Pickleball Round Robin for 13 Players on 3 courts
For 13 players on 3 courts, play 8 rounds of rotating-partner doubles: 12 play and 1 sits out each round. Everyone plays 7 or 8 games and sits out 0 or 1 time, with no repeat partners, in about 2 h with games to 11.
Pickleball Round Robin for 13 Players on 3 courts · www.elcodev.com/apps/paddlerack/round-robin/13-players-3-courts
Everyone plays 7 or 8 games · zero repeat partners
The schedule: 8 rounds
Give each player a number from 1 to 13 (write names in the key when you print). Each row is one round; each cell is one game, partners joined by "&". Times assume games to 11.
| Round | Court 1 | Court 2 | Court 3 | Sitting out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 0 min | 10 & 5 vs 13 & 2____ : ____ | 11 & 3 vs 6 & 9____ : ____ | 12 & 7 vs 4 & 8____ : ____ | 1 |
| 2 15 min | 11 & 13 vs 1 & 3____ : ____ | 12 & 5 vs 9 & 10____ : ____ | 2 & 4 vs 8 & 6____ : ____ | 7 |
| 3 30 min | 1 & 5 vs 8 & 7____ : ____ | 4 & 3 vs 10 & 2____ : ____ | 6 & 13 vs 12 & 9____ : ____ | 11 |
| 4 45 min | 9 & 3 vs 8 & 1____ : ____ | 6 & 7 vs 13 & 10____ : ____ | 5 & 2 vs 11 & 12____ : ____ | 4 |
| 5 60 min | 4 & 10 vs 9 & 1____ : ____ | 7 & 5 vs 3 & 6____ : ____ | 11 & 8 vs 13 & 12____ : ____ | 2 |
| 6 75 min | 8 & 10 vs 11 & 6____ : ____ | 9 & 7 vs 2 & 12____ : ____ | 13 & 5 vs 4 & 1____ : ____ | 3 |
| 7 90 min | 10 & 7 vs 9 & 11____ : ____ | 6 & 2 vs 1 & 13____ : ____ | 5 & 3 vs 12 & 4____ : ____ | 8 |
| 8 105 min | 6 & 4 vs 11 & 2____ : ____ | 8 & 12 vs 1 & 10____ : ____ | 3 & 7 vs 13 & 9____ : ____ | 5 |
Name key
Sit-out distribution
1 of 13 players sit each round, so each player sits 1 round in 13. Over 8 rounds that's 8 sit-outs shared 13 ways: everyone sits 0 or 1 time. Who sits:
- Round 1: 1
- Round 2: 7
- Round 3: 11
- Round 4: 4
- Round 5: 2
- Round 6: 3
- Round 7: 8
- Round 8: 5
| Player | Games | Sit-outs | Different partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 10 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 12 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 13 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
How long it takes
Rec doubles to 11 with side-out scoring runs about 13 minutes plus a couple of minutes to rotate. Your group may be faster or slower; the court time guide shows how to estimate it.
| Format | Per round | 8 rounds |
|---|---|---|
| Games to 11 | 15 min | 2 h |
| Games to 15 | 20 min | 2 h 40 min |
| Games to 21 | 27 min | 3 h 36 min |
In a 2-hour booking (8 rounds to 11), each player gets about 7–8 games.
Tips for 13 players on 3 courts
1 sits out each round. Each player sits 1 round in 13. That's a short, friendly break, and a good moment to keep score or refill water. Rotate the sit-outs by the schedule, not by who volunteers, or the same polite people sit every time.
Short by 3? With 3 more players you could fill 4 courts and nobody would sit (16 players on 4 courts).
Odd number? That's fine for a rotating-partner round robin: partners change every round, so nobody needs a permanent partner. For fixed teams you'd need an even count.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds should 13 players play on 3 courts?
Plan 8 rounds, about 2 h with games to 11. A complete partner cycle (everyone partners everyone) would take about 13 rounds, roughly 3 h 15 min, so most groups stop at 8 rounds (2 hours).
How many players sit out each round with 13 players on 3 courts?
1 player sits out each round, because 3 courts hold 12. A fair rotation spreads it so each player sits 1 round in 13 and no one sits twice before everyone has sat once.
Will everyone partner with everyone?
Not in 8 rounds. Each player plays 7 or 8 games, so they partner 7+ different people out of 12 possible, with no repeats. Partnering everyone would take about 13 rounds.
How long does a 13-player round robin on 3 courts take?
About 2 h for 8 rounds to 11 points (side-out scoring, roughly 15 minutes per round including changeover), 2 h 40 min to 15, or 3 h 36 min to 21. Rally scoring is faster.
What if someone arrives late or leaves early?
A printed schedule can't adapt, so you'd regenerate it for the new count (the free generator takes seconds). The Paddle Rack app handles it live: late arrivals join with a fair games count and early leavers drop out without breaking the rotation.
Other group sizes
12 players, 3 courts · 14 players, 3 courts · 13 players, 2 courts · all court options for 13 players · every schedule
Schedule generated by the Paddle Rack rotation (the same engine as the app); fairness counted independently. How the rotation works.