RULES & ELIGIBILITY

Age is calculated on January 1 of the tournament year

Aspire follows the BWF standard. Your age eligibility for any age-graded event is determined by how old you are on January 1 of the year the tournament takes place — not the actual first match date.

"Under" means strictly less than — not equal to

U19 means your age must be 18 or lower on January 1. If you turn exactly 19 on January 1, you are NOT eligible for U19 that year. Example in a 2026 tournament: born January 1, 2007 → exactly 19 → ineligible. Born January 2, 2007 → still 18 on January 1, 2026 → eligible.

2026 cutoff birth dates

U11 → born after January 1, 2015 · U13 → born after January 1, 2013 · U15 → born after January 1, 2011 · U17 → born after January 1, 2009 · U19 → born after January 1, 2007. "After" means January 2 or later — the January 1 born player is already that age and is ineligible.

Age is verified at check-in

Your date of birth on your Aspire profile is the authoritative record. Organisers may request a National ID or passport in a dispute. Providing false date-of-birth information results in immediate disqualification and platform suspension.

Masters grades require a minimum age, not a maximum

Masters grades are the reverse of U grades — you must be at least that age on January 1. Masters 35 requires age ≥ 35, Masters 40 requires age ≥ 40, and so on in 5-year bands up to Masters 60. There is no upper age ceiling — a Masters 60 player can be 70 and still eligible.

2026 Masters eligibility cutoff birth dates

Masters 35 → born on or before January 1, 1991 · Masters 40 → born on or before January 1, 1986 · Masters 45 → born on or before January 1, 1981 · Masters 50 → born on or before January 1, 1976 · Masters 55 → born on or before January 1, 1971 · Masters 60 → born on or before January 1, 1966. "On or before" includes January 1 exactly — the opposite of U grades.

BS and BD are open to male players only

Boys' Singles and Boys' Doubles are junior disciplines restricted to players registered on the Aspire platform as male.

GS and GD are open to female players only

Girls' Singles and Girls' Doubles are junior disciplines restricted to players registered as female.

MS and MD are open to male players only

Men's Singles and Men's Doubles events are restricted to players registered on the Aspire platform as male.

WS and WD are open to female players only

Women's Singles and Women's Doubles events are restricted to players registered as female.

XD requires exactly one male and one female per pair

Mixed Doubles pairs must consist of one male player and one female player. Same-gender pairs cannot register for XD events.

Open grade removes the age ceiling — gender rules still apply

Entering 'Open' only lifts the age restriction. Gender eligibility for BS, GS, BD, GD, MS, WS, MD, WD, and XD remains in force for all Open grade events.

A player may enter only one grade per discipline per tournament

You cannot register for both U19 MS and Open MS in the same tournament. If you already hold an entry in a discipline, the system will block a second registration in the same discipline.

Multiple disciplines are permitted

You can enter MS, XD, and MD in the same tournament — these are separate disciplines. The restriction applies only within the same discipline (e.g. only one MS event per tournament).

Matches are best of 3 games

The first player or pair to win 2 games wins the match. A third game is only played if each side has won one game.

Games are played to 21 points — rally-point scoring

A point is scored on every rally regardless of who served. The side that wins an exchange scores a point and, if they were receiving, gains the serve.

A game must be won by a 2-point lead

If the score reaches 20–20, play continues until one side leads by 2 points (e.g. 22–20). A game cannot be won by a single point at deuce.

30-point cap — first to 30 wins outright

If the score reaches 29–29, the very next point wins the game with no further deuce requirement. First to 30 wins regardless (BWF Law 7.3).

Players have 15 minutes from first call to report to their court

When a match is ready, the tournament desk will announce 'first call' via the PA system or Aspire platform notifications. Players must be present at the assigned court within 15 minutes of that call.

Failure to report results in a walkover forfeit

If a player does not arrive within the 15-minute window without prior notice to the desk, the match is forfeited. The absent player receives a loss; the present opponent advances.

Notify the desk immediately if you cannot report on time

If a genuine reason is preventing you from reporting (e.g. a previous match has overrun), inform the tournament desk before first call expires. The referee may grant a brief extension at their sole discretion — this is not guaranteed.

Team rosters are locked 48 hours before Day 1

The squad list submitted at registration closes 48 hours before the first match day. No additions, substitutions, or removals are accepted after this deadline.

Only rostered players may compete

Players not on the locked roster are ineligible to be assigned to ties. Walk-in substitutes are not permitted, regardless of injury or late withdrawals.

Roster size limits are set per tournament

Each team tournament specifies a minimum (typically 4) and maximum (typically 8) roster size. Rosters outside this range will be rejected at submission.

All players must check in at the venue registration desk

Present your Aspire ID (physical card or digital display via the Aspire app) at the registration desk on arrival. Check-in confirms your presence and clears any pending holds on your registration.

Check-in opens 1 hour before the first scheduled match

Arrive at the venue with sufficient time. Tournament schedules can run ahead of time — especially in later rounds — so check in as early as possible.

Failure to check in may result in a walkover

Players who have not checked in when first call is announced may be treated as absent. The 15-minute walkover window starts from first call, not from check-in time.