Pickleball Round Robin for 20 Players on 5 courts
For 20 players on 5 courts, play 8 rounds of rotating-partner doubles: 20 play and nobody sits out each round. Everyone plays 8 games, with no repeat partners, in about 2 h with games to 11.
Pickleball Round Robin for 20 Players on 5 courts · www.elcodev.com/apps/paddlerack/round-robin/20-players-5-courts
Everyone plays 8 games · zero repeat partners
The schedule: 8 rounds
Give each player a number from 1 to 20 (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 | Court 4 | Court 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 0 min | 18 & 4 vs 6 & 1____ : ____ | 16 & 19 vs 9 & 12____ : ____ | 2 & 14 vs 5 & 11____ : ____ | 13 & 8 vs 15 & 17____ : ____ | 20 & 7 vs 3 & 10____ : ____ |
| 2 15 min | 17 & 2 vs 4 & 10____ : ____ | 1 & 9 vs 13 & 20____ : ____ | 12 & 19 vs 14 & 7____ : ____ | 6 & 5 vs 15 & 8____ : ____ | 11 & 3 vs 16 & 18____ : ____ |
| 3 30 min | 10 & 16 vs 18 & 6____ : ____ | 20 & 19 vs 2 & 13____ : ____ | 9 & 4 vs 11 & 12____ : ____ | 17 & 14 vs 15 & 3____ : ____ | 7 & 1 vs 8 & 5____ : ____ |
| 4 45 min | 14 & 12 vs 6 & 13____ : ____ | 20 & 10 vs 15 & 11____ : ____ | 17 & 19 vs 18 & 1____ : ____ | 8 & 2 vs 3 & 9____ : ____ | 5 & 7 vs 16 & 4____ : ____ |
| 5 60 min | 6 & 3 vs 19 & 13____ : ____ | 7 & 17 vs 9 & 11____ : ____ | 5 & 14 vs 18 & 20____ : ____ | 12 & 1 vs 10 & 15____ : ____ | 8 & 16 vs 2 & 4____ : ____ |
| 6 75 min | 16 & 9 vs 10 & 1____ : ____ | 12 & 6 vs 2 & 11____ : ____ | 15 & 20 vs 18 & 7____ : ____ | 5 & 4 vs 3 & 13____ : ____ | 8 & 17 vs 14 & 19____ : ____ |
| 7 90 min | 7 & 9 vs 6 & 14____ : ____ | 16 & 12 vs 17 & 20____ : ____ | 15 & 5 vs 11 & 19____ : ____ | 18 & 10 vs 4 & 8____ : ____ | 2 & 3 vs 13 & 1____ : ____ |
| 8 105 min | 4 & 3 vs 9 & 15____ : ____ | 10 & 11 vs 5 & 13____ : ____ | 7 & 6 vs 17 & 1____ : ____ | 18 & 14 vs 2 & 12____ : ____ | 19 & 8 vs 16 & 20____ : ____ |
Name key
Sit-out distribution
No sit-outs: all 20 players are on court every round.
| Player | Games | Sit-outs | Different partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 5 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 6 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 7 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 9 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 10 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 12 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 13 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 14 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 15 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 17 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 18 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 19 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 20 | 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 8 games.
Tips for 20 players on 5 courts
Nobody sits. 20 players fill 5 courts exactly, so every round is four to a court. The only thing to rotate is partners and opponents.
Want fixed partners instead? 20 players make 10 teams. Use the fixed-partner generator for a team round robin where every team plays every other team as far as the courts allow.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds should 20 players play on 5 courts?
Plan 8 rounds, about 2 h with games to 11. A complete partner cycle (everyone partners everyone) would take about 19 rounds, roughly 4 h 45 min, so most groups stop at 8 rounds (2 hours).
How many players sit out each round with 20 players on 5 courts?
Nobody. 5 courts hold exactly 20 players, so all 20 play every round.
Will everyone partner with everyone?
Not in 8 rounds. Each player plays 8 games, so they partner 8+ different people out of 19 possible, with no repeats. Partnering everyone would take about 19 rounds.
How long does a 20-player round robin on 5 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
21 players, 5 courts · 20 players, 4 courts · all court options for 20 players · every schedule
Schedule generated by the Paddle Rack rotation (the same engine as the app); fairness counted independently. How the rotation works.