Session Format

MLP Mixer

An MLP-style team mixer combining men's, women's and mixed doubles, with teams of four formed from players' PIRAT ratings.

• Players book individually. Each team has two men and two women, using the tournament gender category in each player's profile. At least eight players (four men and four women) and two courts are needed to form a playable group.
• Men and women are ranked separately by PIRAT, highest first. Players are taken from the top of each list into groups, and stronger and lower-ranked players within each group are combined to balance the opposing teams. Players without a PIRAT rating are placed after rated players.
• Each group uses two courts. Groups normally contain two teams; when an odd number of full teams can be formed, the allocation can include one three-team group, subject to available courts.
• An encounter between two teams consists of four doubles games: one men's, one women's and two mixed doubles games. Games use rally scoring. In a three-team group, every team faces both of the other teams, with one team sitting out each matchup.
• The MLP Preview shows the proposed teams, court groups and players who have not been allocated a place. Before play starts, this allocation can change as bookings and ratings change.
• At the booking cutoff, 002 records the team allocation and queues team announcement emails. Players who cannot be placed in a full team are withdrawn, notified by email and credited any fees paid to their club account; unpaid charges are waived.
• An authorised session operator starts the games. Once started, 002 saves the teams used for scoring so later rating changes do not alter them.
• With two to four groups of two teams, a second round can be started once all first-round results are entered. Teams are ranked within their group by their share of total points scored, then matched across groups. Mixed partners are switched within each team for the second round. Three-team groups do not use this second-round option.