How Mexicano works
Mexicano is the competitive sister of the Americano. You still change partner and play for your own points, but the pairs are not planned in advance. After every round the standings decide who plays together in the next one.
The four players at the top of the table play on court 1, the next four on court 2, and so on. On each court the 1st and 4th ranked players team up against the 2nd and 3rd. That way the pairs are as even as possible, and the strongest players meet each other more and more as the evening goes on.
The first round
Before anyone has scored, there are no standings, so round 1 is drawn at random. Some clubs seed the first round by level instead. From round 2 onwards everything follows the table.
Scoring
Mexicano uses the same scoring as Americano: each game is played to a fixed total, usually 24 or 32 points, and every player keeps the points their side won. With a 21–11 result both winners add 21 points and both losers add 11.
Because the next round depends on the table, every score must be entered before the next round can be drawn. That's the main practical difference from an Americano, where the whole schedule can be printed before you start.
Sit-outs
If the number of players isn't a multiple of four, some sit out each round. A fair Mexicano lets the players with the most games played sit out first, so everyone ends with the same number of games. The rest are then ranked and grouped by the standings as usual.
Americano or Mexicano?
| Americano | Mexicano | |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs | Planned in advance | From the standings |
| Partner | Everyone once | Similar level |
| Games | Mixed levels | Closer each round |
| Print in advance | Whole schedule | One round at a time |
| Best for | Social evenings | Competitive groups |
Choose Americano when the group has mixed levels and you want everyone to play with everyone. Choose Mexicano when you want tight games and a real final round at the top court.
How many rounds?
Most Mexicano evenings run 6–8 rounds with 32-point games, about 15 minutes per round including the court change. PadelRounds plans enough rounds for everyone to play the same number of games, and you can stop early or add an extra round.
Run a Mexicano with PadelRounds
- Choose Doubles, then Mexicano under Pairing.
- Enter the scores on your phone as games finish.
- Press “Draw round” – the next pairs are made from the live standings.
- Late arrival? Turn on Flexible and add the player between rounds.