Padel guides for whoever does the organising

Every group has one person who books the court, works out the format and reminds everybody to pay. These guides are for them. They cover the two parts that actually go wrong — picking a rotation that keeps the games close, and running the session without spending the evening on admin.

Written from the formats as we implement them, so the round counts, pairing rules and scoring targets here are the ones a session really runs on.

• The six social padel formats, and which one fits your groupAmericano, Mexicano, King of the Court and their fixed-partner versions — compared on the three things that decide which one your group should play.8 min read
• Padel Mexicano: the two pairing rules, and what each one optimisesMexicano has no official pairing rule. 1+4 against 2+3 balances the two teams; 1+3 against 2+4 keeps each team closer in level. When to use which.7 min read
• Padel Americano: the rotation, and how long it really takesA full Americano rotation is n(n-1)/2 partnerships. With four players per court that is exactly n-1 rounds — and it grows fast once players outnumber seats.8 min read
• Americano vs Mexicano: which should your group play?Americano optimises for fair partners, Mexicano for close games. A straight comparison, with a recommendation for mixed groups and for even ones.7 min read
• Fixed partners: when to lock pairs, and what it changesLock the pairs and opponents become the only variable left, which halves what the format can balance. When that trade is worth it — and the middle ground.7 min read
• King of the Court padel: the ladder, explainedWinners move up, losers move down, the top court holds. Why the ladder sorts a mixed group by itself, and what re-pairing on arrival prevents.7 min read

• Point scoring vs tennis scoring for social padelFixed-sum point scoring makes results from different courts comparable and puts a ceiling on the session. Tennis scoring does neither. When to use each.8 min read

• Five, six, seven, nine: running padel when it is not a multiple of fourNot a multiple of four? The sit-out queue is the real problem. Rotate by fewest games played, and compensate the resting player on the leaderboard.7 min read
• How to run a weekly padel group with your own friendsCourts, money, no-shows and the group-chat scramble for seats. The four things that kill a weekly padel group, and the workflow that replaces them.9 min read
• Running a one-day padel tournament for your office, club or uni groupCourt time first, format second. How many pairs justify groups plus a knockout, how long each stage takes, and what to settle the week before.9 min read
• How many courts and how long: fitting a format into your bookingFit a format into a 60, 90 or 120-minute booking. The arithmetic behind points-to-target and timed rounds, with tables for one to four courts.7 min read