A round robin is one of the best formats for rec play – structured, social, and competitive all at once. In this format, players rotate partners and/or opponents each round, with a winner crowned at the end.
For years, organizers ran round robins with pen and paper or clunky spreadsheets. But that breaks down fast, especially if someone leaves early or you get access to an extra court.
gageThese days, top organizers want digital tools to schedule, manage, and streamline their round robins. That's why we built the comprehensive Pickleheads round robin tool – the easiest way to set up and run your event from your phone.
Try the Pickleheads round robin tool
See why this is the #1 tool for round robins in pickleball.
How to run a pickleball round robin
If you're ready to set up a round robin, here's how you do it:
- Create your event. Either use the Pickleheads round robin tool on our website, or click "New Game" at the bottom of the screen in the Pickleheads app, then select "Round robin".
- Select a round robin format (e.g. Popcorn, Up & Down the River, Gauntlet).
- Fill in the details (date and time, court numbers, number of players, payment required, and more).
- Add your players (see below).
- Make any changes before the event by clicking "Set Up" next to "Round Robin" in your Pickleheads app, then click the pencil icon next to "Format & Courts".
Now that your round robin is set up, let's look at how you run it on the day.
Adding players to your round robin
There's more than one way to add players to your round robin. You can either:
- Creating a shareable link: share this with your players so they can create/sign into their Pickleheads account and join the round robin.
- Reserving a slot to add players manually: this is helpful if your players haven't signed up or aren't used to the platform yet.
How to run your round robin from the court
Using the Pickleheads app, here's how you run your round robin:
Note: you'll get the best experience through the app. While you can create a round robin on our website, you can only run the event through the app on the day.
Get the Pickleheads app!
Create round robins, find courts, connect with players, and more.
- Generate matchups: once you're satisfied that everything is ready, click "Generate Round 1 Matchups". Players will see their court assignments automatically through the app.
- Click "Start Round".
- Input scores by tapping "Add Score". Players can do this too if they have the Pickleheads app. Once the round is finished, click "End Round".
- Choose to play another round or end the event.
- Once the round robin is finished, a winner is crowned automatically.
Optional features include:
- Collect payments via credit card.
- Submit scores to DUPR.
- Make it a weekly recurring event (automatically invites players in the group to the next round robin).
Round robin formats
In the Pickleheads round robin tool, you have six different round robin formats to choose from. Currently, each format has you rotate partners after each round. Soon, we'll launch a "fixed partner" option so you can choose to keep teams together for the whole event.
Tips: if you're unsure which format to use, we recommend running a Gauntlet, especially if you have a mix of skill levels. Also, if you don't know your exact player count, Gauntlet and Popcorn are the most flexible and the best bet.
Here's a breakdown of each format:
Gauntlet
The flexible Gauntlet format is unique to Pickleheads and a favorite of organizers. Players are organized by skill level and put into a round. Based on the results, winners draw more challenging opponents and losers face easier ones.
Does
Seeded matchups for the most competitive games.
Allow organizers to adjust initial matchups if needed.
One game per round for unique matchups.
Unlimited rounds with any number of players or courts.
The player with the highest win percentage wins.
Doesn't
Minimize court switching.
Generate random matchups.
Claim the Throne
This is a classic round robin format for large groups. The organizer seeds players by skill level, and players are sorted onto courts. After each game, winners move up a court and losers move down a court, splitting partners every time.
Does
Seeded matchups for the most competitive games.
Allow organizers to adjust initial matchups if needed.
One game per round for unique matchups.
Earn points for every win (the higher the court, the more points each win is worth).
Doesn't
Allow any number of players (you need four players per court).
Minimize court switching.
Generate random matchups.
Up & Down the River
This is similar to Claim the Throne, but with minimized court switching and waiting between games.
Does
Seeded matchups for the most competitive games.
Allow organizers to adjust initial matchups if needed.
Work if you don't have exactly four players per court (you can have courts with five players, some with four).
Minimize court switching (3-5 games per round so you stay on the same court for multiple games).
Reduce wait time between games.
Earn points for every win (the higher the court, the more points each win is worth).
Doesn't
Allow any number of players (you need four or five players per court).
Generate random matchups.
