Planning Guide
How to Organise a Padel Event
Step-by-step guide to organising a padel event. Covers court booking, player confirmations, round robins, and ability pairing — with free RSVP tools included.
Organising a padel event comes with unique challenges that tennis or badminton organisers never face: you need exactly 4 players per court (not 2 or 6), last-minute dropouts cost you court hire you can't recover, round robins need precise pair management to avoid someone sitting out for 45 minutes, and mixed abilities on the same court create tension when a beginner gets blitzed 6-0. This guide walks through everything from getting 4 confirmed RSVPs before booking courts to running smooth round robins — written by organisers who've dealt with the 11pm "sorry, can't make it" messages, the awkward moment when 11 people show up and you only booked for 8, and the frustration of pairing a level 3 with a level 7 and watching them get destroyed. If you've organised padel events, you'll recognise every mistake here because you've probably made them.
Padel events have completely different logistics depending on format, and choosing wrong will either leave you with dead time between games or with players sitting idle for an hour. A casual social session where you rotate partners every 2-3 games is infinitely more forgiving than a structured round robin where you need exact pair counts and fixture tables.
Choose your playing format and understand court implications
Social mixer (players rotate partners every game, new opponents each time): loosest format, most forgiving for dropouts, 8 players = 1 court rotating constantly. Round robin (fixed pairs, opponents rotate, everyone plays everyone once): requires exact court management, 12 players = minimum 2 courts, needs fixture table printed before event starts. Americano (individual scoring, partners change every game): chaos for beginners but good for mixed abilities. Tournament bracket (knockout): requires seeding based on level, needs admin throughout. Pick social mixer for new groups, round robin for clubs with established regulars.
Define ability levels in writing before promotion
Don't say "all levels welcome" unless your court setup explicitly separates them. Create clear definitions: Level 1-2 (learning to serve and score, can't sustain rallies), Level 3-4 (consistent groundstrokes, can keep 20-30 shot rallies), Level 5-6 (strategic play, hitting winners and approaching net). For mixed-level sessions: pair Level 1-2 with Level 5-6 (so the experienced player can coach mid-game), never pair Level 2 with Level 2 against Level 5-6 (they'll get absolutely demolished and won't come back). Run separate sessions if your group spans more than 3 levels.
Calculate courts based on exact player numbers, not hopes
Social mixer: 4 players = 1 court (too small, boring rotations), 8 players = 1 court (perfect), 12 players = 1.5 courts but you can't split a court so book 2, 16 players = 2 courts. Round robin with 6 pairs = 2 courts (3 pairs per court, fixtures rotate), 8 pairs = 3 courts ideally (rotation timing works better). Don't ever book based on expected capacity; book based on confirmed RSVPs minus typical no-show rate (usually 10-15% for padel). If you have 14 confirmed RSVPs and book for 16, you'll have an empty court spot. If you have 14 confirmed and book for 12, you're turning away regulars.
Lock in session length based on rotation time, not your preference
Social mixer with 8 players on 1 court: each pair plays 15 minutes per rotation = 4 rotations per hour. 90 minutes gives you 6 rotations (enough for everyone to play with everyone), 60 minutes gives you 4 rotations (some people won't meet). Round robin: assume 20 minutes per match including changeover = 3 matches per court per hour. 8 pairs on 3 courts for 2 hours = 6 matches per pair = everyone plays everyone once. Less than 2 hours and you'll have 2-3 pairs only playing 3-4 matches. Beginner/clinic format: 90 minutes (45 minutes tech talk + drills, 45 minutes play). Corporate events: 2 hours including ice-breaker and final debrief (limits court time to 90 minutes).
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop last-minute cancellations destroying my padel event finances?
The actual fix is three-part: (1) RSVPs with deadlines: close RSVP 3 days before event, not day-of. (2) Automatic reminders: send 48-hour reminder (Who's In does this) — most cancellations happen at 10pm the night before or 6am the morning of, a 48-hour reminder doesn't stop them but it surfaces the event in their mind earlier. (3) Cancellation policy: decide upfront whether people who cancel <24 hours still pay their court share. Write this on the RSVP. If you can't afford to lose £50 on one person cancelling, you need to charge them for no-shows (unpopular but fair). For serial cancellers: after 2 late cancellations, message them privately that they need 7-day cancellation notice or they lose priority booking access. Takes spine but prevents the same 3 people repeatedly costing you money.
What ability mix actually works in one court with 4 players?
Avoid: Level 2 + Level 2 vs Level 5 + Level 6 (the weaker pair gets demolished and leaves angry). Avoid: Level 2 + Level 5 vs Level 5 + Level 2 (the stronger players get bored and the weaker player feels exposed). Works well: Level 3 + Level 5 vs Level 4 + Level 5 (balanced, level 3 is supported). Even better: Level 2 + Level 6 vs Level 4 + Level 5 (level 6 coaches level 2, level 5 helps level 4). Best rule: never put your two lowest-level players on the same court unless they're paired with the two highest-level players on that court. If abilities span more than 3 levels (like you have a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), run separate sessions. One court can't mix levels that extreme.
