PicklePal
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40 players, 8 courts

With 40 players and only 8 courts, 8 players sit out each round — and that’s exactly where most rotation charts get unfair. PicklePal rotates the sit-outs so everyone rests the same number of times, never twice in a row, while still cutting repeat partners and balancing teams. Here’s a fair 8-round example.

What this setup looks like

Players · Courts
40 · 8
Sit out / round
8
Games / player
6–7
Max repeat partner
1

Plan the night

How many rounds fit at roughly 12 minutes per game (game to 11 plus court switch).

SessionRoundsTotal gamesPer player
60 min 5 40 4
90 min 7 56 5.6
120 min 10 80 8

Sample 8-round rotation

8 sitting out each round, on a fair rotation.

1 Round 1
Court 1
20P20
10P10
vs
40P40
26P26
Court 2
29P29
37P37
vs
27P27
9P9
Court 3
15P15
11P11
vs
18P18
22P22
Court 4
24P24
28P28
vs
21P21
35P35
Court 5
34P34
16P16
vs
19P19
33P33
Court 6
32P32
36P36
vs
39P39
12P12
Court 7
31P31
38P38
vs
25P25
17P17
Court 8
13P13
14P14
vs
23P23
30P30
Resting P1 · P2 · P3 · P4 · P5 · P6 · P7 · P8
2 Round 2
Court 1
36P36
3P3
vs
23P23
27P27
Court 2
8P8
34P34
vs
21P21
30P30
Court 3
19P19
2P2
vs
25P25
28P28
Court 4
40P40
20P20
vs
38P38
18P18
Court 5
39P39
32P32
vs
6P6
4P4
Court 6
24P24
35P35
vs
31P31
37P37
Court 7
22P22
33P33
vs
5P5
29P29
Court 8
1P1
17P17
vs
26P26
7P7
Resting P9 · P10 · P11 · P12 · P13 · P14 · P15 · P16
3 Round 3
Court 1
34P34
14P14
vs
7P7
27P27
Court 2
37P37
1P1
vs
32P32
4P4
Court 3
36P36
12P12
vs
11P11
2P2
Court 4
31P31
40P40
vs
5P5
33P33
Court 5
26P26
6P6
vs
13P13
15P15
Court 6
3P3
16P16
vs
35P35
28P28
Court 7
38P38
39P39
vs
30P30
10P10
Court 8
29P29
9P9
vs
25P25
8P8
Resting P17 · P18 · P19 · P20 · P21 · P22 · P23 · P24
4 Round 4
Court 1
36P36
2P2
vs
9P9
4P4
Court 2
24P24
38P38
vs
1P1
8P8
Court 3
40P40
18P18
vs
17P17
14P14
Court 4
19P19
20P20
vs
15P15
6P6
Court 5
22P22
16P16
vs
34P34
7P7
Court 6
35P35
37P37
vs
33P33
21P21
Court 7
13P13
11P11
vs
10P10
39P39
Court 8
23P23
3P3
vs
12P12
5P5
Resting P25 · P26 · P27 · P28 · P29 · P30 · P31 · P32
5 Round 5
Court 1
10P10
15P15
vs
27P27
29P29
Court 2
3P3
9P9
vs
31P31
32P32
Court 3
11P11
14P14
vs
13P13
21P21
Court 4
23P23
12P12
vs
22P22
25P25
Court 5
18P18
20P20
vs
7P7
30P30
Court 6
6P6
2P2
vs
1P1
26P26
Court 7
4P4
17P17
vs
19P19
8P8
Court 8
24P24
5P5
vs
28P28
16P16
Resting P33 · P34 · P35 · P36 · P37 · P38 · P39 · P40
6 Round 6
Court 1
14P14
30P30
vs
12P12
37P37
Court 2
38P38
13P13
vs
33P33
16P16
Court 3
32P32
26P26
vs
25P25
31P31
Court 4
34P34
19P19
vs
9P9
36P36
Court 5
17P17
27P27
vs
11P11
22P22
Court 6
21P21
28P28
vs
10P10
40P40
Court 7
23P23
35P35
vs
15P15
18P18
Court 8
29P29
39P39
vs
20P20
24P24
Resting P1 · P2 · P3 · P4 · P5 · P6 · P7 · P8
7 Round 7
Court 1
33P33
31P31
vs
39P39
20P20
Court 2
27P27
6P6
vs
38P38
40P40
Court 3
8P8
24P24
vs
22P22
5P5
Court 4
18P18
7P7
vs
32P32
19P19
Court 5
29P29
1P1
vs
36P36
34P34
Court 6
25P25
4P4
vs
17P17
21P21
Court 7
26P26
2P2
vs
35P35
3P3
Court 8
37P37
30P30
vs
23P23
28P28
Resting P9 · P10 · P11 · P12 · P13 · P14 · P15 · P16
8 Round 8
Court 1
39P39
11P11
vs
14P14
3P3
Court 2
27P27
16P16
vs
12P12
32P32
Court 3
37P37
15P15
vs
38P38
34P34
Court 4
28P28
40P40
vs
1P1
31P31
Court 5
29P29
33P33
vs
2P2
7P7
Court 6
35P35
26P26
vs
9P9
8P8
Court 7
25P25
6P6
vs
10P10
4P4
Court 8
5P5
36P36
vs
13P13
30P30
Resting P17 · P18 · P19 · P20 · P21 · P22 · P23 · P24

Who sits out — and why it’s fair

8 players sit out each round. Over an 8-round night that's 64 sit-outs shared across 40 players — about 1–2 each. PicklePal hands them out so nobody sits twice before everyone has sat once, and never two rounds in a row.

When the roster changes

+ One more shows up

At 41 players you stay on 8 courts; 9 now sit each round. In the live builder PicklePal folds the newcomer in from the next round — no restart.

- Someone has to leave

Down to 39? Still 8 courts, 7 sitting each round. PicklePal re-balances the remaining rounds so the leaver doesn't skew anyone's rest count.

Mixed levels or matched courts?

With 8 courts live you have a choice: keep one court for stronger players and another for newer ones (Competitive groups similar levels), or mix every game so everyone plays with everyone (Balanced). Either way PicklePal evens out team strength inside each game.

Want to use your real names, set skill levels, or handle someone arriving late? Open this setup in the live builder — it rebuilds instantly and you can score the session as you play.

Open in builder →

Questions

With 40 players and 8 courts, who sits out?

8 players sit out each round. PicklePal rotates rest so everyone sits the same number of times and never two rounds in a row.

How many different partners will each player get?

In this 8-round example, no pair repeats more than 1 time, so each player partners a wide mix of the group.

Learn the system

Other setups

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