How to run a padel americana, step by step

Running an americana is the best way to bring your group together, meet new people and play two or three hours straight without setting fixed pairs. You do not need to be a club or have experience: with a good rotation table, clear rules and someone keeping score, it works beautifully. This guide takes you step by step, from deciding how many players to invite to the prize-giving. If you are not yet sure what an americana is, start with our guide to the format.

Step 1: decide the size

Everything starts with one simple rule: four players per court. So the number of entrants must be a multiple of four:

• 8 players on 2 courts: the easiest to run and ideal for a first time.
• 12 players on 3 courts: more variety of partners, more logistics.
• 16 players on 4 courts: this is an event; it helps to have two organisers.

If you have one or two extra, do not squeeze them in "to see how it goes": keep a waiting list and confirm in good time. A court with three people throws the whole rotation out.

Step 2: set the level

An americana works when levels are similar. You have three options:

• Even level: invite people of a similar standard. The simplest.
• By category: with 16 entrants, run two americanas of 8 at the same time, one stronger and one weaker.
• Mixed: every pair is one man and one woman. The table has to be adjusted so this always holds.

Ask each person's level when they sign up. If you use a numeric scale, ask for it; otherwise "beginner, intermediate or advanced" is enough.

Step 3: book courts and time

Work out the time before booking. With 8 players there are 7 rounds, so everyone partners each of the others once. With 15-minute matches and 2 or 3 minutes to change courts, the americana lasts a little over two hours. Add 10 minutes at the start to warm up and explain the rules, and another 10 at the end for prizes.

Book the courts together and at the same time. If they are in different parts of the club, changeovers drag on.

Step 4: choose the scoring system

Pick one and announce it in advance, because it causes the most arguments:

• By points (the most common): each match is played to a fixed total, for example 24 points. Points are counted one by one and every player serves the same number of points (six each, if playing to 24). A match can end 15-9 or 12-12. It is the fairest, because all matches last about the same.
• By time: play as much as fits into 15 minutes, counting games or points. Easy to control with a stopwatch, but some matches end halfway.
• By games: each round is a mini-match to, say, four games with a golden point at deuce. Scored like a normal match, but it takes longer.

With any of the three, each player adds to their personal total the points or games their pair won that round.

Step 5: build the rotation table

This is the heart of the americana. Number the players 1 to 8 (a draw on arrival is fairest) and follow this table, in which each player partners each of the other seven once and faces each of them exactly twice:

• Round 1: 1 and 2 v 3 and 4 · 5 and 6 v 7 and 8
• Round 2: 1 and 3 v 5 and 7 · 2 and 4 v 6 and 8
• Round 3: 1 and 4 v 5 and 8 · 2 and 3 v 6 and 7
• Round 4: 1 and 5 v 2 and 6 · 3 and 7 v 4 and 8
• Round 5: 1 and 6 v 3 and 8 · 2 and 5 v 4 and 7
• Round 6: 1 and 7 v 4 and 6 · 2 and 8 v 3 and 5
• Round 7: 1 and 8 v 2 and 7 · 3 and 6 v 4 and 5

The first match of each round goes on court 1 and the second on court 2. Print it or send it to the group before the event: it saves a lot of questions.

For 12 or 16 players the logic is the same but the table is longer, and there is not always time for everyone to partner everyone. In that case, make sure nobody repeats a partner and everyone plays the same number of rounds.

Step 6: the Mexicano variant

If you prefer more even matches, use the Mexicano (mexicana): play the first round from the table (or by draw) and, from the second round on, set pairs by the current standings. Each court takes four consecutive players from the table, with 1st and 3rd against 2nd and 4th. The strongest end up playing each other and matches balance themselves. You need to update the standings after every round, so it is more work for the scorekeeper.

Step 7: get the kit ready

• New balls: at least one tube per court. For a long americana, a second tube halfway through.
• Score sheet: one row per player and one column per round, plus the total. On paper or in a spreadsheet on your phone.
• Stopwatch or alarm, if playing by time.
• Water, especially in daytime or in the heat.
• Prizes (optional): they need not be expensive; a racket, a tube of balls or the last-placed player buying a round works just as well.

Step 8: collect money and confirm

Divide the total cost (courts, balls and prizes) among the entrants and collect before the event. Ask for confirmation two days ahead and tell the waiting list if someone drops out. Send a message with the arrival time, the club's address, the scoring system and the table.

Step 9: on the day

• Arrive before everyone to welcome people and draw the numbers.
• Explain the rules in two minutes: scoring system, round length, who serves first and that the table rules.
• Signal the start and end of each round to all courts at the same time.
• Collect results after every round and write them down straight away. Waiting until the end is the recipe for forgotten scores.
• Break ties with an announced rule: first points difference, then the result between the tied players.

Step 10: prizes and the next date

Announce the standings, hand out the prizes, take the group photo and, while everyone is still there, propose the next date. The best americana is the one that becomes a habit.