically
Organizer Responsibilities
- Each generated session is its own Open Play with its own attendee list
- Player limits and pricing apply per session
- Updates to date range, time, duration, or cost only affect future sessions
- Organizers are responsible for responding to player questions
Repeated unresolved issues may result in Open Play posting privileges being removed.
After creation, the event will automatically appear in your scheduled Open Play sessions and in My Schedule (the top middle button in the app)
If players say they are Going or Register, it will automatically notify their friends that they are attending Open Play and will be added to the list of players going to Open Play.
Learn More
For Organizers
Watch a short video walkthrough on how to create and manage an Open Play on Main Court:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wuaMC_ats_8
For Players
Learn how to find, register for, and join an Open Play on Main Court, including what happens after you register and how notifications work:
https://secure.helpscout.net/docs/673b66482ddbd952f6242b82/article/690a1c8b88188c55b8be0d78/