Tournament formats
When you create a tournament, you pick a format. The format decides how matches are generated, who plays whom, and whether partners stay together or rotate.
This page explains each option so you can choose the right one for your session.
How to get there: Open the SliceWin app → Select your club → Create Tournament → Format
Choosing a format
Pick the format that matches the session you want to run — social mixer, balanced competition, a full round-robin, a knockout night, or a club vs club battle.
| Format | Best for | How matches work |
|---|---|---|
| Open Play / Americano | Sessions where everyone plays together | Generated round by round, with automatic player rotations |
| Swiss / Mexicano | Balanced, competitive games | Generated round by round, pairing similar standings |
| Round Robin | Everyone faces everyone | All matches generated at the start; play them in any order |
| Group Round Robin | Skill divisions or larger fields | Round robin inside each group |
| Knockout | A clear winner | Elimination, with optional group stage and placement matches |
| Team Tournament | Club battles, two sides | Two teams compete; Flexible or Round Robin mode |
| Flexible | Full control over the schedule | No predefined matches — add them as you go |
Open Play / Americano
Open Play (Americano in padel) is built for sessions where everyone plays together.
Matches are played round by round. Automatic player rotations minimize repeated partners and opponents while balancing the number of matches each player gets.
Ideal for mixers and social events.
Swiss / Mexicano
Swiss (Mexicano in padel) is similar to Open Play / Americano, but each round pairs players with similar standings for more competitive matches.
Winners play winners, losers play losers. Ideal when balanced games matter more than mixing with everyone.
Round Robin
Round Robin is the classic pool-play format. Everyone faces every other participant once or twice, depending on your settings.
All matches are generated when the competition starts and can be played in any order. Works for a single-day tournament or a league spread over weeks.
Group Round Robin
Group Round Robin is similar to Round Robin, but participants are split into groups and only face opponents within their own group.
Ideal for organizing leagues with multiple skill divisions.
Knockout
Knockout is a standard elimination tournament. You can add an optional group stage (round robin) and placement matches.
The knockout and group sizes adapt automatically to the number of teams when the tournament starts.
Team Tournament
Players are split into two teams that compete against each other.
- Flexible mode — matches are added freely: singles, doubles, or a mix of both
- Round Robin mode — the app generates all matches so that every player faces every player on the opposing team
Ideal for club battles or inter-team competitions.
Flexible
Flexible has no predefined structure. Admins and participants add matches freely, and standings update automatically.
Ideal for leagues or tournaments where you want complete freedom over which matches are played.
Playing a format as a league
A Round Robin, Group Round Robin, Team Tournament, or Flexible tournament can be played as a league, with matches spread over a custom period — a week, a month, or a whole season.
The app generates the matchups. Players then self-schedule their games. League standings update as matches are finished.
Create or invite players
Players can download the app, or you can create them manually — no one is forced to download SliceWin.
- Invite to the app — share your club invite link. Players who join can self-report results, see their match history, add photos, and follow the leaderboard.
- Create manually — add unregistered players yourself. They appear in the club and can play in tournaments without installing anything.
If someone you created manually installs the app later, no worries — their profile can be merged so they keep their history and ranking.
Competitive vs Friendly
When you create a tournament, you also choose whether it affects your club ranking:
- Competitive — matches update the club Elo ranking
- Friendly — matches do not affect the club ranking
Need help?
Questions about a format, or want to request a new one? Contact us — we'll help you pick the right setup.
Last updated: August 2026