Mixed doubles round robin

Updated October 12, 2026. Every schedule on this page was generated by Sitout's own rotation engine.

• 4 men, 4 women
• Uneven numbers
• Which rule wins
• How to run it
• FAQ

4 men and 4 women on 2 courts

Every team is one man and one woman, and every man partners each woman once.

After 4 rounds every mixed partnership has been used once, so a longer night starts repeating partners from round 5. Groups of 6 + 6 on 3 courts or 8 + 8 on 4 courts work the same way, with more rounds before any repeat.

5 men and 4 women on 2 courts

Nine players on two courts means one sits out each round. While a man sits, 4 men and 4 women are on court and every team is mixed. When a woman sits, 5 men and 3 women are on court, so one team has to be two men.

Over these 9 rounds everyone sits out exactly once. Rounds 1 to 5 are fully mixed; rounds 6 to 9 each have one all-men team, because a woman is sitting out.

Which rule wins: fair sit-outs or mixed teams?

You could keep every team mixed by always benching a man when the numbers are off, but then the extra men sit out far more often than everyone else. Over a night that's the bigger unfairness, and it's the one people leave over. A better rule: sit-outs stay even first, and among the players whose turn it is to sit, choose the one that leaves a mixed court. That keeps courts mixed as often as fair sit-outs allow.

How to run a mixed doubles round robin

1. Count men and women

   Equal numbers that fill your courts (4 + 4 on 2 courts, 6 + 6 on 3) give a perfect mixed night.

2. Pair every man with a different woman each round

   With 4 + 4, four rounds pair everyone with everyone of the other gender once.

3. Keep sit-outs fair first

   With uneven numbers, sit out the players with the fewest sit-outs. Between players on the same count, pick whoever keeps the court mixed.

4. Accept the odd same-gender team

   When the players on court can't all be paired mixed, one team won't be. Say so up front and nobody minds.

5. Keep score per player

   Each player gets their team's result. Rank by win rate, then point difference per game, then total points, so a player who sat out more isn't penalized for playing fewer games.

6. Handle late arrivals and early exits

   Someone who arrives mid-night starts level with the group's fewest sit-outs, so they aren't benched round after round to catch up. Someone who leaves keeps every score they already have.

Questions about mixed doubles round robins