Eight formats in under a minute
See how each format pairs players. The comparison table and the details for each format follow below.
Which format should I pick?
PadelLife runs eight tournament formats. They differ in one thing above all: who plays with whom. Start with the question that fits your group below, or compare them all in the table.
Start from your group
All eight formats compared
Every format runs on 1 to 8 courts, can be scored by points or games, and works with groups and registration links.
| Format | Who plays with whom | Size | Rounds | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Americano | Partners change every round; everyone partners everyone over a full schedule | 4–32 players | Full schedule made at the start | Social sessions, mixed levels |
| Fixed Team Americano | Same partner all day; every team plays every other team | 3–32 teams | Full schedule made at the start | Pairs, friendly leagues |
| Mixed Men/Women Americano | Every team is one woman + one man; partners rotate | 2–32 of each | Full schedule made at the start | Mixed socials |
| Mixed Left/Right Americano | Every team is one left-side + one right-side player | 2–32 of each | Full schedule made at the start | Players with a set side |
| Mixed Custom Americano | One player from each of two lists you name | 2–32 per list | Full schedule made at the start | Levels, two clubs, anything with two groups |
| Single Mexicano | New pairs each round from the standings: 1 & 3 vs 2 & 4 | 4–32 players | One round at a time | Competitive play, levels even out |
| Fixed Team Mexicano | Same partner all day; teams play teams of similar standing (1 vs 2, 3 vs 4) | 3–32 teams | One round at a time | Competitive pairs |
| Free Flow | You choose all four players of every match | 4–32 players | One round at a time, you add the matches | King of the Court, importing past events |
Switching format
Pick from the Tournament Format list
The first field of every setup form is Tournament Format. Choose another format and the page switches to it, ready to fill in.
Single Americano
The classic social format. Every player is ranked individually, so a strong player can’t hide behind a partner, and a newcomer gets to play with everyone.
Partners change every round
- The whole schedule is made when you start, so players can see when and where they play.
- Over a full schedule, everyone partners everyone once.
- If the numbers don’t divide evenly over the courts, players take turns resting, spread as fairly as possible.
- Each player collects their own points; the leaderboard is individual.
Fixed Team Americano & Mexicano
For players who come as pairs. Results are kept per team.
Enter one team per line
Type each team on its own line, for example Oliver R. & Ayu P. You need 3 to 32 teams.
- Fixed Team Americano: every team plays every other team.
- Fixed Team Mexicano: after each round, teams are matched by the standings, so team 1 plays team 2, team 3 plays team 4, and so on.
Mixed Men/Women Americano
One woman + one man in every team
Enter the women and the men in their own lists (at least 2 of each, up to 32). Every team is always one woman and one man, and partners rotate like a regular Americano, so every man plays with every woman.
Mixed Left/Right Americano
One left-side + one right-side player
Same idea, but the two lists are right-side and left-side players. Everyone always plays their favourite side, and every left-side player partners every right-side player.
Mixed Custom Americano
Name your own two lists
Type a name for each list, such as Beginners and Advanced, Club A and Club B, or Juniors and Seniors. Every team has one player from each list.
The lists don’t need to be the same size. The app handles pairing and rest turns.
Single Mexicano
Similar to King of the Court. Round 1 is random; after that, players of similar standing play together and against each other, so matches get closer as the event goes on.
One round at a time
When every match of a round has a score, tap Generate Round 2 (then 3, 4…). The new round is built from the current leaderboard. Stop whenever your court time runs out.
- 4 to 32 players.
- Someone has to leave early? Use Remove Player/Team in the Edit Tournament menu.
Who plays with whom
- Players ranked 1 & 3 play against 2 & 4, then 5 & 7 against 6 & 8, and so on.
- Unlike classic Mexicano, the app tries to avoid the same two players partnering in two rounds in a row.
- Because pairs follow the standings, the same players can meet several times if they stay close in the ranking.
Tap the help icon in the app to read this any time.
Free Flow
No automatic pairing at all. Use it when you want full control, to run your own system, or to bring a past tournament into PadelLife.
Fill every match yourself
- Each round starts with one match with four empty slots. Tap + Player to fill a slot.
- Add Match adds more matches, up to your number of courts.
- A score can be entered once all four players are in place. The leaderboard works like in every other format.
Only free players are offered
The list only shows players who aren’t already playing in this round, so nobody is booked twice.