Privacy Policy

About This Policy

National Pickleball League ("NPL", "we", "us", or "our") is Australia's national pickleball league and ecosystem operator, headquartered at 29 White Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205.

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected by NPL through its national platforms, league administration, affiliated venue and club operations, events, sponsorships, and digital products - including the NPL website (www.nplpickleball.com.au) and any NPL-branded applications or tools.

NPL is a separate legal entity to its affiliated venues and properties, including The Jar Pickleball Club (South Melbourne), which operates under its own separate privacy policy governing personal information collected at the venue level.

We are committed to handling personal information responsibly and in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles ("APPs"). By using our platforms, registering as a player, or engaging with NPL in any capacity, you agree to the collection and use of your information as described in this policy.

Our Ecosystem

NPL operates a broad ecosystem spanning league competition, venue and club partnerships, technology, events, and community development:

National League and Competition: NPL administers Australia's national pickleball competition structure, including player registrations, rankings, draw management, results, and officiating across multiple states and territories.
Affiliated Venues and Clubs: NPL partners with affiliated clubs, independent operators, and owned-and-operated properties (including The Jar Pickleball Club, South Melbourne). Each affiliated entity operates under its own legal entity and privacy policy for venue-level data collection.
Technology Platforms: NPL operates digital platforms including the NPL website, player and club management portals, and mobile applications.
Events: NPL organises and sanctions national and state-level events, tournaments, and showcases.
Commercial Partnerships and Sponsorships: NPL engages with sponsors, commercial partners, and broadcasters at a national level.

Information We Collect

We collect personal information necessary to administer the national league, manage our platforms, and support the pickleball ecosystem across Australia. The types of information we collect depend on your relationship with us.

Player and Participant Information

Name, date of birth, gender, contact details (email, phone, address), and state of residence when you register as a national player or participant.
Player ranking data, match results, performance records, and competition history.
Membership tier, playing classification, and grading information.
Health or injury information where voluntarily provided and relevant to competition administration or safety (treated as sensitive information under the Privacy Act).

Club and Operator Information

Contact details of club representatives, venue operators, and affiliated staff.
Business information, ABN details, and contractual data relevant to affiliation agreements with NPL.
Operational data provided by clubs and venues for draw scheduling, ranking management, and league administration.

Event and Broadcast Information

Registrations for NPL-sanctioned events, tournaments, and national competitions.
Photographic and video content captured at NPL events, including footage that may be used for broadcast, promotion, and archival purposes.

Technology Platform Users

Account registration information, login credentials, and usage data from NPL's digital platforms.
Device information, IP addresses, and browsing behaviour collected through standard analytics tools.
Communications and support requests submitted through our platforms.

Commercial Partners and Sponsors

Contact details and business information of commercial partners, sponsors, and vendors engaged by NPL.

Where it is lawful and practicable to do so, you may choose not to provide certain information. However, this may limit NPL's ability to provide services, administer competition participation, or process your requests.

Where we collect personal information about children, see the "Children and Young People" section below.

How We Use Your Information

We use personal information collected across our ecosystem for the following purposes:

League Administration: To register players, manage competition draws, track rankings and results, accredit officials, and administer the national competition structure across all states and territories.
Platform Operations: To maintain player and club accounts, administer the NPL portal and mobile applications, and support technical operations of our digital platforms.
Club and Venue Support: To manage affiliation agreements and facilitate data sharing necessary for integrated league and venue operations.
Event Management: To organise, sanction, and promote NPL events and national tournaments.
Broadcast and Content: To produce, publish, and distribute competition content, including player profiles, match results, photography, and video footage.
Communications: To send operational notices, league updates, competition schedules, and rule changes to players, clubs, and partners.
Marketing: With your consent, to send newsletters, promotional content, and event announcements. You can opt out at any time.
Commercial Partnerships: To manage sponsorship and commercial partner relationships.
Analytics and Development: To analyse platform usage, competition trends, and community growth.
Legal Compliance: To meet our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and applicable regulations.

Sensitive information (as defined under the Privacy Act, including health, racial or ethnic origin, and criminal record information) will only be used for the primary purpose for which it was collected, a directly related secondary purpose, with your consent, or as required by law.

We will only use personal information for the purpose for which it was collected or a directly related purpose that you would reasonably expect, unless you have consented otherwise or we are required to do so by law.

