Padel guide

Padel Americano and Mexicano Rules

Two social padel formats, explained: fixed-total scoring, pairings, sit-outs and the leaderboard. This page describes common rules, not an official rulebook. House rules vary, so agree on yours before you start.

Jump to the printable rules card Padel Americano generator

What Americano and Mexicano are

Americano and Mexicano are social ways to run a padel night. Everyone plays with and against many different people, and each player keeps their own score. A match is 4 players on a court, 2 against 2.

In Americano, the pairings for every round are planned before you start. In Mexicano, each new round is built from the standings after the last one, so players of a similar level end up on the same court.

Scoring by total points

Each match is played for a fixed number of points, then it stops. Common totals are 16, 21, 24, 32. Our tools start at 24. A higher total means a longer match and a fairer split of serves.

Both players on a team get the points their team won. With a total of 24, if your team wins 15 of them, you add 15 to your own score and the other team's players add 9.

Match totals
Total	Notes
16 points	Common alternative
21 points	Common alternative
24 points	Our starting value
32 points	Common alternative

Who serves

Groups handle serving in different ways, so agree on one before the first match. Some let each player serve 2 or 4 points in a row, then the serve passes on. Whatever you choose, rotate so all 4 players serve about the same number of times.

How Americano pairings work

Pairings come from a plan made before the night. You play with a different partner in most rounds, and every round has a court for you. How often partners repeat depends on your player count and number of rounds.

Our Americano page builds that plan and keeps the standings as you type scores.

How Mexicano pairings work

Round 1 has no scores yet, so our page uses the order you type the names in (shuffle the names first if you want a random start). After that, players are ranked by points. A common pattern for each group of four is 1st and 4th against 2nd and 3rd, with the top group on court 1. Some groups pair differently, such as 1st with 2nd.

Our Mexicano page uses the 1st and 4th against 2nd and 3rd pattern. It builds each round from the standings only and does not check who has partnered before, so a pair can meet again.

Odd numbers and sit-outs

Courts take 4 players. Anyone left over sits out and rests that round. Share the rests so everyone sits out about equally, or the leaderboard is unfair.

The table below is for our Americano plan, which spreads sit-outs as evenly as it can. Our Mexicano page builds each round from the standings and does not promise an even split of sit-outs, so keep an eye on who has rested.

House rules vary on what a resting player scores. Some give nothing, some give the average of the round. Pick one and say it aloud.

Sit-outs in our Americano plan (Mexicano is not planned this way) over 6 rounds
Players	Courts, sit-outs each round, difference in times sat out
9	2 courts, 1 out, within 1
10	2 courts, 2 out, within 1
11	2 courts, 3 out, within 1

How the leaderboard works

Each player adds up the points won across all their matches. Our standings sort by total points, then wins, then point difference. The highest total after the last round wins.

Common variations

Team Americano: partners stay together all night and only opponents change.
Mixicano: each team has one man and one woman. Our doubles mixer has a mixed option.
Time-capped rounds: play about 10, 12, 15 minutes, then stop where you are, or finish the point.
Court order: some groups move winners up a court. Mexicano is similar, but it re-pairs players by points each round instead of moving them up courts.

Printable rules card for each table

Two cards print on each sheet, one for each table. Print one sheet for every two tables. Tick your group's house rules on the card. Lines are left blank for rules of your own.

Padel court card

Table

2 against 2. Play to the total ticked below.
Add your team's points to your own score.
Tick the choices your group plays.

How scoring works
Your team's points	Add to your own score
Other team's points	They add to theirs

Our choices (tick)

Match total 16
Match total 21
Match total 24
Match total 32
Each player serves 2 points in a row
Each player serves 4 points in a row
10 minute time cap
12 minute time cap
15 minute time cap
Resting player scores nothing

Other rules

Padel court card

Table

2 against 2. Play to the total ticked below.
Add your team's points to your own score.
Tick the choices your group plays.

How scoring works
Your team's points	Add to your own score
Other team's points	They add to theirs

Our choices (tick)

Match total 16
Match total 21
Match total 24
Match total 32
Each player serves 2 points in a row
Each player serves 4 points in a row
10 minute time cap
12 minute time cap
15 minute time cap
Resting player scores nothing

Other rules

Tools and printables

Rules FAQs

What is the difference between Americano and Mexicano?

Americano pairings are planned before the night. Mexicano builds each round from the current standings. Both give every player an individual score. House rules vary.

How many points should a padel Americano match be?

Common totals are 16, 21, 24, 32. Our tools start at 24. Pick a lower total if your court time is short.

What do we do with 9 or 11 players?

Courts take 4, so with 9 players 2 courts play and 1 sits out each round. Take turns so everyone rests about equally.

How many times does each player serve?

That varies by group. Some rotate after a few points, some after more. Pick a rule so all four players serve about equally.

Is Mixicano a different game?

It is Americano with mixed teams: one man and one woman on each side. Agree on the details, because house rules vary.