8 players fill 2 courts exactly, so everyone plays every round. In this rotation of 7 rounds all 28 possible partnerships happen exactly once. Each player plays 7 games.
Rotation for 8 players
Number the players 1 to 8. "1+2 v 3+4" means players 1 and 2 play together against players 3 and 4. Play the rounds in order, all courts at the same time; each round is complete on its own, so you can stop after any of them.
Round
Court 1
Court 2
1
1+2 v 3+4
5+6 v 7+8
2
1+3 v 5+7
2+4 v 6+8
3
5+3 v 4+6
7+1 v 8+2
4
1+4 v 6+7
2+3 v 5+8
5
1+5 v 2+6
3+7 v 4+8
6
1+6 v 3+8
2+5 v 4+7
7
1+8 v 4+5
2+7 v 3+6
Everyone plays every round
8 is a multiple of four, so all 8 players are on court in every round and nobody waits. One more player means one sits out each round; 12 players would fill 3 courts.
Scoring and the winner
In an Americano each player keeps their own points: both partners get the points their team scored in each game. After the last round the player with the most points wins; ties go to more wins, then the point difference. Games to 11 are Bracket Maker's default; with 7 rounds, shorter games (to 7, or a fixed time) keep the session moving.
Partners and opponents
Over the 7 rounds each player partners 7 different players and faces any one opponent at most 2 times. For a longer session, play the table again from round 1.
With your own names
Bracket Maker makes a new draw for every event, so with your names the rounds come out in a different order from this table, by the same rules: the fewest repeated partners first, then the fewest repeated opponents, and sit-outs that differ by at most one. Late arrivals and players who leave can be added or withdrawn between rounds. To group players by level instead, use Mexicano or King of the Court.
Open Bracket Maker, pick Americano, set Courts to 2 and paste your 8 names. It makes each round, keeps every player's points and shows the standings. Free, right here in your browser or offline in the Android app.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds should 8 players play?
7 rounds give room for every partnership once: 8 × 7 ÷ 2 = 28 pairs, and each round has 4 teams of two (2 courts × 2). Stop earlier if time is short; each round stands on its own.
How many courts do 8 players need?
2, one per group of four. Nobody sits out.
Does everyone play the same number of games?
Yes: 7 games each in 7 rounds.
Does this work for padel or tennis doubles?
Yes. The rotation only needs four players per court, so it works the same for padel, tennis, badminton or table tennis doubles.