Organising tournaments
The tournament day checklist
Nothing ruins a good draw like a missing ball tube. Here is the list, in the order you actually need it.
Every organiser learns this list the hard way, usually at 9am on a Saturday. Here it is in advance, split into the three moments that matter.
One week before
- Courts booked and confirmed in writing, with half an hour of slack at the end.
- Format and finish time announced in the invitation, not just the start time.
- Entry list closed with a named reserve or two.
- Scoring rules written down: points per round, tiebreak, what happens if it rains.
- Prizes bought, or at least decided.
The morning of
- Draw generated and shared as a link, so people can check it on the way.
- Balls: a fresh tube per court for every couple of rounds.
- Water, ice and something to eat. Hungry players play slowly.
- A phone with battery, or a charger. Your phone is the scoreboard.
- One person besides you who knows how to enter results.
During the day
- Enter each result as the match ends. Batching results at the end is how mistakes happen.
- Announce the next round out loud as well as on screen.
- Watch the slowest court. That is where the schedule slips first.
- Take the group photo before the semi-finals, while everyone is still there.
- Say the finish time again halfway through, so nobody drifts off.
When it goes wrong
Someone does not show. Move the reserve in, or convert one round into a mini-round with a bye. Do not stop the tournament to discuss it.
It rains. Decide the cut-off before you start: if you have completed the group stage, the standings hold. If not, you replay. Announcing this in advance saves an argument later.
You are running late. Shorten the next round, not the final. Nobody remembers a 16-point round instead of 24; everybody remembers a rushed final.
If you are still choosing a format, start with the guide to tournament formats and come back to this list a week before the event.
Frequently asked questions
How many balls do I need for a padel tournament?
About one fresh tube per court for every two rounds. For 16 players on two courts over seven rounds, eight tubes is comfortable.
What should I do if a player does not turn up?
Bring in a named reserve. If there is none, give one player a bye that round and rotate who gets it. Decide it in under a minute and move on.
Do I need a referee for a club tournament?
Not usually. Name one person who is not playing to settle disputes, agree that the receiving pair calls their own lines, and it rarely comes up.