What is the President’s Cup?

A team competition starts the ball rolling at Nationals

You may have seen the designation PCQnext to the name of many tournaments on the APTA tournament schedule and wondered what it meant. PCQ means President’s Cup Qualifier.

So what is President’s Cup? It is a region versus region tournament that takes place the day before the Nationals. The APTA divides the country into seven regions and each region sends a men’s team and a women’s team to the competition. This year there will be an 8th team, the Independent team, which will consist of players who did not qualify for their regional team.

Spots on each team are earned through season-long competition. Each region has its own rules regarding qualifications. Some require participation in three tournaments, some only two. Points are awarded on the basis of how a team or an individual does in a PCQ designated tournament. Many players plan their season around playing in a number of PCQ tournaments to earn enough points to qualify for their region’s President’s Cup team.

A few years ago, the maximum number of team members was increased from 10 to 12. This year that number is increased to 13. All members of the APTA can try to qualify for their regional team. Women members who end up ranked in the top eight after the Short Hills tournament cannot be selected for a PC team.

The President’s Cup competition starts early the day before the Nationals and consists of five lines from each region. Line one players play against line one players from the other regions; line two against the line two players and so on.

After a full day of excellent paddle and great camaraderie, all the President’s Cup players enjoy a reception and the awarding of the President’s Cup trophies. The unique team aspect of the President’s Cup makes it an extremely popular event and often the highlight of the paddle season for the participants.