Format guide

Padel Mexicano

A Mexicano is an Americano where the leaderboard picks the matches. After every round the players are ranked by points, and the next round puts players of a similar level on the same court. The matches get closer as the night goes on, and every point you win still goes on your own total.

How a Mexicano works

The first round is drawn at random. From then on, each round is built from the leaderboard. The four players at the top go to court 1, the next four to court 2, and so on down. On each court, 1st and 4th team up against 2nd and 3rd, so the two pairs start level on paper.

After a round or two the strongest players are meeting each other on court 1, and everyone further down has an even match too. Far fewer matches end 20–4 either way, which is what makes a Mexicano good for groups with a wide spread of levels.

If 1st and 4th partnered each other in the round before, SetPoint switches that court to 1st and 3rd against 2nd and 4th, so nobody gets the same partner twice running.

Because each round depends on the last one's scores, the next round can only be made once every court has finished. That's the big difference from an Americano, where the whole schedule is set before you start.

Scoring

Scoring works as it does in an Americano. Most Mexicanos play to a total number of points, often 24 or 32, and each player adds their side's points to their own total: win 14–10 and you and your partner get 14 each. You can also count games, or play first to a number. If two players finish level, point difference usually decides, with head-to-head or matches won as the alternatives.

Sitting out

When the number of players isn't a multiple of four, some sit out each round and get points for it: half a match's worth, or their own average so far. SetPoint shares out the sit-outs evenly and avoids anyone sitting out twice in a row when it can.

How many rounds?

A Mexicano has no rotation to finish, so you choose how long it runs. Eight rounds is a good evening: with 8 players on two courts at 24 points, that's about an hour and a half. When some players sit out, SetPoint suggests a number of rounds that gives everyone the same number of sit-outs.

Team Mexicano

Team Mexicano is Mexicano for fixed pairs. After each round the teams are ranked by points and paired down the table: 1st plays 2nd on court 1, 3rd plays 4th on court 2, and so on. Two teams who have just played each other are kept apart, and the next team down steps up instead. Points count for the team.

Americano or Mexicano?

Choose an Americano when you want everyone to play with everyone: a social night, or a group who mostly play at the same level. Choose a Mexicano when the levels are far apart and you want close matches all night. For something faster-moving, try King of the Court.

Questions

Who plays together in a Mexicano?

The four players on a court are ranked by the leaderboard, and 1st and 4th play 2nd and 3rd. Court 1 has the top four, court 2 the next four, and so on.

Why are the first round's matches random?

Before anyone has played there's nothing to rank, so round 1 is a draw. From round 2 the leaderboard takes over, and the matches even out quickly.

Can you play a Mexicano with fixed partners?

Yes: that's Team Mexicano. Teams are ranked instead of players, and 1st plays 2nd, 3rd plays 4th, down the table.

How long does a Mexicano take?

A 24-point match takes about 10 minutes, plus a couple of minutes to change over. Eight rounds is about an hour and a half. SetPoint estimates the finish from your settings and then from how fast your group actually plays.