matchMii Deutsch Open matchMii

Padel guide

Padel tournament formats

A padel evening needs a format. Here are the common ones, from casual to serious, and what each is good for.

Find players Padel courts in Vienna
Social
Americano
Balanced
Mexicano
Fixed teams
Team Americano
Serious
Knockout

01

Which format when?

For a social evening with people who barely know each other, Americano is the default. Everyone plays the same amount, with rotating partners.

When levels vary a lot, Mexicano is fairer. With fixed pairs, use Team Americano or a round robin; for a real winner, a knockout.

02

What they share

Almost all casual formats play to points rather than sets. Each match has a fixed number of rallies, say 24, and every point won counts towards the table.

That way every match in a round ends at the same time and the evening stays on schedule.

  • social

    Americano

    Partners change every round, and you play with and against as many people as possible. Points count individually.

    More on this →
  • balanced

    Mexicano

    Each round’s pairings come from the current standings: 1st and 4th against 2nd and 3rd.

    More on this →
  • fixed pairs

    Team Americano

    Like Americano, but with fixed teams who face changing opponents.

  • fast

    King of the Court

    Winners move up a court, losers move down. Whoever ends on court 1 wins.

  • complete

    Round robin

    Every team plays every other team once. Fair, but only possible with a few teams in one evening.

  • serious

    Knockout

    Lose and you are out. A clear winner, but half the field plays only one match.

Americano or Mexicano with your group?

The free generator makes the schedule and keeps the table. No sign-up.

Open the Americano generator

Frequently asked questions

How many people do you need for an Americano?

At least four for one court. 8 people on 2 courts or 12 on 3 work well. When the numbers do not divide, players take turns sitting out.

How long does an Americano take?

With 24 points per match a round takes about 12 to 15 minutes. 7 rounds for 8 people fit well into two hours.

What is the difference between Americano and Mexicano?

In Americano the pairings are fixed in advance and as mixed as possible. In Mexicano they are re-formed after every round from the standings.

Can I run a tournament with matchMii?

Yes. Create a round as a tournament with Americano, round robin or knockout; the app draws it and keeps the table. To try it out, there is the free Americano generator.

Updated 15 November 2026

Read next