I have 12 players confirmed for round robin. How many courts do I actually book?
Book 2 courts minimum, 3 courts ideally. Here's why: 12 players = 6 pairs. Round robin fixture list is 10 matches (each pair plays each other pair once). On 2 courts, you can do 2 matches per round (4 courts simultaneously... wait, that's wrong, 2 courts = 2 matches happening). Let me recalculate: 6 pairs need 5 rounds minimum (each pair needs to play each of the other 5 pairs once). Round 1: Court 1 has Pair A vs B, Court 2 has Pair C vs D, Pair E and F waiting. 3 minutes per match for rotation = 3 pairs per court per round × 5 rounds = 15 matches total needed on 2 courts, which takes 7.5 rounds (each round = 20 minutes for match + changeover). This is 2.5 hours. Book 2 courts and allocate 2.5-3 hours. If you book 3 courts, you can run all 10 matches in 2 hours because you're running 3 matches simultaneously. 3 courts is worth it for timing and player experience (less standing around).
Why do people keep saying 'maybe' on my padel event instead of committing?
Because you're letting them. WhatsApp group messages allow maybe responses and people default to it. RSVP tools that require yes/no (not maybe) like Who's In force actual decisions. Second reason: people aren't sure about cost. If you say "court split equally" instead of "£8 per person", they hesitate. Third reason: unclear deadline. If you say "RSVP whenever" vs "RSVP by Friday 5pm or spot goes to waitlist", the deadline creates urgency. Fourth reason: ability level uncertainty. If someone doesn't know whether it's beginner or advanced, they say maybe until they figure out if they'll be embarrassed. Fix all four: (1) use a system without maybe, (2) state exact cost, (3) set hard RSVP deadline, (4) describe ability level clearly. Maybes drop dramatically.
What's a fair price to charge per person for padel sessions?
Math first: court hire in UK is £30-70/hour depending on location and quality (London is £50-70, regional is £35-50). 8 players × 90 minutes = £45-67.50 in court costs = £5.60-8.40 per person. Round to £6-8. For round robins or tournaments, charge £10-12 because you're adding admin time, ball replacement, possibly tournament prizes. Never charge less than the court cost divided by players (you're not a charity). For ongoing weekly sessions, offer a 4-week pass at 10% discount (creates commitment). For corporate events, charge £15-20 per person or a flat £200-300 fee depending on group size. Always state payment method clearly (Venmo, cash, bank transfer) and whether there's a no-show fee. Free events sound appealing but attract flaky players and higher no-show rates (people value things they pay for).
How far ahead should I create the RSVP for my padel event?
Depends on event type: Weekly recurring social sessions: 10-14 days before, RSVP deadline 3 days before. This gives regulars enough notice to plan but creates urgency. Monthly round robins or club tournaments: 3-4 weeks before. This gives you time to promote to people who aren't on your core list. One-off special events (corporate padel day, coach clinic, charity tournament): 6-8 weeks before. Corporate events need long lead time because people book calendars in advance. Check your club's booking deadline first — if they require 72 hours notice for court availability, you need to close RSVPs 1 week before to give you a 3-day buffer. Always set RSVP deadline for midweek (Wednesday/Thursday) so you have daylight hours Friday to call the club with confirmed numbers, not scrambling Thursday night.
One person is a level 7, everyone else is level 3-4. Do I include them?
If they'll help: yes. If they'll dominate and make everyone else feel bad: no. Specifically: if your level 7 is a coach or someone who genuinely enjoys helping weaker players improve, include them and pair them with your weakest player (they'll feed them balls, give them confidence). If your level 7 is competitive and hungry to win, exclude them — they'll frustrate the experienced players in your group and make the intermediate players feel inadequate. Have the conversation directly: "Next week we're running a session for intermediate players. I know you're stronger — would be great to have you as a guest coach, no court time fee." Some level 7s will appreciate the leadership role. Others will say no because they want competitive play. If it's competitive level 7s, run them in a separate advanced session.
How do I actually fill my waitlist when people drop out?
Create your waitlist in Who's In (automatically enabled when event hits capacity). Message your waitlist people upfront with realistic expectations: "You're #3 on the waitlist. Padel sessions see 1-2 cancellations typically 24-48 hours before. We'll text you immediately if a spot opens. Best case is you hear from us Wednesday evening." Make sure you have their phone number on the RSVP. When someone cancels, send a text to the #1 waitlist person within 30 minutes: "Spot just opened for Tuesday 7pm session. Can you make it? Reply ASAP." If they say yes, send them the Who's In event page to confirm. If no response within 15 minutes, move to #2. Having a living, breathing waitlist means cancellations don't cost you money — they get filled immediately.
Ready to collect RSVPs for your padel events?
Who's In is free, takes 2 minutes to set up, and requires no app download for attendees.
