Pickleball Round Robin for 21 Players on 5 courts
For 21 players on 5 courts, play 8 rounds of rotating-partner doubles: 20 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 21 Players on 5 courts · www.elcodev.com/apps/paddlerack/round-robin/21-players-5-courts
Everyone plays 7 or 8 games · zero repeat partners
The schedule: 8 rounds
Give each player a number from 1 to 21 (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 | Sitting out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 0 min | 9 & 13 vs 16 & 5____ : ____ | 19 & 17 vs 12 & 14____ : ____ | 10 & 1 vs 4 & 6____ : ____ | 3 & 21 vs 7 & 20____ : ____ | 11 & 2 vs 15 & 8____ : ____ | 18 |
| 2 15 min | 13 & 4 vs 21 & 19____ : ____ | 15 & 6 vs 9 & 20____ : ____ | 16 & 14 vs 1 & 12____ : ____ | 17 & 11 vs 7 & 2____ : ____ | 10 & 3 vs 5 & 18____ : ____ | 8 |
| 3 30 min | 14 & 2 vs 21 & 9____ : ____ | 16 & 12 vs 8 & 5____ : ____ | 11 & 4 vs 6 & 17____ : ____ | 15 & 13 vs 10 & 7____ : ____ | 18 & 1 vs 20 & 19____ : ____ | 3 |
| 4 45 min | 7 & 17 vs 1 & 6____ : ____ | 9 & 10 vs 21 & 20____ : ____ | 4 & 16 vs 14 & 3____ : ____ | 15 & 2 vs 18 & 12____ : ____ | 8 & 11 vs 5 & 13____ : ____ | 19 |
| 5 60 min | 1 & 16 vs 11 & 21____ : ____ | 13 & 3 vs 15 & 17____ : ____ | 2 & 9 vs 19 & 4____ : ____ | 18 & 6 vs 12 & 5____ : ____ | 8 & 10 vs 14 & 7____ : ____ | 20 |
| 6 75 min | 4 & 14 vs 5 & 15____ : ____ | 17 & 12 vs 21 & 10____ : ____ | 20 & 2 vs 13 & 16____ : ____ | 3 & 8 vs 1 & 19____ : ____ | 18 & 9 vs 7 & 11____ : ____ | 6 |
| 7 90 min | 11 & 12 vs 20 & 4____ : ____ | 21 & 16 vs 15 & 19____ : ____ | 1 & 2 vs 10 & 5____ : ____ | 17 & 3 vs 8 & 9____ : ____ | 13 & 18 vs 6 & 14____ : ____ | 7 |
| 8 105 min | 17 & 4 vs 20 & 16____ : ____ | 12 & 10 vs 3 & 9____ : ____ | 11 & 18 vs 21 & 8____ : ____ | 5 & 19 vs 15 & 7____ : ____ | 14 & 1 vs 2 & 6____ : ____ | 13 |
Name key
Sit-out distribution
1 of 21 players sit each round, so each player sits 1 round in 21. Over 8 rounds that's 8 sit-outs shared 21 ways: everyone sits 0 or 1 time. Who sits:
- Round 1: 18
- Round 2: 8
- Round 3: 3
- Round 4: 19
- Round 5: 20
- Round 6: 6
- Round 7: 7
- Round 8: 13
| Player | Games | Sit-outs | Different partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 5 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 6 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 10 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 11 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 12 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 13 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 14 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 15 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 17 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 18 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 19 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 20 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 21 | 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 21 players on 5 courts
1 sits out each round. Each player sits 1 round in 21. 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 6 courts and nobody would sit (24 players on 6 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 21 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 21 rounds, roughly 5 h 15 min, so most groups stop at 8 rounds (2 hours).
How many players sit out each round with 21 players on 5 courts?
1 player sits out each round, because 5 courts hold 20. A fair rotation spreads it so each player sits 1 round in 21 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 20 possible, with no repeats. Partnering everyone would take about 21 rounds.
How long does a 21-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
20 players, 5 courts · 22 players, 5 courts · 21 players, 4 courts · all court options for 21 players · every schedule
Schedule generated by the Paddle Rack rotation (the same engine as the app); fairness counted independently. How the rotation works.