How many courts do you need for a pickleball round robin?
Plan one court for every four players. Eight or nine players need 2 courts, 12 need 3, 16 need 4, and 18 players split into two groups of 9 on 4 courts.
One court for every four players
Pickleball doubles has two players on each side of the net, per USA Pickleball. That means four players fill one court.
So the quick math is your player count divided by four, rounded down. The leftover players sit out each round, which we call a bye.
Courts by player count
Here is the math for common group sizes, and how Court Crowd handles them.
- 8 players: 2 courts. Everyone plays every round, with 7 rounds and no byes.
- 9 players: 2 courts. One player has a bye each round, and every player sits out once.
- 12 players: 3 courts, with everyone on court.
- 16 players: 4 courts, with everyone on court.
- 18 players: 4 courts. We split them into two groups of 9, each on 2 courts with its own standings.
- 20 players: 5 courts, with everyone on court.
What a bye does to your court count
A bye does not need its own court. The player on a bye rests, watches, or keeps score for fun while the other eight play.
If you have one or two players more than a multiple of four, you can still use the same courts. The extra players rotate out, so no one sits twice in a row for long. For how we spread the byes evenly, read round robin without the waiting.
Run your round robin free
Set it up on your phone in about a minute. Matchups, scores and standings take care of themselves.
Start a Round RobinHow long each round takes
Time per round depends on your game length. Most pickleball games go to 11 and must be won by 2, per USA Pickleball, so a round runs about as long as one game.
A group of 9 plays 9 rounds, and the whole event takes about two hours. That works out to roughly 13 minutes a round, with a short break. Shorter games make the night faster.
Add up your rounds and your game length before you book the courts. The court calculator does that math for your player count and time window.
Run it in Court Crowd
Once you know your courts, here is what you do. You run it from your phone, and a co-host can sign in to help.
- Open Court Crowd and start a session with Run a Round Robin.
- Add your players by name, from 8 to 21.
- Pick the format for your count, such as a pod of 9 or two pods of 9.
- Start the event. Each round shows which players go on which court.
- Enter the scores after each round. Standings and tiebreakers update on their own.
Common questions
How many courts do I need for 8 players?
Two. Four players fill a court, so 8 players fill 2 courts and nobody sits out.
How many courts for 9 players?
Two. Eight play each round and one player has a bye. The bye moves, so everyone sits out once.
Can I run a round robin on one court?
You can, but only four people play at a time, so everyone else waits. It works best for a small group with short games.
How many courts for 18 players?
Four. We run two groups of 9, each on 2 courts, then the best players from both groups can meet in a playoff.
Run your round robin free
Set up a session in about a minute. Matchups, scoring and standings handle themselves.
Start a Round Robin Free