Pickleball isn't just growing – it's taking over. Players are leveling up and looking for something better than open play or random partner games.
They want structure. They want to improve. Most of all, they want better games.
That's exactly what we're building at Pickleheads.
Our Pickleheads round robin tool has already helped thousands of players run great events. However, we kept hearing one request over and over again:
"Can I run it with fixed partners?"
Now you can. We've built fixed partner support into the tool, and it opens up a whole new way to play. You can now run structured, competitive mini-tournaments in just a couple of hours, complete with pool play and a bracket finish.
No spreadsheets, no clipboard. Just better play with the people you want to play with.
Next, we'll walk through what a mini tournament looks like, why fixed partner formats matter, and how to run your first one on Pickleheads.
Why fixed partner round robins matter
In a typical round robin, you rotate partners every game. It's fun, social, and works great for open play. However, as more players start taking their game more seriously, the rotating format starts to fall short.
This is where fixed partner formats can help. You sign up with a teammate, compete together throughout, and get results that reflect how you play as a team.
With the fixed round robin format, you're getting tournament-style play compressed into a few hours instead of an all-day affair. No fancy gear required: just you, your crew, and a desire to crown a champ.
Try the Pickleheads fixed partner round robin tool
Set up your first event in minutes – and crown a champ by lunchtime.
How to run a mini tournament on Pickleheads
We've built this format into the Pickleheads round robin tool, and it's as easy to use as any of our existing formats. Here's what you need to do.
Step 1 – Players sign up as teams
Instead of joining as individuals, players now create a team at sign-up. They pick a partner, choose a team name, and register together.
This means you (the organizer) don't need to worry about pairing people up or making last-minute roster changes. Teams can even sub in a replacement if someone gets hurt or if you get no-shows.
From the start, you're giving players more ownership over their experience. It feels more like a real event because it is.
Step 2 – Start with pool play
Once your teams are locked in, you can kick things off with pool play. That means dividing teams into smaller groups (usually 3-5 teams per pool) and having each team play everyone else in their group.
This is the perfect way to ensure everyone gets several games, and it builds up nicely to the bracket stage.
Even better, we help you automatically balance the pools by skill level if you want. This avoids the "group of death" problem and keeps things competitive from the start.
Hint: A group of death is when multiple strong teams compete against each other in a tournament, making it harder for other teams to advance.
Step 3 – Keep your courts moving
Once matches start rolling, timing becomes everything — especially if you’re working with limited courts.
That's where the court space optimizer comes in. As soon as one game ends, the next matchup is automatically sent out. There's no downtime, no backlogs, and no more players standing around asking what court they're on.
This is a small feature that makes a big difference. As your events grow in numbers, it'll become even more useful.
Step 4 – Finish with a bracket
After pool play, things get real. You can launch a single- or double-elimination bracket to crown your winners. You get full control over the seeding – go by pool results, random draw, or good old-fashioned gut feel.
You can also add a consolation bracket. This keeps more teams playing longer and gives everyone something to fight for, even if they take an early loss.
This is where the fixed format really shines. It's structured, it's dramatic, and it leads to a satisfying finish. Someone's walking away with bragging rights.
Features that make it even smoother
Mini tournaments are fun on their own, but they get even better with the built-in tools we've added to help organizers stay in control and players stay engaged.
- Grow your rating: you can also submit scores to DUPR in a single tap. If you want your event to count, require DUPR accounts at sign-up. Once the games are played, you hit submit, and that's it. Scores are verified instantly. If you're running regular events, you can even tie them to your own DUPR Club ID.
- Up the ante: if you're collecting entry fees, you can manage it all via the app. Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards, and even refunds are managed automatically. No more chasing players for $5 or figuring out how to split Venmo payments. You just set the fee, we take care of the rest.
Why you should try it out
If you're a casual group organizer, this is the easiest way to bring more structure to your games, without needing a tournament director badge. If you're a player who's starting to take pickleball more seriously, this is a format that lets you test yourself with a partner in a real competitive setting.
This is what we mean when we talk about pushing pro-level tools down to the rec level. You don't need to be playing for prize money to want your games to mean something. Now, you don't need a complicated setup to get there either. All you need is your phone, a few teams, and a couple of hours on the courts.
Get started
If you've ever wanted to run a pickleball tournament, this is your moment. You can now run a real mini tournament with fixed partners, structured pool play, a bracket finish, and smart tools to keep things moving.
Want to give it a go? Try the Pickleheads round robin tool and get your first game set up in minutes.
