By Mark Peifer, USA Pickleball Certified Referee; Past Chairman, USA Pickleball Rules Committee
Question:
What are the differences between Withdrawals, Forfeits, and Retirements?
Answer:
This question comes up regularly because the terms withdrawal, forfeit, and retirement are often used interchangeably in casual conversation. The Rulebook, however, treats them as three distinct situations. Let’s take a look at them separately.
What Is a Withdrawal in Pickleball?
A withdrawal generally occurs when a player or team chooses not to participate in a bracket before play begins. A player or team may also withdraw from future matches within a bracket, but once the withdrawal is made, it applies to all remaining matches in that bracket. See Rule 23.B and its subrules.
Examples include illness before competition begins, a travel issue, a scheduling conflict, or simply a decision not to play. Players must make that declaration known to the Tournament Director, the tournament operations desk, or the Head Referee before the match begins.
Because the player or team is withdrawing from future participation in the bracket, the tournament proceeds without them, and the bracket is adjusted accordingly.
What is a Forfeit in Pickleball?
A forfeit occurs when a scheduled match cannot be played or completed because a player or team fails to appear, is unable to continue, or is removed from competition for a reason recognized by the Rulebook. See Rule 22.F and its subrules.
Common examples include:
- A player or team fails to report for a scheduled match.
- A player or team is disqualified.
- A rules violation prevents further participation.
When a match is forfeited, the opposing side is awarded the victory. The official score is recorded as 11-0, 11-0 in a best two-out-of-three match or 15-0 in a single game to 15 format and 21-0 for games to 21.
One point that often surprises players is that the official match score is the same regardless of the score at the time of the forfeit. A team may have scored points before the forfeit, but the recorded result remains an 11-0, 11-0, 15-0, or 21-0 victory for the non-forfeiting side.
What is a Retirement in Pickleball?
A retirement occurs when a match has already started, and a player or team is unable to continue.
Most retirements result from injury, illness, physical incapacity, or some other circumstance that makes continued play impossible.
Unlike a withdrawal, a retirement occurs after competition has begun. The match is therefore recorded as a retirement rather than a withdrawal.
When a retirement occurs, the score at the time of the retirement is retained, and the opponent is awarded any additional points and games necessary to complete the match. For example, if a player retires during a best two-out-of-three match, any unfinished game and any remaining games are awarded to the opponent as necessary to determine a winner.
What Happens in Round Robin Play?
Players are sometimes surprised to find out what happens if a forfeit, retirement, or withdrawal occurs in a round-robin match. In that case, the player or team can not participate in any medal match or playoff. Their scores for the purpose of medals or playoffs are not considered in seeding; it’s as if the player or team never played any matches in the round robin. See Rule 15.B.4.a
Here’s something else most don’t know: if one partner retires, the remaining player can elect to continue playing alone. Of course, each time the partner who retired would have served or received, it’s an automatic fault, but that option is available to the remaining partner. This does not, however, apply to forfeits or withdrawals.
The Bottom Line
- Withdrawal: The player or team leaves the bracket before playing, or withdraws from all remaining matches in the bracket.
- Retirement: The match has started, but a singles player or team cannot continue.
- Forfeit: A scheduled match cannot be played or completed, and the opponent is awarded the victory by rule.
Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they describe three different tournament outcomes and are treated differently under the Rulebook.
