In this article, we explain how an Americano padel tournament works. We’ll help you with all the information you need to get started and organise a tournament with friends or colleagues.
We’ll start with a summary of the essentials:
Summary of Padel Americano
- You participate in an Americano turning without a partner and are drawn before each with one partner and two opponents
- Each match is decided by playing a predetermined number of balls (1 point per ball). For example, 32 balls.
- If 32 points per match are played, one team serves four times and then the serve goes to the other team
- Example result: 17-15. The winning team takes 17 points each from the match and the losing team takes 15 points each to their total score for the tournament
- A match to 32 points takes about 15 minutes to play
- The tournament ends when everyone has played with everyone
- The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the tournament
That's how many you have to be
When playing the Americano tournament, you must be at least 4 people. It is best if you can always increase or decrease the number to fill up the number of lanes. It is possible to have uneven numbers with some players resting each round.
- 4 on 1 court
- 8 on 2 lanes
- 12 on 3 lanes
- 16 on 4 lanes
- 20 on 5 lanes
- 24 on 6 lanes
How to play Americano?
Americano padel matches are quite short. Exactly how short depends on how long it takes for the match to reach the score limit, which is set at the beginning. The point is that the match score must reach a certain limit and when it is reached, the match is over. For example, if the match ends 12-12, then each player on the respective team gets 12 points each.
In Americano, you do not participate with a teammate, but each match is drawn between teammates, so players do not know until the day of the match which teammates they will have. All players collect individual points in each match they play in and each point is recorded in a table and when all matches are played, the points are added together. To win the tournament, you need to have the most points.
Padel Americano is a very popular and social form of the game.
However, an Americano padel match may vary slightly depending on who is organizing the tournament. In other words, it is very flexible and the way the matches are played can also vary greatly depending on how many points a match is supposed to come up with. The lower the score needed, the more chance there can be for more of the aggressive style of play. Because of the shorter time played, there will be more energy for faster tougher turns.
Americano scoring system
In Americano, you play with a teammate in different matches, but the points are added up for the individual player. Each player accumulates their own points during each match they play. Even if a team doesn’t win a match, they take their points with them.
For example, when a match ends 14-10, the players on the winning team take home 14 points and the players on the losing team take home 10 points. All points are added up when all matches are finished and the player with the most points wins the whole tournament. Each ball won by a team counts as one point.
How long does an Americano tournament take?
There is not an exact set time for how long a tournament lasts. It depends on how many players are participating in the tournament, how many points you have to accumulate in a match, and how long it takes in each match to reach the designated score limit.
The more players that participate and the more points that have to be accumulated in a match, the longer the tournament takes. This is because a match is not over until the score set at the beginning has been reached. For example, if the limit is 24, then all matches must be played until the total score reaches 24, regardless of whether the match ends in a draw, 12-12, or 16-8, for example.
Sample calculation for how long a match (32 points) in Americano can take:
- Most expect 12-15 minutes per match
- Some take the high road and expect 20 minutes to secure the schedule
However, some people have an approximate figure for how long a match in Americano lasts, but that figure can be anything from 12-20 minutes per match. The difference depends, among other things, on the number of points to be scored in a match played. The most common score you see is 32 points, but as I said, it can vary. Finally, you have to add up the average time taken with the number of matches that will be played during the tournament.
What is the difference between Americano and Mexicano?
The common factor between these two match games is that the scoring works the same. The team’s players receive one point for each ball won. The points are added together in a table, whether the players have won their match or not.
The main difference is that in Mexicano, matches are drawn in a way to make them as even as possible. The teams are drawn using an app to make it quicker to get the matches as even as possible. The better a player does in one match, the tougher the opposition they will face in the next match.
You can be ranked in different ways and you will not be able to face all players in Mexicano cup. On the other hand, you may find yourself in matches where you can face players you have faced in previous matches and even end up with a teammate you have had in the past. Matches are drawn according to your performance and a program helps to make the matches as even as possible. In this way, you are never predetermined as to who you will play against.
