Organized open play · Rally
Organized open play
One or two nights a week, players who show up and partners who change every round. Rally handles the rest, with no subscription to get started.
The idea
What is open play?
Open play is sport without fixed teams. One or two nights a week, your players show up and everyone plays. It is also called pickup or drop-in.
There is no season schedule and no playoffs. Partners change every round, and whoever sits out plays the next one.
Rally rotates the rounds, lets players enter their own scores and keeps a house rating. You run the night, not a spreadsheet.
The rounds
Pick your rotation mode
Popcorn is the starting mode. Switch whenever you like: the new mode applies from the next round.
Popcorn
Partners and opponents change without looking at skill. The most social one.
Choose a rotation mode →Balanced mixer
Rally builds each round from everyone’s rating, so both sides have a close level.
Run a balanced mixer →King of the Court
Winners move up toward the king’s court, losers move down. The strongest players meet.
Run King of the Court →Americano
A new partner every round. Tonight’s standings add up everyone’s points.
Run an Americano →Mexicano
After each round, players of a close level meet again, based on tonight’s standings.
Run a Mexicano →
Skill level
House rating and standings
Every finished game moves a player’s rating, from 1.0 to 10.0, and everyone sees why. Program standings then rank players over the whole period, with an attendance threshold to be ranked. You pick the starting rating and who sees ratings.
Free to get started
What the free tier covers
A Rally account is all you need to start your open play. A program frees its spot when you close it, or after its last day.
Without a subscription
- One active program at a time
- One organization per account
- Sign-ups, check-in, rounds, scores, ratings and standings
With the Leagues subscription
- Several active programs at once
- Leagues and organization tournaments
- Integrations: API keys and webhooks
Sports
One sport, one page
Rally runs open play for pickleball, tennis, badminton, roundnet and cornhole, with each sport’s playing formats.
Pickleball open play
Singles, doubles and mixed doubles, like Pickleball Canada events. Each discipline has its own rating.
Run pickleball open play →Cornhole open play
Singles and doubles, following ACA rules. Cornhole has no mixed doubles.
Run cornhole open play →
Go further
Guides and help
Run Pickleball Open Play Without a Spreadsheet
From sign-up to standings: the frame of the night, the waitlist, check-in, rounds and scores, with no spreadsheet or group chat.
Popcorn, Balanced Mixer, King of the Court: Which Mode?
Five rotation modes, what each one does, how rounds are paced and how to choose for your group and its level.
King of the Court: Rules and Rotation
Winners up, losers down: the rules, partner options, rest rotation and scoring for a King of the Court night.
FAQ
Open play questions
Is open play the same thing as pickup or drop-in?
Yes. These are sessions with no fixed teams, where players show up and partners change. Rally calls it open play.
Is it really free?
Yes, for one active program at a time, with no subscription. To run several, you need your organization’s Leagues subscription.
Do my players need an account?
Yes, to sign up and check themselves in. You check in a walk-in or a player without a phone by hand.
Which sports are available?
Pickleball and cornhole, each with its own page. Each sport has its own disciplines and vocabulary.
Which mode should I start with?
Start with Popcorn: it rotates partners. Move to the balanced mixer if your players’ levels are very mixed.
What happens to a game with no score at the end?
It is cancelled. It counts for neither ratings nor standings.
Your club
Ready for your first session?
Create your organization, add your courts and your first program is ready.
Start for freeSee pricing →
How it works
Your first session
Create your organization
In Organized open play, name your club and add your courts. A Rally account is enough.
Start free open play →Create your program
Pick the sport, the day, the time and the period. Rally creates one session a week.
Run open play →Open sign-ups
Set each division’s cap and share the link. A waitlist takes over when it is full.
Manage open play sign-ups →Check players in
Each player scans the session code on arrival. You check in a walk-in by hand.
Check in players →Start the rounds
Rally proposes the round: who plays where, who sits out. You read it, then start it.
Start a round →Let players enter scores
One player in each game enters the score on their phone. The other side confirms nothing.
Enter your open play score →Follow ratings and standings
Every finished game moves the players’ ratings and the program standings.
Read your program standings →