Americano for 18 players on 3 courts
With 18 players a perfect rotation is mathematically impossible, because 18 × 17 ÷ 4 isn’t a whole number of matches. This schedule covers 149 of the 153 possible partnerships in 26 rounds, with no pair together more than 2 times. Each round uses 3 courts, so 12 people play and 6 sit out.
Opens the organiser with 18 placeholder players. Swap in real names and keep the same rotation.
The schedule
Numbers are players: write your names next to them, or start it in the organiser to fill them in. “1 & 4 v 2 & 3” means players 1 and 4 play players 2 and 3.
| Round | Court 1 | Court 2 | Court 3 | Sits out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 & 18 v 2 & 10 | 11 & 15 v 12 & 3 | 9 & 4 v 1 & 7 | 5, 6, 8, 13, 16, 17 |
| 2 | 10 & 7 v 8 & 2 | 5 & 14 v 6 & 3 | 13 & 4 v 16 & 17 | 1, 9, 11, 12, 15, 18 |
| 3 | 1 & 5 v 12 & 15 | 18 & 17 v 9 & 6 | 11 & 8 v 13 & 16 | 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 14 |
| 4 | 18 & 2 v 3 & 4 | 7 & 14 v 17 & 5 | 8 & 10 v 12 & 1 | 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16 |
| 5 | 8 & 5 v 18 & 9 | 1 & 10 v 11 & 16 | 7 & 13 v 6 & 15 | 2, 3, 4, 12, 14, 17 |
| 6 | 15 & 17 v 2 & 16 | 6 & 4 v 11 & 3 | 13 & 12 v 9 & 14 | 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 18 |
| 7 | 3 & 7 v 10 & 12 | 9 & 8 v 6 & 2 | 18 & 5 v 16 & 1 | 4, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17 |
| 8 | 2 & 14 v 4 & 16 | 11 & 18 v 15 & 7 | 17 & 13 v 10 & 3 | 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12 |
| 9 | 12 & 4 v 6 & 13 | 17 & 8 v 11 & 5 | 9 & 1 v 15 & 14 | 2, 3, 7, 10, 16, 18 |
| 10 | 2 & 3 v 1 & 8 | 18 & 7 v 14 & 16 | 11 & 10 v 9 & 5 | 4, 6, 12, 13, 15, 17 |
| 11 | 4 & 10 v 15 & 3 | 6 & 12 v 2 & 17 | 13 & 11 v 1 & 18 | 5, 7, 8, 9, 14, 16 |
| 12 | 6 & 16 v 9 & 12 | 8 & 15 v 17 & 14 | 7 & 4 v 13 & 5 | 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 18 |
| 13 | 7 & 9 v 1 & 3 | 16 & 12 v 4 & 18 | 10 & 14 v 11 & 2 | 5, 6, 8, 13, 15, 17 |
| 14 | 5 & 12 v 13 & 14 | 1 & 11 v 17 & 6 | 15 & 4 v 8 & 18 | 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 16 |
| 15 | 2 & 15 v 9 & 13 | 7 & 8 v 17 & 3 | 16 & 10 v 6 & 5 | 1, 4, 11, 12, 14, 18 |
| 16 | 16 & 15 v 7 & 11 | 1 & 2 v 18 & 12 | 10 & 9 v 14 & 4 | 3, 5, 6, 8, 13, 17 |
| 17 | 3 & 13 v 9 & 16 | 17 & 7 v 12 & 2 | 4 & 5 v 8 & 6 | 1, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18 |
| 18 | 8 & 14 v 18 & 13 | 11 & 17 v 5 & 3 | 6 & 10 v 1 & 15 | 2, 4, 7, 9, 12, 16 |
| 19 | 7 & 6 v 15 & 13 | 17 & 4 v 12 & 14 | 16 & 5 v 2 & 9 | 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 18 |
| 20 | 18 & 3 v 5 & 15 | 10 & 1 v 16 & 8 | 11 & 6 v 7 & 2 | 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17 |
| 21 | 11 & 9 v 4 & 8 | 18 & 10 v 17 & 12 | 1 & 13 v 3 & 14 | 2, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16 |
| 22 | 16 & 7 v 9 & 17 | 3 & 8 v 6 & 18 | 15 & 13 v 5 & 2 | 1, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14 |
| 23 | 16 & 18 v 6 & 14 | 4 & 1 v 10 & 17 | 11 & 12 v 3 & 9 | 2, 5, 7, 8, 13, 15 |
| 24 | 4 & 11 v 14 & 1 | 13 & 2 v 5 & 7 | 10 & 15 v 8 & 12 | 3, 6, 9, 16, 17, 18 |
| 25 | 6 & 2 v 16 & 3 | 18 & 11 v 13 & 10 | 9 & 5 v 1 & 17 | 4, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15 |
| 26 | 14 & 16 v 9 & 15 | 18 & 8 v 7 & 12 | 5 & 10 v 2 & 4 | 1, 3, 6, 11, 13, 17 |
How fair it is
- Partnerships covered
- 149 / 153
- Most times with the same partner
- 2
- Times against each opponent
- 1–4
- Matches per player
- 17–18
- Rounds sitting out per player
- 8–9
- Back-to-back sit-outs
- 0
How long it takes
Rule of thumb: about 35 seconds per point plus 2 minutes to change ends and courts. Real games vary with level and serving rules.
| Points per match | Per round | All 26 rounds | Rounds in 90 min | Rounds in 2 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 12 mins | 5 hrs 12 mins | 7 | 10 |
| 21 | 15 mins | 6 hrs 30 mins | 6 | 8 |
| 24 | 16 mins | 6 hrs 56 mins | 5 | 7 |
| 32 | 21 mins | 9 hrs 6 mins | 4 | 5 |
Booked for less time than the full rotation? Play the first rounds: the schedule is ordered so match counts stay within one of each other whenever you stop.
Player by player
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
| Sits out | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
What 18 players means in practice
Over the full rotation each player plays 17–18 matches (about 4 hrs 48 mins of play at 24 points). Rounds sitting out per player: 8–9.
If one player cancels, 17 players on 3 courts need 23 rounds (everyone partners everyone once). If one more joins, 19 players on 3 courts need 29 rounds (partners rotate with few repeats).
Questions organisers ask
How many rounds does an Americano with 18 players on 3 courts take?
26 rounds for the full rotation, with 3 courts in use each round. At 24 points per match that is roughly 6 hrs 56 mins.
Does everyone partner everyone with 18 players?
Not quite: with 18 players a perfect rotation can’t exist. This schedule covers 149 of 153 partnerships and spreads sit-outs evenly.
What if we have less time?
Play the first rounds in order. In 90 minutes of 24-point matches you fit about 5 rounds; in two hours about 7.
Running padel nights every week?
Everything here is free during the beta. Tell us what would make it worth paying for and we will email you when it ships.