Rules and General Information

Padel Doubles Tournament · American Format

DATE HEADQUARTERS AGE
Saturday, October 3, 2026 Futeca Ages 18 and older

Reference Document. These regulations outline the information provided by Futeca for the planning and communication of the tournament.

1. What is an American padel tournament?

The American padel tournament is a dynamic and social format in which participants compete against one another, switching partners and opponents during the initial phase. The goal is for each player to play as many matches as possible, with the standings determined by accumulated points rather than direct elimination.

  • Everyone against everyone: Each player plays several matches against different opponents.
  • Partner swapping: During the American phase, partners take turns so that participants can play with different people.
  • Short matches: Matches are played for a set amount of time or until a predetermined number of points is reached.
  • Cumulative score: The points earned in each match are added together to determine the overall standings.
  • Continuous participation: Since there are no eliminations during the first phase, players remain active throughout the American tournament.
  • Competitive and social environment: The format promotes camaraderie, integration, and fast-paced competition.

2. Advantages of the format

  • Equal participation: All participants play a similar number of matches.
  • No early elimination: Players remain active throughout the American phase.
  • Variety of opponents: Each player faces a wide variety of opponents.
  • Agile competition: The format promotes a participatory, dynamic, and social event.

3. Bi Tournament Schedule

The event will consist of four sets. Each set will last approximately two hours.

Block Schedule Category Duration
First American 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Men's Third Division Approx. 2 hours.
Second American 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Women's Second and Third Divisions Approx. 2 hours.
Third American 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Fourth category Approx. 2 hours.
American-style room 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Fifth category Approx. 2 hours.

4. Game Mechanics

  • Participants: This program is open to people 18 years of age and older.
  • Capacity: Each American event can accommodate a maximum of 20 participants. If fewer participants take part, the total number must be a multiple of four.
  • Scoring: Each round is played for a total of 16 points. If the score is 8–8, each player receives eight points.
  • Individual Standings: Although matches are played in pairs, each player accumulates points individually.
  • American-style round: Participants play in a round-robin format for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  • Number of rounds: We estimate that there will be between 10 and 12 rounds, depending on the pace and level of play.
  • End of the phase: When the allotted time has elapsed, the app calculates the rankings based on the accumulated points.
  • Qualifying Round: The eight players with the highest individual scores advance .

5. Semifinals and Final

Based on the rankings, fixed pairs are formed according to the positions achieved:

Instance Pair A Pair B
Semifinal 1 1st and 2nd Place Finishers 7th and 8th Place Finishers
Semifinal 2 3rd and 4th Place Finishers 5th and 6th Place Finishers

Final: The winning teams from both semifinals will face off in the final match to determine the American champions.

Match format: Both the semifinals and the final will be best-of-four games, using the golden point system, with each match lasting approximately 30 minutes.

6. Estimated duration

Each American tournament will last approximately two hours in total, including the round-robin phase, the calculation of the standings, the semifinals, and the final.

7. Operational Rules and Tie-Breaking Criteria

7.1 Recording Results

The app used by the organizer automatically records the results of each round, calculates each player's point differential, and updates the individual rankings during the American phase.

7.2 Tie-breaking criteria

If two or more players finish with the same score, the following criteria will be applied in the order listed:

  • First criterion: the largest cumulative point differential during the American phase.
  • Second criterion: the result of the head-to-head matchup between the tied players.
  • Third criterion: If the tie persists and the players competed together as a pair, they will form a pair for the final phase, in accordance with the ranking established by the app.

7.3 Absences, Injuries, and Substitutions

Once the tournament has begun, no regular substitutions of participants will be allowed.

  • No-show: If a player does not show up, a replacement must be found to complete the competition.
  • Injury: If a participant is injured during the tournament, another player may substitute in solely to finish the scheduled matches.
  • Exceptional circumstances: Substitutions will be permitted only to ensure the continuity of the tournament and will not constitute a regular change of participant.

7.4 Court Assignments

The app used by the organizer will be responsible for assigning courts, pairings, opponents, and rotations for each round.

Source: Information provided by Futeca for the organization of the Bi Padel Tournament.