How to organise a padel tournament, step by step

You have a group chat full of people who want to play, a couple of courts booked and an afternoon to fill. Somewhere between that and a real tournament there is some planning — far less than most people think, as long as you do it in the right order.

Start with three numbers

Before you pick a format, write down three things. Almost every decision after this comes straight out of them.

• Players. Padel is doubles, so you want an even number. 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 all divide cleanly.
• Courts. Two courts is the sweet spot for a social event. One court works, but keep it to eight players or the waiting ruins the mood.
• Hours. A match to one set with a tiebreak takes roughly 35 to 45 minutes. A short round-robin round takes about 20.

Pick the format that fits the day

This is the decision that makes or breaks the afternoon. A quick way to choose:

If in doubt for a social day, choose Americano. If you want a champion at the end, choose groups plus a knockout. There is a longer comparison in our guide to tournament formats.

Size the draw before you promise anything

The classic mistake is inviting everyone first and doing the maths afterwards. The sanity check is one line: total matches, divided by courts, multiplied by match length.

Sixteen players in an Americano on two courts is about two and a half hours. The same sixteen in groups plus a knockout on two courts is closer to four. Know which one you are selling before you post the invite.

Build a schedule nobody has to chase

• Publish the full round order before the first ball, not after it.
• Give every round a real start time, not just after the previous one finishes.
• Show the byes and rest rounds openly so nobody thinks they have been forgotten.
• Keep one reserve pair in mind. There is always a no-show.

Score it live, not on paper

Paper standings are where tournaments go to die. Someone writes 6-3 in the wrong column, nobody notices until the semi-finals, and the whole afternoon ends with an asterisk next to it.

With Cups Creator, results are entered from a phone and the table updates for everyone at the same moment. Players follow their own matches, see which court they are on next and check the standings without asking you a single question. That is the real job of tournament software: it takes the admin off your hands so you can actually play.

The five-minute checklist for the day before

1. Draw published and shared with every player.
2. Courts confirmed in writing, not by memory.
3. Balls counted — one fresh tube per court per couple of rounds is a safe rule.
4. Scoring and tiebreak rules stated up front, in the invite.
5. Someone other than you knows how to enter a result.
6. Prizes, photos and where everyone is going afterwards.

Do those six and the tournament runs itself. The only thing left is deciding who you want as a partner.