Pickleball Round Robin for 23 Players on 5 courts
For 23 players on 5 courts, play 8 rounds of rotating-partner doubles: 20 play and 3 sit out each round. Everyone plays 6 or 7 games and sits out 1 or 2 times, with no repeat partners, in about 2 h with games to 11.
Pickleball Round Robin for 23 Players on 5 courts · www.elcodev.com/apps/paddlerack/round-robin/23-players-5-courts
Everyone plays 6 or 7 games · zero repeat partners
The schedule: 8 rounds
Give each player a number from 1 to 23 (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 | 6 & 22 vs 8 & 5____ : ____ | 9 & 12 vs 1 & 13____ : ____ | 2 & 18 vs 4 & 23____ : ____ | 15 & 16 vs 14 & 10____ : ____ | 19 & 3 vs 17 & 20____ : ____ | 7, 11, 21 |
| 2 15 min | 20 & 23 vs 10 & 11____ : ____ | 8 & 7 vs 19 & 5____ : ____ | 16 & 4 vs 13 & 12____ : ____ | 17 & 2 vs 9 & 18____ : ____ | 21 & 14 vs 1 & 3____ : ____ | 6, 15, 22 |
| 3 30 min | 3 & 4 vs 15 & 23____ : ____ | 22 & 11 vs 9 & 17____ : ____ | 7 & 2 vs 16 & 1____ : ____ | 20 & 21 vs 13 & 5____ : ____ | 12 & 6 vs 18 & 10____ : ____ | 8, 14, 19 |
| 4 45 min | 19 & 18 vs 21 & 5____ : ____ | 9 & 7 vs 12 & 15____ : ____ | 6 & 1 vs 22 & 4____ : ____ | 3 & 23 vs 13 & 16____ : ____ | 11 & 8 vs 14 & 2____ : ____ | 10, 17, 20 |
| 5 60 min | 3 & 14 vs 2 & 19____ : ____ | 21 & 6 vs 16 & 17____ : ____ | 13 & 8 vs 10 & 1____ : ____ | 23 & 5 vs 15 & 9____ : ____ | 20 & 11 vs 22 & 7____ : ____ | 4, 12, 18 |
| 6 75 min | 15 & 11 vs 6 & 19____ : ____ | 5 & 18 vs 14 & 13____ : ____ | 7 & 21 vs 23 & 10____ : ____ | 20 & 3 vs 4 & 8____ : ____ | 22 & 17 vs 16 & 12____ : ____ | 1, 2, 9 |
| 7 90 min | 11 & 9 vs 18 & 8____ : ____ | 7 & 6 vs 21 & 2____ : ____ | 10 & 5 vs 1 & 4____ : ____ | 17 & 12 vs 20 & 14____ : ____ | 22 & 16 vs 19 & 15____ : ____ | 3, 13, 23 |
| 8 105 min | 4 & 10 vs 14 & 11____ : ____ | 22 & 1 vs 18 & 3____ : ____ | 21 & 15 vs 12 & 20____ : ____ | 23 & 2 vs 19 & 17____ : ____ | 8 & 6 vs 7 & 13____ : ____ | 5, 9, 16 |
Name key
Sit-out distribution
3 of 23 players sit each round, so each player sits about 1 round in 7.7. Over 8 rounds that's 24 sit-outs shared 23 ways: everyone sits 1 or 2 times. Who sits:
- Round 1: 7, 11, 21
- Round 2: 6, 15, 22
- Round 3: 8, 14, 19
- Round 4: 10, 17, 20
- Round 5: 4, 12, 18
- Round 6: 1, 2, 9
- Round 7: 3, 13, 23
- Round 8: 5, 9, 16
| 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 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| 10 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 12 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 13 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 14 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 16 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 17 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 18 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 19 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 20 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 21 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 22 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| 23 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
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 6–7 games.
Tips for 23 players on 5 courts
3 sit out each round. Each player sits about 1 round in 7.7. Keep games short (to 11, or rally scoring) so nobody waits more than one game in a row; the schedule above never makes anyone sit twice before everyone has sat once.
Short by 1? With 1 more player 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 23 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 26 rounds, roughly 6 h 30 min, so most groups stop at 8 rounds (2 hours).
How many players sit out each round with 23 players on 5 courts?
3 players sit out each round, because 5 courts hold 20. A fair rotation spreads it so each player sits about 1 round in 7.7 and no one sits twice before everyone has sat once.
Will everyone partner with everyone?
Not in 8 rounds. Each player plays 6 or 7 games, so they partner 6+ different people out of 22 possible, with no repeats. Partnering everyone would take about 26 rounds.
How long does a 23-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
22 players, 5 courts · 24 players, 5 courts · 23 players, 4 courts · all court options for 23 players · every schedule
Schedule generated by the Paddle Rack rotation (the same engine as the app); fairness counted independently. How the rotation works.