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell personal information. We may share it in the following circumstances:

Affiliated Venues and Clubs: Where you participate in NPL-sanctioned competition at an affiliated venue (including The Jar Pickleball Club), relevant information such as your name, ranking, and results may be shared with that venue or club for competition administration. Each affiliated entity is independently responsible for how it uses information shared with it.
Technology and Platform Providers: We share data with third-party technology providers who support our digital infrastructure. These providers are required to comply with the Privacy Act and our data handling requirements.
State and Territory Sporting Bodies: Where required for the administration of state-level competitions or cross-body governance, NPL may share relevant player and club data with relevant state sporting organisations.
Broadcast and Media Partners: With appropriate consent or under event participation terms, player names, competition data, photographs, and footage may be shared with broadcast partners and media outlets.
Commercial Sponsors and Partners: Aggregate, de-identified data may be shared with commercial partners for reporting. Individually identifiable information will only be shared with sponsors where you have provided explicit consent.
Legal and Regulatory Bodies: We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or a lawful government request.
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or restructure, personal information may be transferred to a successor entity with reasonable notice.

Where personal information is shared with overseas recipients, we will take reasonable steps to ensure those recipients handle it consistently with the APPs, in accordance with APP 8.

Data Security

NPL implements organisational and technical security measures appropriate to the scale and sensitivity of the personal information we hold. These include:

Encrypted data storage and transmission across our technology platforms.
Role-based access controls limiting staff access to personal information to what is necessary for their function.
Multi-factor authentication for administrative access to core systems.
Data sharing agreements with affiliated venues, clubs, and third-party providers that include privacy and security obligations.
Regular review and testing of our information security controls.

While we take strong measures to protect personal information, no digital system is completely immune to risk. We are committed to continuous improvement of our security practices.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law:

Player registration and competition records are retained for the duration of the player's active involvement with NPL and for seven (7) years thereafter.
Historical ranking and results data may be retained indefinitely in de-identified or aggregate form for league history and integrity purposes.
Club and operator agreement records are retained for seven (7) years from the end of the relevant agreement.
Broadcast and event content (including photographs and video footage) may be retained indefinitely as part of NPL's archival and promotional records, subject to consent conditions.
Platform account data is retained for the duration of the active account and for seven (7) years following account closure.

When personal information is no longer required, we securely destroy or de-identify it.

Notifiable Data Breaches

NPL is subject to the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). In the event of an eligible data breach likely to cause serious harm, NPL will:

Conduct a prompt assessment to determine the nature and scope of the breach.
Notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as soon as practicable.
Take immediate steps to contain the breach and prevent further unauthorised access or disclosure.
Where relevant, notify affected affiliated venues or clubs so they can take appropriate action in relation to their own members.

NPL maintains a formal data breach response plan and conducts periodic reviews to ensure our breach detection and notification capabilities remain effective.

Your Rights Under Australian Privacy Law

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the APPs, you have the following rights in relation to the personal information NPL holds about you:

Access: You may request access to your personal information. We will respond within 30 days. We will not charge for standard access requests, though complex requests may attract a reasonable fee advised in advance.
Correction: You may ask us to correct personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.
Anonymity: Where practicable and lawful, you may interact with us without identifying yourself, though this may limit our ability to provide certain services including competition participation.
Opt-Out of Marketing: You may unsubscribe from NPL marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.
Complain: You may lodge a complaint with NPL about how we have handled your personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@nplpickleball.com.au.

Note: If your request relates to information held by an affiliated venue or club (such as The Jar Pickleball Club), direct that request to the relevant entity, as each entity is independently responsible for the personal information it holds.

Children and Young People

NPL welcomes junior players and is committed to protecting their privacy. NPL's junior competition and development programs require parental or guardian registration and consent for participants under the age of 18.

Registration and participation consent for under-18 players must be provided by a parent or legal guardian.
We do not collect personal information from children under the age of 15 without verified parental or guardian consent.
Junior player profiles on NPL's digital platforms display only the information necessary for competition administration.
Photography and video of junior players at NPL events is managed in accordance with our event media policy, and parental consent is obtained through event participation terms.
Junior player information is not used for commercial marketing purposes without explicit parental consent.

NPL expects all affiliated venues and clubs delivering junior programs to implement equivalent protections in line with their own policies and applicable state child safety legislation.

Third-Party Links

NPL's website and platforms may contain links to affiliated venues (including thejarpickleballclub.com.au), state sporting bodies, broadcast partners, sponsors, and social media platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those external sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operations, legal obligations, or the expansion of our ecosystem. Material changes will be reflected by an updated "Date of version" on the cover of this document and communicated to players, clubs, and partners via our platform or direct notification as appropriate. Your continued engagement with NPL's platforms and services after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact Us and Complaints

For any questions, access or correction requests, or complaints relating to how NPL handles personal information, please contact us:

National Pickleball League
Address: 29 White Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205
Email: info@nplpickleball.com.au
Website: www.nplpickleball.com.au

We will acknowledge your request or complaint within five (5) business days and aim to resolve it within thirty (30) days.

If you are not satisfied with NPL's response, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Phone: 1300 363 992
Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001