Cream of the Crop
Players are seeded by skill level, placed into balanced groups, and play with every partner. Based on the Round 1 results, the top players move to Court #1, the next best to Court #2, and so on. After Round 2, the top two players move up a court and the bottom two move down, splitting partners.
Does
Seeded matchups for the most competitive games.
Allow organizers to adjust initial matchups if needed.
Work if you don't have exactly four players per court (you can have courts with five players, some with four).
Minimize court switching (3-5 games per round so you stay on the same court for multiple games).
Reduce wait time between games.
Earn points for every win (the higher the court, the more points each win is worth).
Doesn't
Allow any number of players (you need four or five players per court).
Generate random matchups.
Popcorn
This fun, flexible format allows players to mix in with as many other players as possible. In each round, unique matchups are randomly generated. If you don't like the draw for that round, just hit the Shuffle button to get a new one.
Does
Random matchups for mixing in with everyone.
You can hit Shuffle before each round to randomly mix up matchups.
Works best when all players are around the same skill level.
One game per round for unique matchups.
Unlimited rounds with any number of players or courts.
The player with the highest win percentage wins.
Doesn't
Minimize court switching.
Allow for seeded matchups.
Allow organizers to adjust matchups manually (though you can hit Shuffle).
Scramble
This is similar to Popcorn, but with minimized court switching.
Does
Random matchups for mixing in with everyone.
Works best when all players are around the same skill level.
Minimize court switching (3-5 games per round so you stay on the same court for multiple games).
Unlimited rounds with any number of players or courts.
The player with the highest win percentage wins.
Doesn't
Allow for seeded matchups.
Allow organizers to adjust matchups manually.
Why it's better to use an app for your round robin
The Pickleheads app takes the stress out of running a round robin. Here's how:
- Players receive reminders, meaning fewer no-shows.
- No-shows are easier to handle – just because someone doesn't turn up doesn't mean the whole event is ruined. The Pickleheads app adjusts matchups automatically if players drop out or leave early.
- Much more flexibility – adjust matchups and rounds, right up until the round begins.
- View live standings throughout the event.
- Players can input their own scores.
- Everything is run through your device, eliminating the need for printouts and clipboards.
Benefits of the round robin format
If you're familiar with pickleball open plays, you know how chaotic they can get. Skill levels are all over the place, partners don't rotate evenly, and some players end up sitting more than they play.
Round robins solve all that. They offer enough structure to keep things organized and competitive without losing the social, low-pressure vibe that players love. That's why so many organizers turn to round robins for their weekly sessions.
They work across various skill levels, keep games moving, and make it easy for players to mix in and have fun.
Here's why the format works so well:
Competitive, well-matched games
With players rotating partners and/or opponents, round robins naturally lead to more balanced matchups. You can run them across a wide mix of skill levels and still keep things competitive and fair.
Social and community-driven
This format encourages players to mix in with new players each round. It's one of the best ways to build connection and energy on the courts, especially for rec players.
Flexible and easy to manage
Round robins work with as few as four players and can accommodate as many players as the court capacity or organizer allows (20, 30, 40, or more).
You can play as many rounds as you want, use time rounds to keep things moving, and make quick adjustments if players drop out or extra courts open up.
Tips for a smooth round robin
We spoke to Sharon Ricci (Founder/Head Chick at PickleballChicks), who runs weekly DUPR round robins in Florida through the Pickleheads app. As Sharon said, "well-matched and fair games are a keystone of our mission. We are a top 3% DUPR club in the world, so we have it pretty figured out".
Sharon offered some expert advice on how to run a smooth round robin. She runs weekly DUPR courts in two different ways:
- Create three Pickleheads sessions rather than one big session, each at a different skill level (2 courts = 10 players; 6 courts = 30 players).
- Register 30 players on 6 courts and run one big Pickleheads session (2.0 to 3.75 skill level) using either the Gauntlet or Up & Down the River formats.
Other experienced tips include:
- Cap rounds at 10-12 minutes for a better flow.
- Use pickleball rally scoring for large groups.
- Send a reminder to players the night before.
- Add a prize for the winner to boost engagement.
Try the Pickleheads round robin tool
See why this is the #1 tool for round robins in pickleball.
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