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How to run a padel americano
Updated 30 October 2026
An americano is the easiest way to get a group of padel players on court together: everyone plays, everyone rotates partners, and one leaderboard decides the winner. Here is how to organise one that runs on time.
1. Players and courts
- Four players per court. 8 players on 2 courts is the classic size; 12 on 3 and 16 on 4 work the same way.
- Odd numbers are fine. With 9 or 10 players on 2 courts, players take turns to sit out a round. A good schedule never rests the same player twice in a row.
- One court is enough for four players: they rotate so each pairs with the other three.
2. How many rounds?
For everyone to partner everyone exactly once, you need one round fewer than the number of players.
| Players | Courts | Rounds for a full rotation |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | 2 | 7 |
| 12 | 3 | 11 |
| 16 | 4 | 15 |
Court time usually decides it. If you have booked 90 minutes for 8 players, seven rounds leaves roughly 12 minutes a round including changeovers. If the time doesn’t fit a full rotation, play fewer rounds: everyone still plays the same number of matches, and nobody partners the same person twice.
3. Choose how each match is scored
| Scoring | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Points | Play a fixed total, often 16, 21, 24 or 32 points. Every rally counts, so a match ends 14-10 or 12-12. | The classic americano. Totals are easy to compare. |
| Timed | Play points or games until the buzzer. The point or game in progress is finished. | Fixed court bookings, where finishing on time matters most |
| Games | Play a fixed number of games, usually 4, 6 or 8, often with golden point at 40-40. | Groups who prefer normal padel scoring |
Serving in points scoring: the serve passes to the next player after a set number of points, often every two or four, in the usual rotation. Agree it before round one.
4. Ranking, and settling ties
Each player’s score is the total of every point (or game) they won, across all their matches. When players finish level, the usual tie-breakers are:
- Most matches won (a draw counts as half a win)
- Then the best point difference (points won minus points lost)
If some players played one match more than others, because of rests, compare points per match so nobody is penalised for sitting out.
5. Variants
Mexicano
The first round is random. After that, each round is paired from the current table: on each court, 1st and 4th play 2nd and 3rd. Matches get closer as the event goes on, and the leaders end up playing each other.
Mixed americano
Every pair is one man and one woman. The rotation works as normal, but partners are always drawn from the other group.
6. On the day
- Publish the schedule before the first round. Players want to know which court they’re on and who with.
- Put one person on each court in charge of the score, and collect the results the moment each round ends.
- Keep the leaderboard visible. A TV or a shared link keeps people in the event between rounds.
- Use a clock. A clear “last point” call stops rounds overrunning.
Frequently asked questions
What is a padel americano?
A social format where players change partners every round. Every point a player wins counts towards their own total, and the highest total wins.
What is the difference between americano and mexicano?
An americano’s partner rotation is fixed in advance. A mexicano pairs each round from the current standings, so the matches get closer as it goes on.
How long does an americano take?
Usually 90 minutes to two hours: it depends on the court booking, the number of rounds and the points per match.
Run your americano from one phone
PointCall builds the schedule to fit your court time and runs Americano, Mexicano and Mixed. Each court scores from a phone or a watch, and the leaderboard updates live on everyone’s phone and on the club TV. Every player follows from one link, with no account needed. Running an event is free.