How the afternoon works
Six games of mixed doubles, relaxed mingling between the courts and drinks after. Here is how the games and off-court time fit into one example afternoon.
About this example
This page shows a 60-person, five-court worked example: three groups of 20, with six games per person and free-flowing mingling in between. You choose who to chat with; there are no timed dates or assigned conversation partners. The 2pm first serve and every clock time are illustrative, not announced ticket times. Coral, navy and yellow mark groups A, B and C on this page only; they are not a promise about wristband colours.
Real events use four to eight courts, and the number of singles and games can vary. We run events outdoors in warmer months, and indoors or under cover in colder months. Our first event is in Surrey in January 2027, with the date, time and venue still to be confirmed.
15The example
The afternoon at a glance
- Singles, 30 men and 30 women
- 60
- Groups of 20
- 3
- Courts in this example
- 5
- Games each, new partner every time
- 6
Example times based on a 2pm first serve. Real times are confirmed for each event.
13:30
Arrive
Check in, show your ID and collect your group wristband.
13:50
Welcome
Ten minutes on how the afternoon runs, how scoring works and how matching works.
14:00–17:00
Play and mingle
Six games, with free-flowing mingling between the courts in between. Hosts call your games; you choose who to chat with.
17:00
Finale
Scores counted, King and Queen of the Court crowned and prizes.
17:15
Drinks
The bar stays open, so keep talking. Afterwards you privately pick who you would like to see again.
After the afternoon: you privately pick who you’d like to see again. If they picked you too, it’s a match and we share your details with each other. No match, nothing shared.
30The rotation
Every ten minutes
The example afternoon runs in 18 slots of ten minutes. Your group plays every third slot, so you are on court for 10 minutes and off for 20.
- 14:00, group A
- 14:10, group B
- 14:20, group C
- 14:30, group A
- 14:40, group B
- 14:50, group C
- 15:00, group A
- 15:10, group B
- 15:20, group C
- 15:30, group A
- 15:40, group B
- 15:50, group C
- 16:00, group A
- 16:10, group B
- 16:20, group C
- 16:30, group A
- 16:40, group B
- 16:50, group C
Group on court in each 10-minute slot: A, B, C, repeating
On court 8 minutes + 2 to swap
- One game of mixed doubles, Americano style
- A new partner every game. Partners never repeat, but some opponents do
- Points go to you, not your pair, so your score follows you round
- Your court host keeps score and calls the next group over
Between games free-flowing mingling
- Roam between the courts and choose who to chat with
- No numbered tables, timed dates or assigned conversation partners
- Grab a drink or take a breather whenever you are off court
- Listen out for your next game; hosts call your group back onto court
40The mingling
Meet people your way
- Have a wander. When you are off court, mingle around the courts and say hello to whoever you choose.
- Let conversations happen. There is no set order, assigned partner or timer. Who you meet and how long you chat is up to you.
- Take it at your pace. Keep chatting, get a drink or take a break. You do not need to work through a list of people.
- Come back for your game. The padel rotation is organised, and hosts call your group onto court. Between games, the time is yours.
GAMEYour example
Find your afternoon
In this example, each player has a group and number, like A-M4 or C-W7. Pick one to see their court games and the gaps for mingling. Off-court times are not conversation rounds.
The picker needs JavaScript. A-M4’s example afternoon is shown below, and the court-plan table further down covers every player.
Example afternoon for A-M4
A-M4: 6 games with free-flowing mingling between games, 14:00 to 17:00 in this example.
- 14:00 Game 1, court 3. You and A-W6 v A-M1 and A-W3
- 14:10–14:30 Free-flowing mingling. Roam between the courts, chat with whoever you choose, grab a drink or take a break.
- 14:30 Game 2, court 5. You and A-W7 v A-M3 and A-W6
- 14:40–15:00 Free-flowing mingling. Roam between the courts, chat with whoever you choose, grab a drink or take a break.
- 15:00 Game 3, court 4. You and A-W4 v A-M7 and A-W7
- 15:10–15:30 Free-flowing mingling. Roam between the courts, chat with whoever you choose, grab a drink or take a break.
- 15:30 Game 4, court 4. You and A-W8 v A-M5 and A-W9
- 15:40–16:00 Free-flowing mingling. Roam between the courts, chat with whoever you choose, grab a drink or take a break.
- 16:00 Game 5, court 3. You and A-W2 v A-M3 and A-W1
- 16:10–16:30 Free-flowing mingling. Roam between the courts, chat with whoever you choose, grab a drink or take a break.
- 16:30 Game 6, court 3. You and A-W5 v A-M9 and A-W10
- 16:40–17:00 Free-flowing mingling. Roam between the courts, chat with whoever you choose, grab a drink or take a break.
This is a worked example with illustrative times. Hosts call your court games; who you chat with in between is up to you. If numbers change, we may adjust the groups.
The full example rota
On court: all six games
The same six games run for every group. Numbers refer to the group on court, so in group B, “M10 + W2” means B-M10 and B-W2.
| Game | Group A plays | Group B plays | Group C plays | Court 1 | Court 2 | Court 3 | Court 4 | Court 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | 14:00 | 14:10 | 14:20 | M10 + W2 v M7 + W9 | M2 + W4 v M9 + W1 | M4 + W6 v M1 + W3 | M6 + W8 v M3 + W5 | M8 + W10 v M5 + W7 |
| Game 2 | 14:30 | 14:40 | 14:50 | M8 + W1 v M2 + W5 | M5 + W8 v M7 + W10 | M1 + W4 v M9 + W2 | M6 + W9 v M10 + W3 | M3 + W6 v M4 + W7 |
| Game 3 | 15:00 | 15:10 | 15:20 | M1 + W1 v M8 + W8 | M6 + W6 v M9 + W9 | M5 + W5 v M2 + W2 | M4 + W4 v M7 + W7 | M10 + W10 v M3 + W3 |
| Game 4 | 15:30 | 15:40 | 15:50 | M9 + W3 v M8 + W2 | M10 + W4 v M1 + W5 | M6 + W10 v M7 + W1 | M5 + W9 v M4 + W8 | M2 + W6 v M3 + W7 |
| Game 5 | 16:00 | 16:10 | 16:20 | M7 + W5 v M8 + W6 | M1 + W9 v M2 + W10 | M3 + W1 v M4 + W2 | M6 + W4 v M5 + W3 | M10 + W8 v M9 + W7 |
| Game 6 | 16:30 | 16:40 | 16:50 | M5 + W6 v M10 + W1 | M2 + W3 v M7 + W8 | M4 + W5 v M9 + W10 | M8 + W9 v M3 + W4 | M6 + W7 v M1 + W2 |
Checked for this example: court partners never repeat, and nobody is scheduled in two places at once. Some opponents do repeat. Off court, there is no assigned route or guaranteed number of conversations.
Quick questions
Do I need to remember any of this?
No. Hosts call your court games. Between games, roam between the courts and choose who to chat with, grab a drink or take a break. There are no timed dates or assigned conversation partners. This page is a worked example.
How good at padel do I need to be?
Some padel experience is recommended. We ask your level when you join the waitlist and use it to help balance the courts.
Is it competitive?
A little. Points are scored individually, and the top man and woman are crowned King and Queen of the Court. It is social first, and nobody minds a missed smash.
What if someone doesn’t turn up?
The rota works best with equal, fixed groups. If numbers change on the day, the hosts adjust the groups and tell you where to go.
Is this format only for mixed groups?
This example is built for mixed doubles with equal numbers of men and women. LGBTQ+ events are on our roadmap.