Before you open entries

Choose the format before you collect names. A pairs event on two courts in one afternoon cannot use the same draw as a weekend on four courts. Fix: maximum pairs, estimated match length, time between rounds, and whether you allow a waiting list. If those numbers stay vague, the draw breaks the moment someone is late or withdraws.

For amateur club padel, a 45–60 minute slot (warm-up included) is realistic. Multiply by the number of rounds in your format and compare that with court closing time. If it does not fit, cut pairs or change the formula: shorter groups, a single final, or two time bands.

Entries: one list, not three chats

Ask each pair for names, a contact, a stated level and, if needed, category (men, women, mixed). One list avoids duplicates and “we are ten, but on three different lists”. Close entries at a clock time, not “sometime this evening”. Late arrivals go on a visible waiting list, so nobody argues on court.

  • One pair, one row: no different nicknames for the same person.
  • Record withdrawals at once: a draw with holes is easier to repair early.
  • If you use a manager, organiser and players should see the same list.

Choosing the draw

Knockout: fast, good for few pairs and little time. Losers are out. Groups plus knockout: more matches for everyone, better if you have courts and a full afternoon. Round robin: everyone plays everyone, only with small numbers. Do not mix formulas halfway through the day: players and spectators should see at a glance who goes through.

When you build groups, split pairs from the same club if you can. It is courtesy, not a law, and it makes the event easier to read. Write results in the same place the draw lives: a photo of a sheet in three WhatsApp chats is the fastest way to get three different scores.

On tournament day

Arrive with courts assigned and the order of play already visible. A ten-minute delay in round one spreads across the whole afternoon. Keep a spare court only if you truly have enough: an honest timetable is better. Publish results as soon as a match ends, not at the end of the session. The next pair needs to know whether they play or can go home.

Padel Manager, in the Daragon14 catalogue, is built for this flow: you create the event, collect entries, and keep the draw and results on one screen, in the club browser or on a phone. It does not replace an umpire and it does not invent the rules: it removes scattered paper.

After the last point

Publish the final standing in the same list you used for entries. If you have photos or a recap, attach them there, not on a fourth channel. Keep results at least until same-day complaints are settled. A well-closed tournament is also one that leaves a record: the club needs it for the next event, and players need it to read the level.