How to run a padel Mexicano tournament

Mexicano is a tournament that balances itself. The first round is random, and after that pairs are set from the current leaderboard. So matches get closer round by round, even in a group with different levels.

How Mexicano works

Points work the same way as in Americano. A match runs to a set total of points for both pairs, for example 21. With a score of 12-9, both players on the first pair get 12 points and both players on the second pair get 9. The player with the most points wins.

The difference is in how pairs are set. The next round can only be drawn once all scores from the current one are in, because they decide who plays with whom.

How pairs are set

After each round, players are ordered by the leaderboard. The top four play on the first court: first with fourth against second with third. The next four play on the second court in the same pattern, and so on.

So the leader plays with fourth place, not second, to keep the pairs even. In Padelano the same line-up never repeats twice in a row, so on one court you don't keep playing the same match.

Expect to meet the same people often, because pairs depend on the leaderboard. With 4 players you always play in the same group of four, and only the pairs change.

Mexicano or Americano

If you want everyone to play with everyone, choose Americano. If you prefer close matches, choose Mexicano.

How many players, points and rounds

Each court takes 4 players. Choose points the same way as in Americano: playing to 21 gives about 6–7 rounds in 90 minutes, and playing to 16 gives more, about 9. The times are rough, because the pace of play varies.

Mexicano has no fixed number of rounds, so it's best to agree on a time or a number of rounds before you start. The last rounds are usually the most exciting, because the top players are fighting for the podium.

What about sit-outs

When the number of players doesn't divide by 4, or there aren't enough courts, some players sit out. Sit-outs are picked first, in turn, and the pairs are set from the rest. A player sitting out gets points, usually half of the match total, for example 10 when playing to 21.

Who serves

As in Americano, serving works like a tie-break: the first player serves once, then each player in turn serves twice.

Late arrivals and early exits

A late player can join from the next round and gets sit-out points for the rounds they missed. Someone who has to leave early finishes the current round, and their points stay on the leaderboard.

How to do it in Padelano

1. Choose Mexicano, the total points and the number of courts.
2. Enter the players' names and tap Start.
3. Send the tournament link to your group or show the QR code.
4. After each round, enter the scores and the app sets the next pairs.
5. At the end, share the results with your friends.

The app is free, runs in the browser and needs no account. Working out the leaderboard by hand after every round is the hardest part of Mexicano, and here the app does it for you.