Tournament generator

All four run on the same draw engine; what changes is whether your partner is fixed and where the matchups come from.

Americano

For people turning up alone. Partners change every round, everyone plays with everyone, and points are individual. Partner rotation evens out differences in level on its own — the club-night classic.

Mexicano

For groups with a wide spread of levels. Every round comes from the standings: in each four, 1st partners 4th and 2nd partners 3rd. Matches stay close and nobody gets steamrolled.

Team Americano

For people who arrive with a partner. Pairs stay together all tournament and each team takes on the others in turn. Points go to the team.

Team Mexicano

Fixed pairs with a tense finish. Pairs stay together but matchups come from the standings: 1st team plays 2nd. The leaders knock each other out and the end of the night heats up.

The right number of rounds is the one that gives everyone the same number of matches. On two courts, 8 people play each round and the rest sit out; pick the wrong number and some players end up a match ahead.

Rule of thumb on two courts: set the round count equal to the number of players. Everyone then plays exactly 8 matches, whatever the turnout.

Based on two courts and 21-point matches. At these round counts nobody sits out more often than anybody else.

With 8 players nobody sits out, so every round count is equal. But 7 is special: all 28 possible pairings get used once and nobody partners the same player twice. With three courts, 12 players over 11 rounds gives the same perfect rotation.

A point takes about 32 seconds including the serve and the pause after it, and 2 minutes per round is added for changing courts and partners. Court count doesn't change the total — rounds run on all courts at once, so courts only decide how many people are on the floor at a time.

How many players does an americano tournament need?

At least 4. A court takes 4 players, so on two courts 8 people play without ever sitting out; above that, some rest each round. This tool builds draws for up to 32 players.

What if the player count isn't a multiple of 4?

Some players sit out each round. The draw always rests whoever has rested least so far, so the gap between rest counts never exceeds one. Standings use average points per match rather than the total, so playing one match fewer never costs you a place.

What's the difference between Americano and Mexicano?

Americano builds the whole draw upfront and maximises partner variety. Mexicano builds each round from the current standings, so players on similar scores meet and matches stay closer. Pick Americano for a social night, Mexicano when the group's levels vary a lot.

How many rounds for 12 players on 2 courts?

Twelve. Everyone plays exactly 8 matches, nobody rests more than anyone else, and with 21-point matches it runs about 2 hours 40 minutes. If you can get a third court, 11 rounds gives a perfect rotation where everyone partners everyone exactly once.

Can everyone partner everyone once?

It depends on the player and court count. 8 players on 2 courts complete a full rotation in 7 rounds, and 12 players on 3 courts in 11. When courts are short, covering every pairing takes more rounds — the tool tells you above the draw whether any partnership repeats.

Can I run two tournaments at once?

Yes. Group A and group B are stored separately, so you can open the second in a new tab and run two levels in parallel. If they share a venue, use the first-court setting to shift group B's numbers so the draw shows the real courts.