#1: When does the tournament take place?
You won’t believe it, but this is a question we often hear.
We are always tempted to say: This year, the Pentecost Tournament will be held at Easter.
So no, for everybody who does not know why the Pentecost Tournament is called Pentecost Tournament: Because it takes place at Pentecost.
And for everybody too lazy to search in the calendar, here are the dates until 2026 (Note: Registration is only possible starting around January of the relevant year, so don’t even try before):
2023: 27.-29.05.
2024: 18.-20.05.
2025: 07.-09.06.
2026: 23.-25.05.
Arrival is on Friday before Pentecost, starting at 17:00 h, the games end on Monday at approx. 15.00 h. Since the match schedule can only be created shortly before the match, we cannot provide any information in advance as to when the last match of your team or age group will be.
#2: We have a private accommodation. Do we still have to buy guest cards?
Guest cards include the following services:
Type A: Accommodation, meals, shuttle service (Note: contingent for guest tickets A is sold out for 2024)
Type B: Accommodation, shuttle service
If you have a private accommodation, you do not necessarily have to buy a guest card.
The use of our shuttle buses is free for every participant.
#3: How does the process of registration/payment/confirmation work?
You can find details on the registration process here.
#4: We will arrive with more/fewer participants. What do we have to do?
As long as the number of changes is within reasonable limits, we do not have/want to know anything about that. Whether one person more or less is coming is relatively meaningless, but if we talk about three or ten people, this becomes relevant (because of accommodation facilities).
Such minor differences will be dealt with during check-in on Friday.
You can pay for additional persons or get back your money for extra guest cards already paid on that day.
However, what we really need to know is whether the type of guest cards has changed. Our caterer knows the current number of participants and is prepared for that.
#5: Can you pick us up at the airport or hotel?
In principle: No.
We will be organizing a shuttle service with private and rented minibuses. These will only be available in limited numbers. Driving to the airport on Friday may easily take more than one hour – one way.
Thus, our capacities are not sufficient to drive to distant destinations (Berlin is a very big city!).
#6: When do I get the games schedule and other material?
We will complete the games schedule during the weekend before Pentecost. We do this on purpose at this late point in time in order to limit possible changes to a minimum.
The material will not be sent by mail, participants will receive their material and schedule during check-in on Friday evening. However, you can download the schedule and all material from our Homepage in the week before Pentecost.
#7: Where do we have to go for check-in, i.e. where does check-in take place?
Please show up at Tournament Office/Check-In on Friday from 5 p. m. on.
#8: How do I get from XYZ to Bahnhof Zehlendorf?
The best method is to search for a suitable connection on the website of Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe.
Go to BVG and enter the following in the box called “Fahrplanauskunft fahrinfo online” on the right-hand side:
von: The station at which you will arrive (*)
nach: S Zehlendorf Bhf
am: Date of your arrival
um: Time of your arrival
#9: We will arrive on Friday, can we get accommodation for this night from you?
Arrival on Friday is explicitly intended and practised by everybody with only very few exceptions. And yes, those hundreds of participants arriving on Friday will also get accommodation from us.
#10: Where do I find hotels in the neighbourhood?
Unfortunately, Zehlendorf does not have many hotels, Steglitz (adjacent district), however, has.
You can find hotels under:
hotel.de
hrs.de
berlin.de
The largest part of the tournament premises is in the Zehlendorf district at Teltower Damm. Gyms and accommodations will be located in close vicinity.
#11: When do I get information material?
We will try to make this material as up-to-date as possible. Therefore, we will not send any material by mail.
One week before the tournament you can download the games schedule and further information from our homepage. We will inform you by e-mail as soon as we have made this information available online.
We cannot tell you in advance where you are going to sleep, since there may by changes at short notice until the day before the tournament.
You will receive all information material, guest cards, and city map upon your arrival on Friday. On this occasion, you will also be informed about your accommodation.
#12: Do we have to pay deposits?
Yes, two types of deposits are imposed.
1. Tournament deposit: For operating the games, we are imposing a 50€ (U12-U18) / 100 € (U20-Sen/O35) deposit for each team registered. It has to be transferred in advance, together with the team fees. In case you have fulfilled all your tournament obligations (games schedule, judges/timekeeper) the deposit will be refunded after the tournament.
