Padel planner
The padel planner tells you whether your evening fits before you book the courts. Enter the players and the style of play, and it suggests the courts, the match length in points and how many rounds fit, and warns you when too many players would sit out.
Question 1 of 5
How the padel planner works
Pick the style
Rotating partners or fixed pairs, and whether everyone plays everyone or the standings decide.
Enter the players
The planner suggests one court per four players, up to 12, and shows how many sit out each round.
Set courts and time
Optional: your own number of courts, the time you have booked, a break and the points per match.
Open it in the tool
One tap opens the tournament generator with the format, the courts and the points filled in.
What does the padel planner work out?
It works out the format, the courts, the match length and how many rounds fit your time. You tell it two things you already know: whether partners rotate or stay fixed, and whether everyone should play everyone or the standings should decide who meets whom. Those two answers point to one format:
| Everyone plays everyone | Standings decide | |
|---|---|---|
| Rotating partners | Americano | Mexicano |
| Fixed pairs | Round robin | Team Mexicano |
Then the padel planner suggests one court per four players, up to 12, and fits the rounds into your time. It counts about half a minute per point plus three minutes per match for changeovers and serving. If you have fewer courts than that, set your own number, and it shows how many players sit out each round and how often each of them rests. If only three rounds fit, or the bench gets crowded, it suggests shorter matches; if twelve or more fit, it suggests longer ones.
A round robin is worked out the other way round. The size of the tournament is fixed, because every team meets every other team once, so the question is how long it takes rather than how many rounds fit. The match length then comes from the match format you pick, and if the plan does not fit your time, the planner says so and suggests a shorter format or more courts.
When the plan looks right, one tap opens the padel tournament generator with the format, the courts and the points already filled in.
Americano time by players and points
About 1 h 45 min for 8 players at 24 points, and 3 h for 16. The rules of the format are on the padel Americano page; this table is the planner's arithmetic. An Americano plays one round fewer than the number of players, up to 12, and all the courts play at the same time. With one court per four players, this is the playing time before any break:
| Players | Courts | Rounds | 16 points | 21 points | 24 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 7 | 1 h 17 min | 1 h 38 min | 1 h 45 min |
| 12 | 3 | 11 | 2 h 1 min | 2 h 34 min | 2 h 45 min |
| 16 | 4 | 12 | 2 h 12 min | 2 h 48 min | 3 h |
| 20 | 5 | 12 | 2 h 12 min | 2 h 48 min | 3 h |
| 24 | 6 | 12 | 2 h 12 min | 2 h 48 min | 3 h |
From 13 players up the Americano is capped at 12 rounds, so the points per match decide how long the evening runs. A Mexicano has no fixed number of rounds and fits any slot, because you simply stop when the time is up. The time per round is the same.
How many rounds fit in 90 minutes?
Six rounds at 24 points, eight at 16 points. The table counts playing time only, so take any break or prize-giving off the time first:
| Points per match | Minutes per round | Rounds in 60 min | Rounds in 90 min | Rounds in 120 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| 21 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 24 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 32 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
Shorter matches mean more rounds and more changes of partner, which is what most social evenings want. Longer matches suit a group that would rather play fewer, closer games.
Padel planner: common questions
How many courts do I need for padel?
One court for every four players. Eight players need two courts and sixteen need four, and then everyone plays every round. With fewer courts, the extra players sit out in turn, and the padel planner shows how many sit out each round and how often each player rests over the evening.
How long does a padel Americano match take?
About 15 minutes for a match to 24 points, changeovers and serving included, and about 11 minutes at 16 points. The padel planner counts half a minute per point plus three minutes per match. Shorter matches give more rounds in the same time, and more changes of partner.
How many rounds should we play?
As many as fit your time: about six rounds in 90 minutes at 24 points, or eight at 16. A Mexicano builds one round at a time, so you stop when time is up. An Americano draws its whole schedule at the start, one round fewer than the players and at most 12, so check the plan first.
What if the plan does not fit the time I booked?
Shorten the matches first: dropping from 24 to 16 points takes about 4 minutes off every round. In a round robin the format matters more: best of three sets is about 75 minutes, a super tie-break in the third about 60 and one set about 30. The planner says when a plan does not fit and suggests a shorter format.