Pro Padel League Announces First Player Draft
The Pro Padel League (PPL) – North America’s first professional Padel league – is excited to announce that their first Player Draft will take place on March 20th at 1:00p.m. EST and will be livestreamed via YouTube, Facebook and Instagram for players and fans to watch in real time. In attendance at Draft day will be Team Owners from all seven franchises, with League Commissioner, Marcos Del Pilar, and Draft Coordinator, Nancy Malone, announcing the player selections.
A historical milestone for the League, the PPL received approximately 500 hundred applications from top North American and international players from Australia, Asia, South America, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
“The first PPL draft is a monumental day for the League, the history of the sport, and everyone involved from our key stakeholders to our team owners and the players. The interest we have received from players around the world that want to play in the PPL has been overwhelming and we can’t wait to see who our team owners select,” said Marcos del Pilar, Commissioner of the PPL. “We look forward to players and fans around the world joining us live on Draft day to see the excitement unfold.”
Following the Draft lottery that took place on March 1st to determine the order in which Team Owners will make their player selections, the confirmed order of selection is:
Men’s Draft Order
- Las Vegas
- Cancun
- San Diego
- Arkansas
- Toronto
- Los Angeles
- Miami
Women’s Draft Order
- Los Angeles
- Las Vegas
- San Diego
- Toronto
- Cancun
- Miami
- Arkansas
The Draft will have over 40 rounds of player selections, with each team selecting at least six of their eight players. Teams will be comprised of four active players including two men, and two women, and four alternates. Of the eight players on each team, six players will be from North America to further boost and promote the growth of Padel across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
The PPL’s inaugural season will kick-off in May of 2023 with seven teams and conclude with the PPL CUP in June of 2023 where the four best teams will compete for the title.
The PPL’s mission is to create a premier sports league providing a national stage for the sport while generating nationwide awareness and excitement for Padel. Something that has never been done before, the PPL will provide players and fans with a new platform that showcases Padel and grows participation in the sport.
Currently, Padel has over 25 million players worldwide and is growing in popularity in the U.S. with the number of Padel courts set to double in 2023. Over 8 million players are projected to be playing in the U.S. by 2030. The PPL will enable players, coaches, team owners, facility owners, broadcasters, fans, sponsors, and brands to all be involved in, and capitalize on, the sport’s explosive growth.
Dedicated to celebrating Padel’s Spanish roots, the League has made VAMOS the PPL’s official slogan. VAMOS!
About the Team
The addition of Las Vegas Smash to the local professional sports landscape provides fans with another high-level competition to support. It also opens opportunities for local talent to pursue a career in Padel. As the sport grows in popularity nationwide, you see more porches and yards decorated with padel rackets and schoolyards filled with young talent practising the sport together and adult non-professional teams and leagues popping up in cities of all sizes. The team has gained significant sponsorship and has established partnerships with local businesses and organizations, including the Las Vegas favorite ultra-premium tequila brand, Tequila Comisario, boasting the quadruple gold slam Comisario Blanco, Comisario Reposado, Comisario Añejo and Gran Comisario expressions.
