Round robins, Mexicano or elimination: which format to pick
Picking the wrong tournament format is one of the most common mistakes you'll see, and it's hard to fix halfway through. What works perfectly for 12 mates from the club can fall apart with 40 participants at mixed levels. This guide is so you arrive on Saturday with the call already made, and made well.
Quick call
Before picking a format, ask yourself:
The answers to these four questions pretty much tell you which format fits.
The six formats you'll come across
Single elimination
Lose one match and you go home. The shortest format and the one with the most tension per match.
Works well for: competitive tournaments with lots of pairs and not much time.
Double elimination
Lose once and you go to the repechage bracket. You have to lose twice to be out. Fairer because one bad day doesn't knock you out.
Works well for: tournaments where you want to give more chances without dragging things out.
Round robins / americanas
Everyone plays with everyone. Each player rotates partner and opponent, and individual points add up. Nobody gets eliminated.
Works well for: club nights, social events and groups with mixed levels.
Mexicano
Pairs and opponents are assigned by ranking each round. Top players against top players, bottom against bottom. It balances itself.
Works well for: big events with mixed levels. People enjoy it more because the matches even out.
Groups + playoffs
Group stage where everyone plays everyone within the group, and the best move into the elimination bracket. Combines the two.
Works well for: serious tournaments with a qualifying phase and a final.
King of the court
Ladder system: winners go up, losers come down. The goal is to reach court 1 and hold it.
Works well for: padel nights with few courts and a lot of players.
Comparison at a glance
| Format | Players | Time | Competition | Social | Fairness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single elimination | 8-64 pairs | 3-5h | High | Low | Medium |
| Double elimination | 8-32 pairs | 5-8h | High | Medium | High |
| Round robins / americanas | 8-24 players | 2-5h | Medium | Very high | Very high |
| Mexicano | 12-48 players | 2-4h | Medium | High | Very high |
| Groups + playoffs | 16-64 pairs | 6-10h | Very high | Medium | High |
| King of the court | 8-20 players | 1.5-3h | Medium | High | Medium |
When to use each format
Club social night
Round robin or MexicanoEveryone plays and nobody goes home after the first match. The priority is having a good time and, on the way, meeting people.
Official competitive tournament
Elimination or groups + playoffsYou need a clear winner. Elimination is shorter; groups give more matches before the final stage.
Quick event with few people
King of the courtWith two or three courts and 12 players, King of the Court keeps everyone active without long waits.
Big event with mixed levels
MexicanoBecause the matchmaking is dynamic, beginners don't end up against advanced players the whole time. The fun gets shared around better.
Season league
Round robin with fixed pairsEach pair plays all the others over several weeks. The final ranking is fair because everyone has played the same.
Typical mistakes when picking a format
Elimination for a social event
Half the group goes home after losing one match. People who paid to play end up with 20 minutes of court time. Bad call.
Round robin with too many people and too few courts
With 24 players and two courts, a round robin runs over six hours easily. Dead time piles up and by mid-afternoon people are watching the clock.
Not looking at the participants' levels
An elimination tournament where a beginner runs into an advanced player in round one is no fun for either of them.
Format too long for the time you have
If you have three hours and choose groups + playoffs for 32 pairs, you won't finish. Work out the total matches before locking anything in.
No plan B for the no-shows
In elimination, one missing pair breaks the bracket. Mexicano and round robins absorb the drop-outs without ruining your day.
Every format, in a single app
If you don't want a different app for every format, FenixPlay handles all six from the same place:
Conclusion
There's no best format in the abstract. There's the format that fits what you've got on your hands. For a social night, round robin or Mexicano. For something competitive, elimination or groups. For a quick evening, King of the Court. Get the choice right and half the organiser's job is already done.
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