King of the Court
Tiered court rotation: win to advance toward Court 1, drop down on a loss, and split partners on every move to keep games balanced.
King of the Court rotates doubles pairs across tiered courts. Win to move up toward Court 1, drop down on a loss, and split partners on every move so no single duo dominates the session.
Court Structure
Courts are numbered sequentially from top to bottom:
- Court 1 (The King Court): The top court. Winning players stay here as long as they win.
- Court 2 (Challenger Court): Feeds directly into Court 1.
- Court 3+ (Entry & Feeder Courts): Lower courts where pairs start their climb upward.
Movement & Partner-Split Rules
Games are played either to 11 points (win by 1) or on a timed central clock (8 to 10 minutes). When a match finishes, court movement happens immediately:
| Court Tier | Winning Team Movement | Losing Team Movement | Partner Split Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court 1 (King Court) | STAY on Court 1 | DROP to Court 2 | Both winners and losers split partners for the next match. |
| Court 2 (Challenger) | MOVE UP to Court 1 | DROP to Court 3 | Winners pair with the staying King players; losers pair with feeder winners. |
| Court 3+ (Feeder Courts) | MOVE UP one court | DROP one court (or STAY if bottom court) | Incoming players split so winners and losers play together. |
| Bottom Court (Entry) | MOVE UP to Court N-1 | STAY on Bottom Court | Losing pair splits and pairs with incoming players from above. |
Why Partners Split
In standard King of the Court mixers, pairs do not remain together across matches:
- Keeps Matches Balanced: Prevents a dominant pair from camping on Court 1.
- Broad Competition: Every player partners with multiple players of varying skill levels throughout the session.
- Individual Rating Tracking: Picklemix calculates individual Elo rating adjustments for each game, accounting for partner and opponent ratings.
Arrival & Pairing Protocol
When two players arrive from below and two players remain from the previous game:
- Side Assignment: The server from the previous match takes the north side; their partner takes the south side.
- Pairing: Incoming player A pairs with staying player A; incoming player B pairs with staying player B.
- First Serve: Decided by quick paddle spin.
Odd Player Counts (The Bench Chute)
If you have an odd number of players (e.g., 9 players on 2 courts, or 13 on 3 courts):
- The extra player waits on the bench at the bottom court.
- When the bottom court match finishes, the player with the lowest differential sits, and the waiting player rotates on.
- No player sits for more than one rotation.