OUR PURPOSE

 

To build faith, deepen fellowship and share the joy of Jesus with our community on and off the court. 

 

BASIC DETAILS

 

Launch date is July 14th, with the first two weeks to include instruction from an experienced player who will teach the basic rules, how to keep score and the ladder system.
 

• WHAT: Pickleball 

• WHO: Players of all levels, members and guests, youth and adults (children welcome, but no childcare)

• WHEN: Tuesdays from 6:00-8:00 PM

• WHERE: Orange Beach Pickleball Complex 

 

Weekly sessions will begin with a 2-minute devotion and prayer, to be followed by court assignment based on each person’s ability and experience.  

 

THE GAME PLAY

 

1. Players will self-rate on a simple 1-to-3 scale: (1) Beginner – never played or just started. (2) Intermediate – can keep a rally going, knows the rules. (3) Advanced – plays regularly, hits with power/spin.
    

2. Court 1 will be for advanced players with other courts filling based on rating – finishing with beginners.
    

3. After a 5-minute warm-up period, matches will play until one team reaches 11 points or 15 minutes have elapsed, whichever comes first.
    

4. Teams that win the court will move up (e.g., Court 6 to Court 5) and teams that lose will move down.  If you win on court 1 (advanced) three times in a row, you must switch partners.

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INVITE OTHERS

 

Cornerstone on the Courts is one part fellowship, one part outreach and all parts fun!  Please invite at least one unchurched neighbor, coworker or friend to join you.

 

If you have questions or want to get involved, contact Pastor Jimmy at 251-217-9756.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

How should we conduct ourselves on the court?

 

Whether you are a Cornerstone member, a first-time guest, a Christian, or a non-Christian, our goal is to reflect the joy of Jesus! Please play with good sportsmanship, encourage players of all skill levels and treat everyone with kindness and respect. Let's keep the competition friendly and the atmosphere uplifting!

 

Do players need to bring their own paddles and balls?

 

If you have a paddle, please bring it!  However, we have loaner paddles and balls available, especially for our beginners who are just checking out the game.

 

How will you let us know if the event is canceled because of rain?

 

In the event of inclement weather, we will make a call by 5:00 PM.  Please check our Cornerstone Church Facebook page before heading out for the official update on whether we are playing or canceling. 

 

What happens if the 15-minute buzzer sounds and the score is tied?

 

To keep the ladder running smoothly, we play a “Next Point Wins” sudden death.  The team that scores the very next point wins the match and moves up – regardless of who is serving.

 

A team reached 11 points, but there are still 5 minutes left on the clock.  What do we do?

 

The official match is over, and your scores are locked in!  However, you can keep playing casual “fun points” until the 15-minute buzzer sounds to maximize your court time.  Or, simply take a break.

 

Our team just won on Court 1 for the third time in a row.  How do we “switch partners”?

 

Congratulations on the streak!  To keep things fair, the two winning players will split up.  When the two new players move from Court 2, the Court 1 winners will each partner with one of the incoming players.

 

We have an extra person on our court.  How do we rotate?

 

We use a simple "one-in, one-out" relay at the bottom court. One person will take a break for the 15-minute round.  When the buzzer sounds, one of the two players who lost the match will switch places with the resting player.  No player ever sits out twice in a row!

 

What if we have TWO extra players at the bottom court?

 

They can absolutely play a casual singles match against each other to stay active. However, to feed them into the ladder, we just expand our relay: when the 15-minute buzzer sounds, both players who lost on that court will step off to rest (or play singles) and the two waiting players will hop right into the game together.