How to invite friends to a private pickleball game

1. Create the session as Private

Open “Host a game,” enter the real venue and schedule, choose your player limit and queue mode, and select Private for visibility. Review the details before publishing. Court access still needs to be arranged separately.

Public games appear in discovery. Unlisted games stay out of discovery but can be opened with their game link. Private games require a current invitation or eligible existing access. Choose Private when new players should need an invitation.

2. Copy the complete invitation

Open your published game and choose “Share game.” In the sharing dialog, select “Copy invitation link.” If the browser cannot copy automatically, select the read-only invitation field and copy it manually.

Send that link through the channel your group already uses. The dialog also has a QR invitation that friends can scan. Keep the complete URL intact: the invitation portion is what lets a new player access a private game. Avoid publishing it in a public post if you intend to keep the group small.

3. Have each friend confirm their place

Your friends open the invitation, sign in and choose to join while registration is open. Sharing an invitation does not automatically add them to the roster or reserve a player place. If capacity is reached, they may need to join the waitlist.

Check “Players” to see who is confirmed. A QR scan opens the game; it does not silently check someone in. Players still need to check in on arrival.

4. Know what forwarding and replacement do

Anyone who receives an invitation can forward it. A private link is an access mechanism, not an assurance that only the original recipients will see it.

If the link has spread too widely, the session organizer can use “Replace invitation link” in the game’s access controls. Old invitation links then stop admitting new players. Copy and share the replacement link with anyone who still needs to join.

Replacing a link does not remove existing players. Review the roster separately, and use the player removal controls when necessary. Removing someone and replacing a link solve different problems.

If a friend cannot open or join

Check that they received the full, current invitation and signed in with the intended account. The link may have been replaced, access may have been removed, registration may have closed, or the session may have ended.

Check the game and player status before sending another link. If you need technical help, use Support; do not paste private invitation links into public comments or a public guide.