The tool
Running a padel tournament boils down to three things: who plays with whom each round, what the scores were, and who leads. PadelFlow is a free generator that handles all three. Add the players, pick a format — the app draws the rounds, records results in a couple of taps and updates the standings after every match.
The generator covers the five formats actually used on club nights and among groups of friends: americano, mexicano, nordicano, king/queen of the court — with fixed teams if you like — and davis cup. Everything runs from the same setup, so there are no spreadsheets, paper slips or mental arithmetic between rounds.
Best of all for a hall with poor signal: it all works without an account and without internet. Sessions are stored on your device, so the generator runs just as well in a basement court as on your sofa. Open it in the browser, or get the app.
Pick a format
Each format solves a different kind of evening. Everyone playing with everyone? Americano. Mixed levels? Mexicano keeps matches even. For ladder drama there are king/queen of the court and nordicano — and for a pure team battle, davis cup packs a group stage and playoffs into one night.
| Format | Best for | Players | How rounds are decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americano | Social nights — everyone plays the same amount, with a new partner wherever possible | 4–32, at least 4 per court | Equal play time and maximum variety — the score never matters |
| Mexicano | Mixed skill levels — the standings keep matches even | 4–32, bench for extras | The standings — you meet players at your own level |
| Nordicano | A court ladder with extra tension — bonus points and a final round | 4, 8, 12 … 32 — exactly 4 per court, no bench | Moving up and down the ladder, with bonus points from round 3 |
| King/Queen of the Court | The classic court ladder — solo or with fixed teams | 4, 8, 12 … 32 — exactly 4 per court, no bench | Win and move up, lose and move down |
| Davis Cup | A pure team battle — group stage and playoffs in one evening | Exactly 16 (4 teams of 4) | Fixed plan: three group rounds, then playoffs |
Mexicano and nordicano also come as team variants with fixed pairs, and king/queen of the court can be played solo or with fixed teams. Open the format pages for the rules and fully worked examples — or just pick one in the app and try it.
How it works
Pick a format — americano, mexicano, nordicano, king/queen of the court or davis cup.
Type in the names, set the courts — the app tells you if the numbers don't add up.
Generate the round — the courts fill automatically, and the bench rotates in the formats that have one.
Record each score — the standings update live, and you generate rounds for as long as you have court time.
Points and courts
Matches in PadelFlow are played to 24 points in total — both teams' points add up to 24 — or 13–12 when a tiebreak point settles it in the ladder formats — and every rally counts. That is the most common tournament variant on club nights (some clubs play to 16, 21 or 32 when scoring by hand), and it gives matches of roughly 15–20 minutes including scoring and court changes. Two formats are exceptions: Nordicano's final round is played to 32, and davis cup is scored as games won (7–5, say) rather than to 24.
Courts decide how many people are in play at once. Each court takes four players, you can use 1–8 courts, and a session holds up to 32 players. A good rule of thumb is one court per four or five players — extras rotate in from the bench in americano and mexicano, so an awkward headcount is never a problem.
| Players | Courts | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 4–7 | 1 | From 5 players, the bench rotates in americano and mexicano |
| 8–11 | 2 | 8 on 2 courts is the classic — everyone in play every round |
| 12–15 | 3 | A typical club night — 6–8 rounds fit comfortably |
| 16–19 | 4 | 16 is also the fixed setup for davis cup: 4 teams of 4 |
| 20–32 | 5–8 | Big nights — every court needs four players, so a fifth court takes 20 |
How many rounds? You decide as you go: the generator keeps building rounds, and the standings crown the winner when you stop. At 15–20 minutes per round, a two-hour booking usually gives six to eight. Davis cup is the exception, with its fixed plan of three group rounds and a playoff round.
Planning the whole night — from picking a format to the final table? Our guide to organizing a padel tournament walks through it step by step.
FAQ
Yes. Setting up tournaments and playing sessions is free — no trial period and no paywall in front of the rounds or the standings.
No. Sessions are set up and played without any login, and everything is stored on your device. An account (Apple or Google) is only needed if you want shared groups or tournament lobbies across phones.
Yes. Rounds are generated and scores recorded fully offline — the session lives locally on your device, so the generator works just as well in a hall with no signal as it does at home. You only need a connection when something is shared with others.
Five: americano, mexicano, nordicano, king/queen of the court and davis cup. Mexicano and nordicano also come as team variants with fixed pairs, and king/queen of the court can be played solo or with fixed teams — eight modes in one app.
From four players on one court up to 32 players on eight courts. Every court needs four players, and in americano and mexicano any extras rotate in automatically from the bench. Davis cup has a fixed setup: 16 players split into four teams.
Yes — that is exactly what groups are for. Create a group in the app and let everyone join with an invite code. The night is posted as a tournament lobby inside the group — the owner or an admin does that — and from there it lands in the group's shared archive with standings and Elo ratings across the nights. Sessions you start from here, outside a group, are saved on your own device only. Read more about groups.
Ready?
Open the generator in your browser: pick a format, type in the names and generate round 1. No account, no download required.
Free to join, always · No account needed