How to Make a Doubles Rotation: Changing Partners Every Round in Badminton and Tennis

First work out how many can play each round and how many sit out

Doubles puts 4 players on each court. With c courts, 4 × c people can play in each round, and the rest sit out. If the number of players is not a multiple of 4, or there aren’t enough courts, someone sits out every round. Knowing these numbers first shows how many rounds you need for everyone to play about the same number of games.

The number on the right is the total number of possible pairs (n × (n − 1) ÷ 2) divided by the number of pairs per round (games × 2), rounded up. For 8 players there are 28 possible pairs and 4 pairs per round, so 7 rounds. With fewer rounds than this, it may be possible to never repeat a pair.

8 players on 2 courts can all partner each other once in 7 rounds

8 players on 2 courts is an easy number to work with: nobody sits out, and in exactly 7 rounds everyone partners everyone else once. Setting the match schedule maker to 8 players (numbered 1 to 8), 2 courts and 7 rounds produces a rotation like this.

Over the 7 rounds, all 28 pairs appear exactly once. Each player faces 14 opponents in total, meeting each of the other 7 players twice on average. Unlike partners, repeated opponents can’t be avoided completely, but the rotation keeps them within 1 to 3 meetings.

Tips for sharing out rest rounds evenly

When there are many players for the courts available, uneven rest rounds cause the most complaints. When choosing who sits out, start with the people who have played the most so far, then those whose last rest was longest ago. This keeps the difference in games played to one at most.

• 5 players, 1 court, 5 rounds: one person sits out each round, and everyone ends with 4 games and 1 rest
• 9 players, 2 courts, 9 rounds: one person sits out each round, and everyone ends with 8 games and 1 rest
• 10 players, 2 courts, 9 rounds: two sit out each round, and everyone plays 7 or 8 games, a difference of no more than one
• 6 players, 1 court, 6 rounds: two sit out each round, and everyone plays 4 games and rests 2

The rotation only works out perfectly when “players × rounds” divides evenly by “players per round”. When it doesn’t, someone will inevitably play one game more. In that case, adjust by hand to suit the situation, for example by putting people who arrived late or must leave early on the side that plays less.

Fixed pairs and mixed doubles

Changing partners every round suits social play and practice. When pairs are fixed, as in a competition, or when pairings have conditions, as in mixed doubles with one man and one woman per pair, you need a different approach.

• When pairs are fixed: enter each pair as one team, such as “Smith & Jones”, and make a round-robin or knockout schedule
• When you want to set men’s and women’s pairs for mixed doubles: list the men and women separately and form pairs first, then play a round robin between those pairs. The steps in how to split teams at random work for forming the pairs
• When you want to even out skill levels: list strong and weaker players alternately before pairing so that experienced players partner beginners
• When you want to mix in singles: let the people sitting out of doubles play a singles game to cut waiting time

For the number of games and match order when fixed pairs play a round robin, see how to work out round-robin matches and order. 4 pairs play 6 games and 6 pairs play 15.

Making doubles pairings with the match schedule maker

1. 1

   Choose “Doubles pairings” and enter the players

   Enter one name per line. It handles 4 to 60 players.

2. 2

   Set the number of courts and rounds

   The screen shows a guide for how many rounds it takes to partner everyone, so choose the number of rounds to fit your time.

3. 3

   Check games played and repeated pairs

   Below the rotation you’ll see how many times each person plays and sits out, and how many pairs play together twice or more. If repeats bother you, use “Reshuffle pairings” to get a different rotation.

4. 4

   Print it out or send it by message

   Print it to put up on the gym wall, or use “Copy table” and paste it into a group chat to let people know in advance.

Depending on the number of players and courts, the same pair may come up twice. Reshuffling a few times can sometimes produce a rotation with no repeats. For seating 3 to 6 players at tables, as in mahjong or board games, how to make table assignments for a mahjong tournament shows how to keep table-mates from repeating.

FAQ

With 8 players in doubles, how many rounds does it take for everyone to partner everyone?

7 rounds on 2 courts. 8 players make 28 possible pairs and 4 pairs play each round, so in 7 rounds everyone partners everyone else once. Nobody has to sit out.

What should we do with 5 or 6 players in doubles?

On 1 court, one person sits out each round with 5 players, and two with 6. Resting the people who have played the most first keeps the difference in games to one at most. With 5 players, 5 rounds gives everyone 4 games and 1 rest.

Why do I keep meeting the same opponents in a doubles rotation?

Each game has two opponents, so meeting the same people again is unavoidable as the rounds add up. With 8 players, 2 courts and 7 rounds, you meet each opponent twice on average. The practical approach is to avoid repeated partners first and spread repeated opponents as evenly as possible.

How can we decide fairly who sits out in tennis doubles?

Rest the people who have played the most so far, and those whose last rest was longest ago, first. Giving those sitting out umpiring or ball-collecting duties makes good use of the waiting time too.