Get4th › How to run a round robin for 12 pickleball players
Format guide
How to run a round robin for 12 pickleball players
Twelve players is the sweet spot for a club night: three full courts, nobody sitting. The complete partner rotation is 11 rounds — everyone partners all eleven others once. That's a long day (~2.5 hours), so most groups play the first 6 rounds (~80 minutes); the chart stays fair because every prefix of it is repeat-free.
The rotation chart (11 rounds, 3 courts)
| Round | Court 1 | Court 2 | Court 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 1&12 v 2&11 | 3&10 v 4&9 | 5&8 v 6&7 |
| R2 | 1&11 v 12&10 | 2&9 v 3&8 | 4&7 v 5&6 |
| R3 | 1&10 v 11&9 | 12&8 v 2&7 | 3&6 v 4&5 |
| R4 | 1&9 v 10&8 | 11&7 v 12&6 | 2&5 v 3&4 |
| R5 | 1&8 v 9&7 | 10&6 v 11&5 | 12&4 v 2&3 |
| R6 | 1&7 v 8&6 | 9&5 v 10&4 | 11&3 v 12&2 |
| R7 | 1&6 v 7&5 | 8&4 v 9&3 | 10&2 v 11&12 |
| R8 | 1&5 v 6&4 | 7&3 v 8&2 | 9&12 v 10&11 |
| R9 | 1&4 v 5&3 | 6&2 v 7&12 | 8&11 v 9&10 |
| R10 | 1&3 v 4&2 | 5&12 v 6&11 | 7&10 v 8&9 |
| R11 | 1&2 v 3&12 | 4&11 v 5&10 | 6&9 v 7&8 |
Tips at this size
Rotate all courts at once. Call "last rally" when the first court finishes; three courts drifting out of sync is how a round robin dies.
Assign a caller. One person (or Get4th) announces each round; players find their court instead of negotiating.
Track points per player. With rotating partners the leaderboard is individual — total points won across rounds.
Or let Get4th run it
Get4th texts each of the 12 their court and partner every round and collects scores by reply. The organizer plays instead of directing traffic. $15/month covers 30 court reservations. That's 50¢ a game — about 6¢ per player, per hour.
Related: round robin for 8 · start a ladder league
Questions
How many rounds should 12 players play?
The full partner rotation is 11 rounds (~2.5 hrs). Most groups play 6 rounds in ~80 minutes — the chart is designed so any prefix is fair.
Can I run 10 players on the 12 chart?
Use a 10-player chart instead (9 rounds on 2 courts + a sitting pair) — or invite two more; 12 fills three courts perfectly.
Singles or doubles?
This chart is doubles (partners rotate). For singles, a standard all-play-all schedule works and takes far longer.
Try it on your real group
30 days and 5 full courts free. No card, and your players never install anything.
$15/month covers 30 court reservations. That's 50¢ a game — about 6¢ per player, per hour.
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