2. Accommodation deposit: This deposit has been imposed for years. For each registration number the deposit is 50€, to be paid in cash at the check-in desk. Your accommodation deposit will be refunded by the housekeeper or supervisor accommodation in case you have left behind your accommodation clean or in the condition you have taken it over.
#13: How strong is league xyz?
We are often asked how strong a U18 or men class is. The answer: That depends on the participants. In other words: We don’t know either before the tournament.
However, we can say that our tournament is always a kind of “end-of-season” tournament and therefore is not 100% oriented towards performance.
There are always performance-oriented teams competing for the upper ranks in often spectacular games. But there are also teams who just want to have fun and who do not care if they end up with rank 7 or 15 as long as they have enjoyed themselves. And that is the only thing we know in advance: It is fun.
#14: Can younger players play in a certain age class?
Short answer: Yes, of course.
The age groups in our tournament are based on the age groups of the last season. Everybody who has played as U18 etc. in the last season can also do this here.
#15: Do we have to buy guest cards for the coaches?
You have to buy guest cards for every person sleeping in our rooms. That means also for coaches, parents, physios, nannies etc.
The only exception are referees who are officially active in the tournament. They will be provided with accommodation and meals by us.
#16: What are the opening hours of the tournament office on Friday?
The tournament office will open at 17:00 h on Friday (NEW since 2011).
On Friday it will be open as long as made necessary by the arriving teams, usually until 2 or 3 h at night.
In order for us to know how long we should wait we would ask the participants to send the feedback form they received together with the invitation back to us (this can also be done online).
On Saturday and Sunday the tournament office will be open until around 0 h.On Monday the tournament office closes after the last game at around 3 pm.
However, even at night there will always be somebody in the tournament office able to at least note your questions. That means that, especially on Friday night, you do not have to worry if you get stuck in traffic. The night watch will always be there for you, and important formalities can also be settled the following day
#17: I would like to come with a mixed team, is that possible?
Mixed teams are possible, but must be specified explicitly in advance (i.e. during registration).
We will then decide on a case-to-case basis how to handle this.
A short, basic rule:
Girls in a boy’s team -> usually no problem, participation within the competition
Boys in a girl’s team -> preliminary round participation outside of the competition, afterwards within the competition If the games schedule does not include a preliminary round we will apply a rule that makes it impossible for this team to reach one of the four top ranks.
#18: I have made a mistake in the registration and/or would like to change the registration. What do I have to do?
If you have made a mistake in the registration and/or would like to change the registration, you have to do two things:
Read our information on the Pentecost Tournament page under “Registration” -> Help for your online registration
To change your registration: Go to the registration overview and click on “Edit” on the right side. However, you can only edit your registration until we have accepted it (this will be after the deadline for registration). After this, we would ask you to inform us by e-mail or via the feedback function about any changes.
#19: Will we get keys to our accommodation later?
With few exceptions, we have no keys for the individual classrooms. On the one hand, we do not get it ourselves, on the other hand, it would not really help at all. In Berlin, most schools have a locking system, i. e. all classrooms have the same key.
#20: Do you have showers in the accommodation?
Unfortunately, Berlin schools are only inadequately equipped with showers. But you can find showers in all the playing gyms.
#21: Can you prevent overlaps between two teams in the schedule?
If you give us such a request at the time of registration, we will try to find a game plan for the preliminary round, which excludes the overlap as far as possible.
From the second round, however, we will not be able to guarantee this, since we will then continue to play in the KO system or an intermediate round. The pairings here are based on the placements in the preliminary round.
#22: Can older players play in a certain age class?
In principle: No. The Pentecost Tournament is meant to be a recreational tournament at the end of the season, and we regard this as a discrimination of the other participants.
If you nevertheless wish to participate with older players, please contact us in advance and make a corresponding note in your registration. We will then decide whether we accept this exception.
In practice, you will participate “outside of the competition”. You will automatically be the last-ranking team in the preliminary round, afterwards you go on to play as usual. Thus, you will have the same number of games, however, will not be able to reach top positions.
Please note: We will randomly carry out age controls! Should we find players who are too old, we will exclude the entire team from the tournament!
